," his housekeeper Elizabeth Jaffray remarks that even after adopting this diet, "somehow he really didn't take off any great amount of weight." When asked what his favorite snack food is by comedian Jerry Seinfeld on thelatest season of"Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," President Obama quickly said, "nachos. One of Madison's favorite foods was Virginia ham, which was often served at large dinner parties and was a staple of many southern dishes. Pot Roast and Red Cabbage Gerald Ford. The idea was floated, but Reagan was ultimately unwilling to cede so much influence to Ford. Harry S. Truman never seemed entirely comfortable in his presidency, as the. Rice pudding was a popular dessert in the 19th century, and Grant enjoyed it often. Alcohol was back in the White House by the time James Garfield took office. What Silent Cal liked best was a jelly roll filled with strawberry jam or currant jelly and covered with lemon icing. It was also one of Andrew Johnson's favorites, according to The History Chef. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library cites Nesbitt as saying that the president's favorite foods were fish chowder, fruit cake, hot dogs, scrambled eggs, and James Polk, the 11th U.S. president, was born in North Carolina and grew up eating cornbread, also known as "corn pone." So it's not surprising to learn that much of what he ate came from no more than a few miles from his Massachusetts home. Joe Biden, as per Politico, neither drinks nor smokes, but he does have one weakness he'll cheerfully admit. , he would eat this dish accompanied by macaroni to help offset some of its richness. She's not the first one to have combined tomatoes and sugar, though, as Cook's Country Eats Local says there's a similar recipe that dates back to the 1880s. Tyler, who was born in Virginia, served as the 10th president of the United States from 1841 to 1845 (via The White House). 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. What President Gerald Ford Smoked According to "The Presidents' Cookbook," though, not a dessert on the menu at this ritzy restaurant could woo Grant away from his beloved rice pudding. As the president to pardon Nixon for his scandal, he seemed to have also Not so his private parties "Entertaining in the White House" relates how he would frequently invite his pals over for an evening of poker and bathtub gin (or more likely a private pre-Prohibition stash). 1, was known for being a generous host at his homeinMount Vernon. Pork apple pie may sound unappealing, but when you know how well apples and pork go together, it doesn't seem so far-fetched. He was also fond of Jelly Belly jelly beans. Monroe also had a taste for French cuisine, which he likely picked up during his time as the U.S. Minister to France (via The History Chef). This dish was made with milk, rice, sugar, eggs, and spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Sure, that stop did happen to be at Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio, but Biden has long been a fan of Jeni's. Barack Obama wasn't shy about his love for nachos. It rates 18 different mentions in his diary,and among Hayes' favorite recipes were ones for cornbread, corn fritters, and corn soup. He never really took to formal dining, either, as he'd rather have been eating the foods he grew up on like meatloaf and fried chicken. Ford was born Leslie Lynch King Junior, son to Leslie Lynch King and Dorothy King, on July 14, 1913 in Omaha, Nebraska. When Old Hickory was in The White House, his state dinners, according to "A Rich and Fertile Land," combined haute cuisine with plainer fare more reflective of his Tennessee roots. While the combo might make some gag, cottage cheese was a staple in many homes in the 1970s, so it probably wasn't the strangest meal of the era (via VICE). When the Fords were dining en famille, however, they preferred something a bit simpler. Favorite This happy little experiment resulted in a nice crusty pudding, and Monroe must have liked it if it stayed on the menu. He was known (and probably thanked) for bringing Texas barbecue to the White House during his time as president. He liked to top them with Tabasco sauce for a spicy, crunchy treat. One of Harrison's favorite foods was corn, which is no surprise given his roots in the Midwest. Back in Chester A. Arthur's day, though, there was nothing this presidential gourmand liked better than a good turtle steak. From a 1925 account of Roosevelt's presidency called "Released for Publication," we learn that the president was even known to eat an entire chicken in one meal. George H.W. He tipped the scales at 332 pounds, and you don't sustain a robust physique like that by nibbling on lettuce leaves. Among his specialties was a beef stew made with a tomato-based broth and a pinch of cayenne pepper. When he was on his own, though, Washington liked to start his day with something simple: hoecakes, which are a kind of pancake made out of cornmeal. The 26-year-old Ford cavorted in the snow with Brown as part of a layout on winter vacationing. Lyndon B. Johnson was a pretty picky eater, something that may have caused a bit of frustration for Henry Haller, a White House chef who'd come from Switzerland. H.R. As far as we are aware, Zachary Taylor is the only U.S. president to have been killed by food, notes the University of Virginia. According to The History Chef, Harrison and his wife Caroline were known as "corn addicts" who ate the vegetable often. Go figure. Too bad he and James Buchanan never got to know each other, but as Harding was only two years old when his fellow president passed away at the age of 77, they were fated never to become sauerkraut buddies. Burgoo is a stew made with various types of meat, vegetables, and spices, and can be either thick or thin, depending on the recipe. The former president is a big fan of McDonald'sand often orders the chain's Egg McMuffins(although he usually skips breakfast altogether), Big Macs, and Filet-o-Fish sandwiches (via Business Insider). Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, is from Georgia, so it's no surprise that his favorite food is grits. Turtle, like squirrels, is another 19th-century favorite that has fallen out of favor, although for entirely different reasons. George Washington. She's not the first one to have combined tomatoes and sugar, though, as. When asked to name a favorite dish for posterity, though, the one Clinton came up with was chicken enchiladas. He apparently found so much comfort in the dish that it was what he ate on the eve of the Korean War, which was likely one of the most challenging moments of his life (via NPR). In terms of beverages, he's known to down Diet Coke. So much so, that the Hoovers' cook Mary Rattley created a recipe for caramel tomatoes that was a hit with the first family. Fortunately, Lyndon B. Johnson used that power to instead install abutton that was dedicated to have an aide bring him some Fresca. All that hard work can in fact, make any man or woman hungry. He also liked seafood, of course, as befits a native New Englander. The funny thing is, according to the Biloxi Sun-Herald article reprinted in The Food Dictator,there's no written record of a sauce by this name prior to the 1950s. But, one of his favorite foods was something he himself described as an "honest German dish": fermented cabbage, aka sauerkraut. One account of an evening's entertainment records quite the menu, including roast beef, goose, pork, mutton, cabbage, onions, potatoes, and pickles followed by mince pies, tarts, fruit, nuts, and cheese. But that's what happens when you. On a trip to the headquarters for Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio in 2016, Biden stated, "My name is Joe Biden, and I love ice cream" (via The Hill). He was known for his wartime endeavors, but he also had a soft spot for sweets. Johnson was born in North Carolina and later moved to Tennessee, where he became a tailor. TerHorst, left his job after determining that he could not in good conscience support [Fords] decision to pardon former President Nixon., Despite his background as an athletehe played football at MichiganFord had the misfortune of being caught on camera when he suffered an occasional lapse into klutziness. Man of letters that he was, Irving, who penned both "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,", to describe the trip. (, reports that the Trumans had no such compunction.) The. Had it been up to two different women, Ford wouldnt have lived to the ripe age of 93. One of Roosevelt's favorite foods was fried chicken. His wife, too, was, for the nonalcoholic beverage she favored. According to Food Timeline, Millard Filmore was responsible for having the first iron cookstove installed in the White House. Americans, he once said, were possessed of a strong work ethnic, while sickle-cell Armenia was a disease for which he offered sympathy. As, at a campaign stop in 2016, "My name is Joe Biden and I love ice cream." It's fitting, then, that one of the foods he liked best is something nearly everyone still enjoys today. Atone of his favorite oysterrestaurants he used to frequent, they even have "The Kennedy Booth", a table that was dedicated to him. Still, Taylor would probably have been better off if he'd skipped the fruit and stuck to his favorite dessert instead. While Virginia calls itself "the mother of presidents" due to having been the birthplace of eight of our leaders, it's been a while since they've had one the Woodrow Wilson administration was the last one to be led by a son of the Old Dominion. Precocious boy left alone in a large house stormed by burglars. These Were The U.S. Presidents' Favorite Foods, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library. He famously hated broccoli, which is something many of us can relate to, but what he did enjoy noshing on was pork rinds doused with Tabasco sauce. If something smelledrotten in the White House, it may not have just been a White Housescandal. In San Francisco 17 days later, Fords life was again threatened by a woman named Sara Jane Moore, a left-wing activist prone to mood swings. Talk about being influential. As Parade recalls, Bush I was responsible for a huge bump in sales of these gas station snacks once he admitted that they were one of his favorites. However, that wasn't the only thing that had people raising their eyebrows. Hayes wasn't a big drinker, however, and banned alcohol in the White House during his time there. Once his term in office was up, he and his wife traveled down the Mississippi by boat at a time when the South was in the grips of a cholera pandemic. According to Parade, Bush's favorite snack was pork rinds, which he was known to eat often, much to the dismay of his wife Barbara. His actual tastes may have run more to something plainer and more savory, though. Truman also enjoyed other American comfort foods like meatloaf and mashed potatoes, but he hated onions and claimed a dish containing them was ruined. It seems he may have preferred plain home cooking to fancy chef creations. All The Presidents' Menus He ranand wonwith George H.W. Recipes for these dishes: Mrs. Fords Sunday Roast (Serves 6) From Henry Haller's, The White House Family Cookbook This means that no matter how simple or complex their favorite foods might be, the White House kitchen staff can make it happen. says the dish became one of his favorite Christmas traditions. Despite his efforts to stay healthy, several months later Polk would still succumb to the disease (through no fault of the ham, we're sure. Wiki User 2008-11 There's something squirrely going on here. Consistency, too, is the hallmark of fast food. Another of Fords favorite escapes is his 147,000-acre ranch, where he raises a herd of 3,500 cattle for market and also sells hunting trips. Among the more innocuous facts on file about Richard Nixon is his habit of lunching on cottage cheese. Nixon, who resigned rather than face impeachment, could have been up on federal criminal charges. It seems he may have preferred plain home cooking to fancy chef creations. The door to the second floor swung only one way: He got out, but couldnt get back in. Gerald Ford's favorite breakfast food was English muffins, which according to news reports when he became president, he toasted every morning. Case in point: Free, may have helped William Henry Harrison get elected our ninth president. The formula was about 60 percent rye, 3 percent corn and a very meager It's made with milk, cornmeal, flour, eggs, and baking soda and is usually served as a side dish. . He picked one up and proceeded From their backgrounds, personalities to their favorite food its something that we can relate to. Patterson's versionis made of peppers, tomatoes, rice, and black-eyed peas. ", According to Will Patterson, a chef who has cooked for three different presidents, one of Andrew Johnson's favorite dishes was, . While Honest Abe purportedly praised it to the skies, what else could he say when trying to seal the marital deal? Trump's Favorite Foods However, we do know that he was born in Ohio and liked to eat food from his home state. The former president's wife, Sarah, was extremely frugal and likely made corn pone often because it was cheap. Grover Cleveland, the only president to share a name with a current Muppet, was also the only one to serve two non-consecutive terms. Squirrel stew, jelly beans, and hoecakes: Here are all 44 presidents Former president Gerald Ford (1913-2006) had the unenviable task of following a disgraced Richard Nixon, the first man to resign from the presidency, in the wake of the Watergate scandal. Lyndon Johnson was a Texas man through and through. (It's possible it was the possum, though, as, says this critter may have been part of that burgoo, too.). William Henry Harrison was born in Virginia and served as the ninth president of the United States for only 31 days before he died of pneumonia (via The White House). Grover Cleveland was born in New Jersey and later moved to New York, where he became a lawyer (via The White House). Although food wasn't "much of a priority" for the couple while Bush was president, it was well-known that they enjoyed Tex-Mex food when they could get it (via Food Timeline). After attending Yale and entering law practice in Michigan, Ford became interested in politics. When asked to, , though, the one Clinton came up with was chicken enchiladas. Fromme was sentenced to life and was released in 2009. While traveling through Europe, Jefferson developed a taste for fine cuisine and wine, which he then brought back to the States. also chose a New England boiled dinner (theirs made of beef, pork, chicken, and a bunch of root vegetables) to honor the second president. While Jefferson neither invented nor introduced ice cream, he was quite a fan, and at. Unlike squirrels, which are still quite prolific, many sea turtles are now so scarce that they fall under the protection of the, . Rutherford B. Hayes was born in Ohio, and his favorite food was a midwestern meal of cornmeal pancakes, made with cornmeal, flour, milk, eggs, and baking powder. As there's no evidence that Obama ever returned to Ben's, we wouldn't go so far as to claim, like, did, that the restaurant's signature chili half-smoke is among his favorite dishes. When it came to food, Madison was helped by his wife Dolley, who was known as an excellent cook (via Food Timeline). President Gerald Ford's favorite food was a savory pot roast and butter pecan ice cream. During an interview withTime magazine in 1988, George H. W. Bush mentioned one of his favorite foods was pork rinds with Tabasco sauce. Gerald Ford shows off his English muffin-making skills in 1974. According totheManuscripts Cookbooks Survey, Tyler pudding wasn't really a pudding, per se, but was nearly identical to the Southern staple we now know as chess pie. For a cute story about one boy's search for his hero's favorite recipe, check out the 1969 children's classic "George Washington's Breakfast.". Hoppin' John is traditionally served on New Year's Day to bring good luck for the year ahead (via History). After doing her business on the south lawn, she and Ford tried to get back inside. However, one of Buchanan's favorite things to eat was cabbage. In 1976, Gerald Ford was running for a second term as president against Jimmy Carter. Gerald Ford He probably didn't eat a great deal of it, though, since at 5' 4 and 100 pounds, he was. That's certainly a character trait we can get behind. From squirrel soup to pork apple pie, here are some of the favorite foods of each U.S. president. So it's not surprising to learn that much of what he ate came from no more than a few miles from his Massachusetts home. Madison's other favorites included oysters, vol au vent pastries, and veal fricassee, according to PBS. The cookbook says such pies are made from steak and liver, but. In an, , he admitted that "many pretenders to refinement despise [sauerkraut]," but said he was glad that "we both delight in the classical dish." , however, explains that fannie daddies are actually clam fritters, something that's long been popular in New England (, James Buchanan, our 15th president, came from a Scots-Irish background on both sides, as lovingly detailed by Northern Ireland's, But, one of his favorite foods was something he himself described as an "honest German dish": fermented cabbage, aka sauerkraut. James Madison may be the only president who ever had a, , but he probably wasn't a huge devotee of sugary junk food, as there wasn't much of it available in the early 19, admits that history has little to say about Madison's favorite foods, but the best guess is that this Virginia native enjoyed, . It's estimated that President John Adams drank about At a campaign stop in San Antonio, Texas to visit the Alamo, Ford was offered a plate of tamales. Believe it or not,he had 15 children that we know of, the youngest born when he was 70 years old. He seemed to have a particular fondness for soups. Cabbage is a popular ingredient in many German dishes, which he ate frequently (via Food Timeline). Gerald Ford 's favorite breakfast food was English muffins, which according to news reports when he became president, he toasted every morning. Benjamin Harrison was really into Christmas, to the point where he was the first president to set up a Christmas tree inside the White House. For one thing, all but a few of them are dead. According to The History Chef, grits were on the menu as soon as the Carters moved into the White House. The series was shooting a scene at a real charity ball in Denver in 1983 when producers spotted Ford and his wife, Betty, among those in attendance. Many of the dishes on this list may seem strange by today's standards, but keep in mind that people living a century or so ago would likely be horrified by the idea of kale smoothies or chocolate with 0% sugar. It's estimated that President John Adams drank about a gallon of cider every day, and even took barrels of it with him when he traveled. Truman, a Missouri native, was especially fond of one of his home state's products: sorghum, a molasses-like syrup that he would drizzle over cornbread. The former president also liked biscuits, chicken pot pie, and BLTs. The Herman Goelitz Candy Company, which later introduced the brand Jelly Belly, regularly sent Reagan shipments of jelly beans during all eight years he held office in the White House. In the lead-up to the 1956 election, The President's Kitchen Cabinet tells us that Ike made his stew recipe available to his supporters. According to "Our Capital on the Potomac," the president once asked to trade his gourmet grub for the corned beef and cabbage being served in the servants' hall and later described it as "the best dinner I had eaten in months.". Mrs. Coolidge, he said, was a big fan of his veal curry, but the president had more of a sweet tooth. (It's possible it was the possum, though, as One For the Table says this critter may have been part of that burgoo, too.). ", "That's one of those where I have to haveit taken away. By the Nixon era, nearly every word and action undertaken by the president was recorded for posterity even the misdeeds that eventually drove the 37. out of office. Haller may have been good enough to make the haute cuisine necessary for formal occasions, but when you want smoked ribs done right, it's best to stick with a true pit master. Calfs head soup. GERALD FORD Favorite Film: Home Alone. According to Food Timeline, James Garfield was very fond of squirrel soup. Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky and later moved to Illinois, where he practiced law. Our first president had very simple tastes and a hearty Gerald Ford's favorite drink: All the Presidents' Drinks Presidents they're just like us, right? In her memoir ". As for his favorite food? Sensing the American public wanted someone less like the studious, humorless Nixon, he appeared on SNL and once pulled up a tablecloth next to Chase during a formal dinner in 1975. The actual dish, however, as described by Ohio's Tribune Chronicle (McKinley being a Buckeye by birth), is made from potatoes and beets. One restaurant that was particularly honored by his patronage was Ben's Chili Bowl, so much so that the owners, . Not Harry S. Truman thoughhe was once quoted as saying, "only coyotes and predatory animals eat raw beef.". He also likes Hagen-Dazs, so much so that the, with its vanilla chocolate chip flavor. A, article written a month prior to the 39th president's inauguration says he was really into dairy products of all kinds: milk, buttermilk, butter, and especially cheese. Theodore Roosevelt is still pretty popular, It's fitting, then, that one of the foods he liked best is something nearly everyone still enjoys today. He was the first president to do this, but the teetotaling didn't last long. featured presidential favorites, but the one listed for Franklin Pierce may have raised a few eyebrows: fannie daddies, a dish with a name that sounds like a naughty joke from a Victorian novel. He also likes Hagen-Dazs, so much so that the White House kitchen is typically stocked with its vanilla chocolate chip flavor. different presidents who actually enjoyed eating squirrel, and various other bite-sized bits of presidential culinary trivia. In addition, the 39th president and Nobel Peace Prize recipienthad a fondness forsirloin steak, and nuts. As ahero for many in theRepublican party, President RonaldReagan's economic policieshas been debated for decades. This last-named ingredient is common to all Hoppin' John recipes and is also what makes the dish a popular good-luck food on New Year's Day. While George Washington was the metaphorical father of our country, John Tyler was the president who went the farthest towards becoming the literal embodiment of this epithet. George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States and son of George H.W. 1:28. As the President, you have at your disposal a button to send the world into a nuclear ice age. One of Harding's favorite foods was chicken pot pie made with chicken, vegetables, and a flaky pastry crust. Other foods the now-retired president enjoys include chili, chocolate, trail mix, and roasted nuts (via The New York Times). First ladies have shared cookie recipes in the past, but they dont generally make them part of Thanksgiving dinner. The actual dish, however, as described by Ohio's. According to ", ," he once claimed, "I could eat corn cakes as fast as two women can make them. Ford was an ordinary American; for the only man who assumed the nation's highest office without being December 28, 2022. Gerald Ford | Biography, Presidency, Accomplishments, Foreign This included foods like clam chowder, fried pies, and, his favorite, fried clams (viaYesterday's Island). He also liked waffles with strawberries and sour cream. Although there aren't many other specifics about what he liked to eat, Food Timeline reports that he enjoyed other Dutch dishes and boar's head, but was not a fan of sweets. ", Barack Obama was quite the First Foodie while in office, frequenting restaurants all around the nation's capital.
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