A Presidential Diet

 They run the country and in effect run the world.They are the American presidents. Some may see them as gods but they[re just ordinary men who took on an extraordinary job. They eat the same as us They drink the same as us. They even have favorite foods and drink, just like their voters.

Maybe President Trump isn;t the most gluttonous of all leaders.There were several before him. H;es just like any modern American with a love for fast food I and who doesn't;t love McDonald's burgers and Filet O'Fish along with a chocolate shake. He also goes mad for steak with ketchup for lunch with a side of blue cheese dressing drenched salad. Then there are those dozens of diet Cokes - which let's face it we're addicted to them as well. Former President Joe Biden had a thing for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches washed down with orange Gatorade. Other presidents of the last century fell for that Twentieth Century diet staple cottage cheese. Ronald Reagen carried his Hollywood diet with him and had a scoop of the stuff in half a cantaloupe . Richard Nixon doused his with ketchup white  his follower Gerald Ford zinged his cottage cheese with sliced red onions and A-! Sauce. he also had those Seventies lunch drinks for choice  two martinis.

Barack Obama had more sophisticated tastes, enjoying Vietnamese noodles in Hanoi with food great Anthony Bourdaun. he was following int he footstep of Thomas Jefferson.Jefferson brought ice cream back from France to a new nation, curious about the word's diet He also introduced Americans to souffles to the famed baked mack and cheese. He also believed in a more vegetarian diet, considering meat  to be "just a condiment"" Washington's diet was more British and Virginia influenced. He loved the English classic mutton but was fast forward in his love of mashed sweet potatoes, now a trendy dish in restaurants everywhere. he loved how cakes a type of pancake swimming in butter and honey. Abe Lincoln , the other great president honored today was a fan of typical Nineteenth Century dishes such as chicken fricassee. This is a comforting ,creamy stew ,redolent  with herbs and  made with fresh cream. He also liked apple pie and oyster stew along with corncakes and gingersnap cookies. He loved  a food from his rough and tumble childhood - Kentucky corn dodgers, a kind of hush puppy fried in bacon grease.

Presidents are like us. They have their favorite foods and drinks. It's what keeps them running the country.

Veggies Doing Double Duty

 It's not just spinach steamed with garlic and butter anymore. Or cauliflower florets ready to be dipped into a viniagrette. Veggies now are getting double duty in foods and recipe usually occupied by traditional and time honored ingredients. The end result is a tasty new way of getting produce.

On e of the unexpected to find veggies is pasta. Many companies like Ronzoni are incorporating everything from broccoli to tomatoes in their spaghetti and rotelli.Barilla, the most tradtional of pasta companies is taking a different turn with their zucchini and spinach ones along with their red lentil and chickpea pastas. Yet are they worth it to those who love their whole wheat and Durham wheat kinds. Veggie based pasta is less in fiber and much less proteins than the traditional types. They are perfect for those with celiac disease, gluten sensitivites and wheat allergies.Keep in mind that they're not completely vegetable based.A mix of semolina and Durham wheat is added for body. Ronzoni 's has  The most important question however is how does it taste. Veggie pastas don't have the robust and distinctive flavor their one hundred per cent wheat cousins have. It won't work with a delicate butter and garlic sauce. Try a hearty tomato or fiery arriabiata one instead. The same applies to turning them into salads. Use a flavorful dressing and strong flavors like beans and broccoli along with vine ripe tomatoes.

Rice is also getting a run for its' money. There is a trend right now for riced veggies.It's a much healthier alternative to the regular grains (although rice is lower in calories and is rich in carbohydrates,magnesium and protein).Riced veggies have more Vitamins K and C. You can easily buy it at your grocery store . There are several different brands to choose from like Acme's Signature brand to Bird's Eye and Green Giant. It comes plain ro with flavorings like regular rice. It's great on it's own but perfect for a healthy side with grilled chicken or even plant based meats. Riced veggies can be easily be made in your kitchen. One popular recipe is riced broccoli. This is just trimming the veggie's thick ends or woody looking stems. Cut the broccoli into equal sized florets and cut the stems into coins or thin slices. Place all of it in a food processor or blender and pulse until the pieces resembles rice grains. You can easily turn it into a side or a salad. even fellow vegetables like potatoes are getting a run for their money. Mashed cauliflower has a popular side since Michelle Obama introduced it at The White House.It's mashing the cooked florets with sour cream and butter, although you can also use almind milk for a healthier side.

Veggies are doing double duties taking over form rice , pasta and even their fellow veggies potatoes, They're a nice alternative to these, being healthier and more flavorful. Try them as pasta riced or mashed for a new taste in the New Year.

Eat Like A President

 Everyone wonders what it's like to live in the White House , no matter what the era. You can experience one aspect of it on this President's Day - the dining.  White House recipes have been varied but attainable. Anyone now can eat like the Commander-In-Chief.

One of the most popular (and it was Abe Lincoln's favorite) was cornbread. Rutherford B Hayes, the nineteenth president also served it at the White House and it's easy to see why. Who doesn't love a square of the freshly made bread, drizzled with honey the way Lincoln loved it or warm from the oven slathered with salted butter. Cornbread is a great bake , either as a snack or with dinner. Yet it also is a great bed for chili - a popular favorite with both George W Bush and family and Lyndon and Lady Bird Johnson. Bake up a batch and then cut into squares. Ladle chili on top for a hearty winter dish. If you want something hardier, then look no further than William Howard  Taft and Teddy Roosevelt. Both men loved a good steak and potatoes dinner. This can be easily replicated with a good filet mignon and a baked potato. This would have suited them but you do need a little green in there to balance the meal's heaviness. Add a simple green salad with a few grape tomatoes , carrots and broccoli florets tossed in, Another spin on the presidential favorites is a grilled flank steak with French fries . You could add a simple au jus sauce to dip the fries into. 

Some of our leaders loved chicken instead of red meat. Woodrow Wilson loved his wife , Lou's, chicken salad. This dish is a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken. It's cubing the meat and combining it with mayo and chopped celery, Some add grapes for sweetness and color , other's add a dash of paprika for kick. A tastier add in would be green olives. It's good on white toast but also great on sliced French bread.Warren G. Harding was true to his Midwestern roots and loved chicken pot pie. Many home chefs shy away from it because they feel it's too complicated a recipe. You can easily simplify it by using frozen veggies, and canned cut chicken. The crust  can be Pilsbury pie crust or biscuits arranged om top. More recent presidents like Obama loved nachos. These are always a fun make. You can make them with just melted cheddar and salsa on top or try something more elaborate with guacamole, sour cream and chopped meat.  Our presidents weren't exactly ones for dessert yet some, like Calvin Coolidge loved a good apple pie. This is a great bake, and a refreshing break from all that bread and cake.  You can vary the recipe by adding walnuts or caramel. Dwight EIsenhower loved his wife's fudge and this is definitely a fun make. Add walnuts and marshmallows the way Mamie Eisenhower did. 

You can eat like a president. Make a recipe that was a White House favorite. It 'll be one of yours too.

America's Food Crisis

 Like it or not we are a starved country. Thanks to the pandemic along with the former administration's gaffes, our farmers are hurting as are our children. The Biden administration has a lot on its' plate - no pun intended, yet thanks to President Biden's beliefs and attitude, something can hopefully be done. There are solutions to helping America eat right again.

This was the subject of an article in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Regular contributor, Kim Severson delved into a variety of problems that the country is facing.There are so many , an d bills to be signed or considered are piling up on the new president's desk. Luckily Biden has nominated Tom Vilsack to be the Secretary of Agriculture as he was under the Obama administration. He has already sketched out his agenda due in part to the five major problems plaguing the US right now. At the top of the list is protecting his department and its' employees from the virus and figuring out which land-grant universities, governments labs and other department office might be able to store and administer vaccines. Of course hunger is an all pressing issue, especially now. along with promoting social justice and fighting climate change. The last is vastly  important because farms are the first to suffer from extreme weather conditions. Mr. Vilsack also wants to prop up regional food systems and helping farmers.

Things changed during the Trump administration that had been dedicated to factory farming and agribusiness. Yet , thanks to a more thoughtful president, policies and protections will be restored to what President Obama had. Under him, and thanks to First Lady Michele Obama, child nutrition was at the forefront. That means more organic produce  in children;s diet and in school meals. Many organic farmers feel hopeful with Mr. Vilsack back at the helm. Laura Batcha, the chief executive at the Organic Trade Association which represents a fifty billion dollar segment in the food industry , feels he will do good for organic farming. The Trump administration had no respect for organic or even sustainable agriculture, letting factory farms go wild in a deregulated atmosphere. Others consider him a retread, without a fresh progressive view to get them out of this pandemic and beyond. Many were hoping for former North Dakota senator, Heidi Heitkamp or Cleveland congress woman Marcia L. Fudge, the last Biden named as secretary of housing and urban development. Yet Vilsack has experience and wisdom and can lead this country into a better direction. He'll be able to turn around a food challenged country.

Our food and hunger crisis  won't be over yet. It will end though, thanks to a new , more thoughtful administration. Our children won't starve, but will be cared for  and fed with better food thanks to better policies.

Anthony Bourdain That Rare Oyster

Anthony Bourdain  was literally the epitome of at bon vivant  a good liver. He took life and food by the horns , opening up our eyes and palates. he was definitely one of a kind.

Maybe it was his French blood that made him adore food , his father's family was from Bordeaux or his mother's gutsy American attitude that emboldened him with trying different cuisines. It left him with a passion for the bold and adventurous. This kid from Leonia ,New Jersey tried the world's wildest and most sophisticated dishes , while still being true to his roots. he may have  featured the best restaurants  but also highlighted Hiram's Hot Dogs in nearby Fort Lee. His interest  in food started when he was on a family holiday  in France when he tried an oyster for the first time on an oyster boat. He went to Vassar and worked at seafood restaurants in Provincetown Mass. he dropped out of Vassar and since loved cooking, enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America or the CIA. after graduation in 1978, he ran the top restaurants of the day, Sullivan's, the Supper Club and One Fifth Avenue. His biggest break was when he became the executive chef at the glamourous Les Halles restaurant in Manhattan.

His television career started with Kitchen Confidential in 2000 after he published a book of the same name. His second book, A Cook's Tour in 2001, hit the New York Times' best sellers list. It was about his food and cooking exploits. In 2006 he shot the TV show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. It had one memorable scene in which the Israel-Lebanon conflict happened during filming in Beirut. There was footage of him with Hezbollah supporters along with being holed up with expatriates in the hotel. Two other shows followed. One was The Layover on the Food Channel and the other was the no holds barred.Parts Unknown. This last was wildly popular as he garnered former president Obama as a guest during a trip to Vietnam. Bourdain also took the show to Libya, Tokyo, Punjab, Jamaica, Ethiopia, Nigeria and Armenia. Audiences, especially foodies, loved it, his daringness to try bizarre foods and his love of travel. He also made it to The Simpsons as well as on Inked where he got a tattoo in the episode. He also produced and starred in the movie about food waste called. Wasted:The Story Of Food Waste.

Anthony Bourdain was one of  a kind, an unusual dish to be savored.  There will never be one quite like him. He was one of a kind - that rare oyster with the amazing flavor.

White House Kitchen Meals Fit For A President

The White House is the base of many American institutions The West Wing and  the Oval Office represent the  sitting president while the second story represent the presidential family. However, it's the little written about White House kitchen that fuels the powers that be with favorite dishes and desserts.

There has always been a kitchen in the White House. The first cooks were enslaved African-Americans owned by George Washington. They continued on in the kitchen until President William Henry Harrison in the 1890's . As the 20th century progressed the kitchen became fancier and much more sophisticated . Updates such as a stainless steel makeover during FDR's tenure and an entire transformation thanks to Harry S. Truman seeing the room needed to be drastically updated. Gourmet chefs ushered in the 21st Century with the Obamas bringing in Cristata Comerford, a Filipino born to oversee the cooking. The White House kitchen is also responsible for hard boiling and dying the dozens of Easter eggs used for the annual Easter egg hunt and the annual Christmas gingerbread house, a copy of the White House with some personal touches representing the sitting First Families. They also create amazing banquets which reflect the countries of the foreign leaders feted. When former British Prime Minister David Cameron visited , the kitchen whipped up a bison Wellington , an American spin on the classic British dish and lemon sponge cake. another English classic for his state dinner.

What did our presidents like to nosh on? Not surprisingly,  our first president George Washington had a fondness for cherries along with other fruits. John Adams and his wife Abigail preferred simple New England fare such as Indian pudding along with basic ingredients such as butter and molasses. Thomas  Jefferson was the first gourmand president , bringing in ice cream and macaroni along with anchovies, souffle, and Parmesan cheese to the US palate. James Madison had his wife, the famed Dolly, to thank for White House teas. Abe Lincoln was a fan of his wife 's Mary's courting cake, a homemade , frothy meringue of a cake. Teddy Roosevelt loved sugar so much he put seven lumps in his coffee cup, described as a bathtub by one of his sons along with a kind of shortbread cookie called a sandtart., Cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a big fan of any kind of soup and homemade doughnuts.The first president who loved to cook and often made his own meals was Dwight D. Eisenhower. He had a thing for soups and beef stews. Haute cuisine took a holiday when Bill Clinton was elected.. His was a passion for cheeseburgers along with roast beef sandwiches , his mom's sweet potato casserole and carrot cake. President Obama loved scallops along with the healthier fare his wife Michelle recommended.,

The White House has fed and catered to all our presidents. They have nourished our leaders in times of crises and tempted then wth  savory and sweet treats during difficult days. It is not just a kitchen where food is prepared but part of the net work that support all American preidents.

Michelle Obama's Great Legacy

First Ladies are not known for their rebelliousness. They have to be genteel and not rabble rousers. Yet our former First Lady , Michelle Obama rebelled - making our kids more diligent about what they ate. She gave us a generation of kids who will be healthier and wiser in food choices..

Her Let's Move program started out with parents protesting themselves about the interference of a First Lady. From all corners of the country they yelled and made snide remarks. Unfortunately, as they did this, their kids became fatter and lazier, junior candidates for diabetes, obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. Folks acquiesced when they saw she was right, and only was emphasizing what their pediatricians had already told them. It was also what Alice Waters' credo
was too. Not only were parents starting to change their kids' diets but schools were too. Gone were those mystery meat lunches and sweet extras such as cookies and cake slices.Fresh veggies and fruit became the fuel that young minds needed. Sodas were also frowned upon with kids now reaching for bottles of spring water.Mrs Obama even applied these principles to her own girls. Malia and Sasha. The White House chef created tasty and low cal dishes for all the Obamas and may have even started the food craze of riced cauliflower. The girls definitely benefited , with them reaching for apples when other kids reach for chips.

Mrs. Obama even carried it one step further by turning  part of the White House lawn into a veggie garden. She invited school kids to help her plant and water, infusing them with her enthusiasm,. It also led her to have the first White House apiary where honey was produced. This was a great message too - to use natural sweeteners instead of refined sugar. The site is still up.It's still vital and important. It shows how schools can start their own gardens, teaching kids how to eat healthier along with learning about sustainability.There is also a section that features nutritional  meals from such sites as Good Housekeeping, Food Network , Delish, and Cooking Light. Parents can visit these and pick out fun recipes that are packed chock full of tasty recipes.Mrs. Obama also made those kids burn off those calories by starting the Let's Move movement. She emphasized the importance of families playing together , from taking jogs to a game of baseball. She also emphasized the importance of towns and cities have adequate and enticing play areas to get kids moving.

It's doubtful that the current First lady will continue on with this. Yet there are those who can and will continue Michelle Obama's legacy of good eating. It will not die, but continue on, helping our kids grow healthy and strong.

Recipes From The White House

Our US presidents and their wives have given us some good recipes over the years. They are vast and varied , from LBJ's chili and barbecue to Dolly Madison 's bouillon to Mamie Eisenhower's fudge.However it;s the house it;self, The People's House that has contributed some excellent recipes to the American culinary landscape.

One of the most varied White House eras was during Thomas Jefferson's term.He was huge Francaphile, often bringing home fancy French recipes to a simple , almost primitive kitchen. However he was also an Americna who loved his black eye peas, pasta and a variety of meats from ham to chicken to veal.. Jefferson also introduced ice cream to the country where it has reigned supreme in all sorts of desserts and flavor ever since. Oysters were big at the big house and have been featured for the last two centuries . They have been chilled, enriched by sauce and enhanced by lemon. Households across the country copied these recipes as they also copied roast turkey and stuffing recipes for that uniquely American holiday Thanksgiving. Even decadent desserts such as Mrs. Eisenhower's fudge and current White House pastry chef's Bill Yosses' nectarine pie that has our current president swooning

Of course Michelle Obama brought healthy eating from the White House to America. She's is the gatekeeper to the "Let's Move' exercise movement and encourages healthy eating with fresh fruits and veggies. She brings us minted pea salad, perfect for now, excellent for a Spring dinner . For more green there is a broccoli soup, a puree made even more tastier with onions , celery and a dash of jalapeno infused olive oil.President Obama loves her chili recipe that has just a bit of decadent bacon added along with ground turkey ( you can have it with  ground beef too) along with good for you spices such as cumin and garlic. Their daughters love cauliflower (!) baked mac and cheese. This classic, usually considered a fat bomb, is rendered good for you by cauliflower and skim milk.There is also creamless creamed spinach, a culinary marvel that has just pureed spinach and olive oil with absolutely no roue in it. The Obamas also enjoy a grilled chicken Caesar as we all do , theirs is with the lighter sherry vinaigrette instead of the creamier traditional Caesar dressing. Dessert is a healthier version of apple cobbler that has a tasty mix of brown sugar, cinnamon , and nutmeg added to it for flavor.

Our presidents have all eaten well from Washington up to our current administration. The recipes represent who we are as a collective whole and the bounty that is America. They are diverse, taken form our forests and our farms, made delicious in our nation;s kitchen.

Hawaii At The Jersey Shore

Recently I discovered some cool surfer things at a recent trip to the Jersey Shore. No, not a new kind of boar d or wet suit but real surfer dude food. There's this great little restaurant in Long Branch that serves nothing but tacos , burritos and Hawaiian shaved ice. It's called Shaka's Shaved Ice. Shaka is a hand gesture where the thumb and pinky fingers are extended out and shaken as a greeting (you may remember it from President Obama's inauguration parade where the University of Hawaii's marching exchanged the gesture with the newly minted president and First Daughters, Malia and Sasha).

Since I already had dinner, I went for the shaved ice. Once you have the Hawaiian kind you'll be hard put to go back to the Italian kind. It's refreshing , made with fresh crushed ice cubes and served in a big mound (all for three dollars) in a mini tub. There's a variety of flavors to choose from to pour over it such as Kona Coffee and Surfer Wax - bubble gum. I chose the safe combo of lemon, line and pina colada. I may try just the Kona coffee or root beer flavors the next time I go. You can also have the shaved ice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream too.

Shaka;s also has rice bowls along with tacos and burritos. These are on my definite must try list.There are also fajitas and fresh guacamole and chips too. Shaka's also serves fish (along with chicken and beef) tacos which is a large part of the Baja peninsula surfing culture. Again these are another must try. The restaurant also serves salads too and all sorts of burritos too.

If you're in Long Branch this summer, stop at Shaka's at the very happening Pier Village. Indulge in some tacos before you hit the beach. Then finish up with a refreshing Hawaiian shaved ice. You may be at the Jersey shore but you'll feel like you're on the Big Island.