Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Presidential Favorite Foods

Nancy J. Farrier

I learned recently that there is a list of Presidential favorite foods that includes all the Presidents. I thought it would be fun to look at some of them and maybe some of the recipes they enjoyed. I realize we don’t have time or space to include all 45 Presidents, but I will pick out some that are interesting to share with you.

Photo Public Domain
Wikimedia Commons


Photo by Diako1971
Wikimedia Commons
President George Washington: Who hasn’t heard the story of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree? It turns out cherries are one of his favorite foods. He loved fresh fruit, especially cherries. He had an orchard, which included several cherry trees. This leads me to wonder if he would truly cut down one of those treasured trees. President Washington also had a special fondness for fish.





Photo Public Domain
Wikimedia Commons


President John Adams: John Adams tended to be frugal and tended to have plain fare. He made a note in his diary after eating a meal at a Chief Justice’s house that the food was “a most sinful feast.” One of Adams favorite desserts was Apple Pan Dowdy. Here is the recipe:








Apple Pan Dowdy -Photo by Garin Fons

To make the filling: Mix 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Peel and core 10 large apples. Cut then into thin slices. Mix the apples with sugar-spice mixture and place in pastry-lined dish. Combine 1/2 cup molasses (or maple syrup) with 3 tablespoons melted butter and 1/4 cup water. Pour this over the apples. Cover with the top pastry layer and seal. Place in a preheated hot (400 degree F.) oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to low (325 degrees F.). After reducing the heat, "dowdy" the dish by cutting the crust into the apples with a sharp knife. Return dish to oven and bake a full hour. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or with heavy cream or whipped cream. Serves 6."
---Presidents' Cookbook (p. 51-52)

Photo Public Domain
Wikimedia Commons


Public Domain Image
Wikimedia Commons
President Thomas Jefferson: Although he enjoyed French cuisine, Jefferson loved native foods, especially home-grown garden vegetables. He had a garden at the White House and at his home in Paris. He kept a chart in the White House kitchen showing the various vegetables. The one he loved the most was his sweet corn. He even took seed from Virginia to Paris to grow the sweet corn he loved while he visited France.





Photo Public Domain
Wikimedia Commons


President James Madison: Little is known about James Madison and his food preferences. The one listed as his favorite is Virginia ham. He also enjoyed biscuits and apple pie and cider. His wife, Dolly, was well known for her elaborate dinners where she served a mix of French cuisine and local fare. 








Photo Public Domain
Wikimedia Commons


President James Monroe: Although Monroe enjoyed the foods he ate on his travels and at State dinners, he always enjoyed coming back to the home fare he loved. He had a special fondness for his wife’s chicken fried with rice. She served this dish often. He also enjoyed hot bread and biscuits.








Photo Public Domain
Wikimedia Commons


President John Quincy Adams: Adams didn’t care much about food. He was as content with crackers as he was with a fancy dinner. The one food he liked the most was fresh fruit. He thoroughly enjoyed the fruit trees in the White House garden. They had a variety of apricot, apple, plum, and pear trees, which he loved. 
Apple Tree, Photo by W.carter
Wikimedia Commons











Photo Public Domain
Wikimedia Commons


President Andrew Jackson: Jackson, often referred to as ‘Old Hickory’ because he was considered tough by the soldiers who served under him. He enjoyed braised duck and fried apple pies, but his absolute favorite was ‘leather britches.’ This isn’t a reference to how tough he was, but a dish that consisted of green beans cooked with water and bacon. (This dish also happened to be my mother’s favorite, but I never heard it called leather britches.)





Lest this post get too long, I’ll stop there. Maybe in the future we’ll look at some more favorite foods and some recipes. There is a Presidential cookbook that has recipes from the different Presidents or at least their time period. 


Have you ever seen the cookbook? Have you ever eaten leather britches? Or apple pan dowdy? What is your favorite food?



Nancy J Farrier is an award-winning author who lives in Southern Arizona in the Sonoran Desert. She loves the Southwest with its interesting historical past. When Nancy isn’t writing, she loves to read, do needlecraft, play with her cats, and spend time with her family. You can read more about Nancy and her books on her website: nancyjfarrier.com.

4 comments:

  1. Fun post, Nancy! My maternal grandmother often made Apple Pan Dowdy, but I've never heard of leather britches. She made that dish too, but she never referred to it by a name.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Linda, I think people fixed these foods but did have other names for them. Thanks.

      Delete
  2. I love this post! That Apple Pan Dowdy was labor intensive!!! I haven't heard that green bean dish called leather britches, but I may have done something similar once or twice. Please do this again!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Connie, I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I will probably do more another time.

      Delete