Presidential Recipes

In her first years at the White House, Michelle Obama planted her own vegetable garden as a way to show her commitment to healthy eating– particularly for kids. This recipe for White Bean Salad is from the former First Lady’s cookbook, American Grown. It’s so popular it’s been shared widely online as well. It’s simple, healthy, tasty and perfect for summer. Ingredients 1 cup dried small white beans (such as cannellini or Great Northern) or 1 15-ounce can 1 clove garlic 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon honey 1 tablespoon chopped shallot 1 cup snow peas or sugar snap peas 1/2 bunch fresh chives, chopped 5 mild radishes, such as Lady Slipper radishes, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil Directions If you’re using dried beans, first rinse them, picking out any stones, and place in a bowl. Cover with cold water and soak for 8 hours, or overnight, then drain the beans and place in a pot. Add the garlic and bay leaf and enough water to cover the beans by at least 1 inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer, stirring […]

First Lady Mamie Eisenhower’s recipe for fudge was published soon after she became First Lady in 1953. The fudge recipe was an immediate hit with American families. It consequently became dubbed “Mamie’s Million Dollar Fudge.”  It’s simple to make, and as the recipe states, it’s better the next day! 

Each of these Thanksgiving recipes graced the dinner tables of some of our most famous presidents (and are also reader favorites) and will strike up some fun conversations this Thanksgiving. Sure, anyone can serve plain old stuffing or pecan pie at Thanksgiving. But what if your Thanksgiving dishes this year doubled as conversation starters! Look no further.  

The original recipe for this Acorn Squash and Leek Soup was from the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum and is now printed in the cookbook, Eating with Uncle Sam: Recipes and Historical Bites from the National Archives (an awesome cookbook, by the way). This soup is delicious! One of my favorite soups made with any kind of squash! The toasted pecan garnish is a must!   

These perfectly crackled molasses “ginger cakes” are said to be Thomas Jefferson’s favorite Christmas cookies (they’re similar to gingerbread cookies). They’re called Ginger Cakes and if you are ever visiting Colonial Williamsburg, you can find these delectable little treats on Duke of Gloucester Street at the Raleigh Tavern Bakery, where they serve these as well as other 18th-century-inspired sweets. But if you’re not heading there any time soon, these Thomas Jefferson Ginger Cakes are surprisingly easy to make! 

“Chili concocted outside Texas is usually a weak, apologetic imitation of the real thing. One of the first things I do when I get home to Texas is to have a bowl of red. There is simply nothing better.” -Lyndon B. Johnson, 36th President of the United States Named after Lyndon B. Johnson’s ranch along the Pedernales River in Texas, this chili is not only an LBJ family favorite, but a Texan favorite too. Several variations of Pedernales River Chili recipes are circulating around the Internet, but our version comes from The First Ladies Cookbook and includes chili meat infused with bacon– it’s just as good as it sounds. So many people requested LBJ’s Pedernales River Chili recipe back in the 1960’s that the White House printed it up on recipe cards that could be mailed easily. The recipe has also been printed in a number of books and newspapers in the more than half century since Johnson took office in 1963. If you decide to make it, you’ll quickly learn why it was so popular. 

Nancy Reagan lays claim on this recipe– at least according to a National Archives handout card with this recipe and her signature on it. Though even her own children have reported that she never cooked (“Nancy? We didn’t let her boil water,” recalled Michael Reagan). However, she and this recipe have become quite the talked-about pumpkin pie alternative in the White House kitchen. So, if you’re looking for a mouth watering alternative to plain ol’ pumpkin pie– or even pecan pie for that matter– this one will easily do the trick. In fact, it’s kind of addicting, as a fair warning. Even better, it’s incredibly easy to whip together. 

Mamie Eisenhower is probably the First Lady with the most famous Pumpkin Pie recipe. Though she was primarily known as a gracious hostess who entertained an unprecedented number of heads of state and leaders from around the world, she was also known for her outgoing personality, and for being quite the penny pincher who clipped coupons for the White House staff. But it’s her famous pumpkin pie that got housewives across the country talking. Every Thanksgiving during her husband’s administration in the 1950’s, her recipe for Pumpkin Chiffon Pie was printed in thousands of newspapers and reproduced by housewives all over the country. With a much lighter taste than traditional pumpkin pie, it became a huge hit.  Since nutritional guidelines weren’t as strict back in the 1950’s, this no-bake pie calls for raw eggs. If you’re against consuming uncooked eggs, you can also use whipped cream in its place. Either way, Mamie Eisenhower’s Pumpkin Chiffon Pie is a delicious alternative to traditional pumpkin pie.

This isn’t just any cake. This is Election Cake– Abraham Lincoln’s Election Cake. And it goes way back— I’m talking all the way back to the 13 original colonies kind of ‘way back.’ In the early days of our country, Election Day was a massive holiday celebrated on par with Christmas. Women celebrated by making Election Cake in massive amounts to encourage men to vote (since women couldn’t yet vote themselves) and participate in town hall meetings. Do your civic duty, get a slice of cake!  There are many different versions of Election Cake. This is Abraham Lincoln’s version. But all versions are essentially a cross between yeast bread and cake. It’s similar to a fruit cake with a sourdough base, spices, and bourbon soaked fruit. If you don’t dig bourbon, you can soak the fruit in orange juice and vanilla instead. The fruit is also interchangeable– use raisins, currents, diced apples or dates– whatever you’ve got. Either way, you’ll be tasting a piece of election day history. Now, go rock the vote– and then have a slice of Abraham Lincoln’s Election Cake!

This recipe for Martha Washington’s Crab Soup was found in The First Ladies Cook Book under Franklin D. Roosevelt’s section of favorite recipes. Apparently the first First Lady’s Crab Soup was well-loved by the Roosevelt family and was also served during the Eisenhower administration.  This 250 year old recipe was probably considered fine cuisine way back then– crabs were considered a special treat to Colonists. Though, if you make it as is, you’ll find this soup to be very simple in flavor. Ingredients and depth of flavor were a bit different back then. To add more zing, toss in some crumbled bacon, sautéed onion, diced potato, lemon juice and fresh parsley, and you’ll have given this centuries old recipe a modern spin (and a little more flavor your 21st century palate desires). Both the original recipe and our adaptations are below.