Today, thanks to my new favourite blog, Obama Foodorama (which I’ve fawned over in an earlier post), I know that this year’s Thanksgiving at the White House has taken place with some flair. Six kinds of pie on the dessert menu (including Huckleberry & Banana Cream) and an official pardoning ceremony of one lucky turkey are just a couple of the juicy details…
But more importantly (for this blog, at least) I’ve also gained the culinary inside scoop on the big Asia-related Obama dinners. The latest (and first state dinner event hosted by the current US Pres at the White House) was on Tuesday, with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the guest of honour. The only meat served was seafood, and the dishes were evenly influenced by both US and Indian cuisine, including items like: Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Cheese, Smoked Collard Greens with Coconut Aged Basmati and Roasted Potato Dumplings with Tomato Chutney.
There was also the Nov. 17 state dinner in China with President Hu Jintao, hosted in honour of Obama. Hillary Clinton sat next to him for this one, and the dishes included rather simple Chinese classics like Chicken Soup with Bean Curd, Chinese-Style Beef Steak and Roast Grouper (fish). The most interesting menu item for me here was in the beverage category: the 2002 vintage Chinese Great Wall wine (red and white). More to come on this latest wine discovery in a soon-to-follow update.