 |
| Prime Minister David Cameron and President Barack Obama in the Oval office via yfrog, Number10gov, ca. March 14, 2012 [App'tly public domain] |
Among the cultural luminaries who were invited were Idris Elba of the HBO series The Wire and George Clooney; Carey Mulligan came along with the eponymous Mumford of the Mumford & Sons who were performing music (folk rock according to the White House); John Legend (the other performer) came with his girlfriend Christine Teigen. Miramax studios executive Harvey Weinstein was present with his London-native wife Georgina Chapman, who is also the codesigner with Keren Craig at Marchesa, which created the dark blue dress that the First Lady wore. Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern of the historical television drama Downton Abbey arrived with their partners, and US Vogue editor Anna Wintour attended with the investor Shelby Bryan.
"Expected Attendees at Tonight's State Dinner" [White House] (March 14, 2012)
Hugh Bonneville raised the satirical possibility of more interesting attire when he tweeted, "Dressing for dinner. I'm thinking Union Jack: red eye shadow, white moob tube, blue culottes #StyleIcon #AtTheWH." Yet in the end the sartorial choices of all attendees — as they figuratively waltzed across a checkerboard-floored room through the flashes of the press cameras on their way to their tables — were, if not thrillingly patriotic, suited.
Samantha Cameron does British fashion proud at White House dinner - in pictures [Guardian], Commentary by Imogen Fox (March 15, 2012)
These (along with the political guests including the customary throng of campaign contributors and financial titans like Warren Buffett and born Briton Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Beast, as well as veteran press figures like Gwen Ifill of PBS and Katty Kay of the BBC) then dined on a menu of fried halibut, salad, bison, boiled lemon pudding and American wines — off amethyst-and-gold, candlelit table settings with planters to 'evoke the American backyard' which was a theme and with roses as a nod to an emblem of both countries.
"The United Kingdom state dinner," White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford in an official YouTube preview, explained "takes its inspiration from our kitchen garden winter harvest." So the kitchen sourced greens from their shelters under cloudy plastic, barrelled cover structures called hoop houses. But in general, she expatiates, "traditional British culinary fare" is being given an American touch — "our menu for tonight is pretty much a marriage of the two countries"— so the main and British stalwart, Beef Wellington [photo of the final dish can be seen through Christine Teigen's Twitter here], is cooked with bison apparently from North Dakota.
Bill Yosses, the Executive Pastry Chef, picks up the theme in his dessert: the lemon pudding, which was steamed in the English tradition and served warm, with Newtown pippin apples. First propagated in the United States, these pippins were, as he recounts, "developed here in the United States," "grown by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. And they were actually sent as a gift to Queen Victoria in 1838, and she liked them so much that she eliminated the duties on apples imported from America." Their cult following may be attested to by their own Wikipedia page and their own webpage proper, tended by New York fans.
Besides there were what the chefs consider 'petit fours' and which this blogger would consider pralines: salted caramel ("the President likes salted caramel"), dark chocolate with Earl Grey tea, and dark chocolate with White House honey.
*
BOTH President Obama and David Cameron held speeches and proposed toasts in the pinkish halflight, out of a glass handed to them at the last moment by a deft stagehand. Because of this blogger's household's liking for toasting the Queen at odd dinner moments, these are excerpts which particularly address the Head of State of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Obama:
So I'd like to propose a toast. To her Majesty the Queen, on her Diamond Jubilee; to our dear friends David and Samantha; and to the great purpose and design of our alliance. May we remain, now and always, its faithful servants.Cameron:
She has seen — and she likes to tell me this — no fewer than twelve British Prime Ministers and eleven American presidents during her time on the throne. And I'm sure everyone here would want to pay tribute to her incredible service and selfless duty in this, her special diamond jubilee year.Then the Prime Minister lauded Obama personally for his "strength, moral authority, and wisdom." He 'says what he will do and he does what he says' — "I'll never forget that phone call on Libya, when he told me exactly what role America would play in Libya, and he delivered his side of the bargain to the letter." Altogether there were twinges of bromance in the mutual laudations and discussions of the basketball (watching and explaining) hijinks of the day prior. But political ties, Winston Churchill, the commendable hospitality of Britain during the Obamas' stay in the previous year, etc., equally made their appearance as subjects for discussion.
"State Dinner for Prime Minister Cameron" [YouTube: whitehouse] March 14, 2012
***
A 'Shadow' Menu of the White House Dinner
[The actual White House menu is visible on the fifth page of the PDF here. Here I have gathered approximately similar recipes from American and British sources, though they all seem highly involved and I doubt anyone would have the time to cook all of them even to emulate the White House; and have summarized them grandiosely.]First course
Cod and chips
By Tom Aikens, a Michelin-starred chef working in London, this recipe juxtaposes 'chips' of King Edward or red Desirée potatoes with cod or whiting, fried in a yeasty, cornfloury, beery batter. With it one will observe a tartar sauce thickened with egg yolks, given flavour through the British combinaison of gherkins, capers, parsley, and shallots.
Recipe from Tom Aikens's Cooking (Ebury Press)
Via: "What the chefs dish up on holiday" [The Observer], by Rebecca Seal (July 22, 2007)
(The White House "Crisped Halibut with Potato Crust" was "served on a bed of braised baby kale fresh from the White House garden, shaved Brussels sprouts and micro cabbage sprouts. A hint of applewood smoked bacon from a local smokehouse ties the dish together.")
*
Second course
Salad
The Salad Course, Spring Garden Lettuces with Shallot Dressing and Shaved Radish, Cucumbers and Avocados
[Description of salad at actual State Dinner.]
*
Third course
Beef Wellington
Adapted, alas, from a French recipe (Mapie de Toulouse-Lautrec: Good French Cooking), and not for the heavy of stomachs, this is a beef fillet smothered in sausage and enshrouded in a rustically simple pastry shell. Truffle shavings possible yet not mandatory; the pastry must be prepared twenty-four hours in advance.
"Filet De Boeuf En Croute (Beef Wellington)" [New York Times], in "TV Dinners," by Meredith Etherington-Smith (November 2, 2003)
***
(The question remains how bison was traditionally prepared, or is prepared in the US nowadays. For inventive and complex North American methods of preparing bison, there are two recipes from a Yukon chef's "Nose to Tail" blog here: "Bison, Truffles and Morel Mushroom Pakoras" and here:
"Smoked Venison And Bison Sausage." Ree Drummond at Pioneer Woman suggests using ground bison for a straightforward dish: in lieu of beef, hamburgers (specifically, sliders). The Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm in Pennsylvania generally recommends cooking it at a low heat and for shorter periods; it is quite lean and protein-rich. ["The Bison" [Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm]] In a Culinary Historians of New York newsletter, a contributor writes that the Native Americans preserved bison by pounding it into pemmican with berries and fat. In the 19th century, European-origin Americans ate the tongue, meat and marrow roasted; more recently the bison is cooked in stews, hamburgers, sandwich meat, steaks, etc.: "Where The Buffalo Roam . . . Again", by Tae Ellin (Fall 2005). At any rate, the White House served it with a "red wine reduction, French beans, [and] cipollini onion.")
***Fourth course
Steamed Lemon Pudding
(Sadly minus the Idaho Huckleberry Sauce; but originally served at a Capitol Hill function in 2005, which might require non-devotees of the 43rd President to exorcise the recipe first.)A custard-pudding mélange scented with the zest and juice of a lemon, cooked in sugary-rimmed ramekins or timbales (or teacups), and then turned out with a spicy-aromaed Apple Wild Cherry Compôte.
"Steamed Lemon Pudding" and "Apple Wild Cherry Compote" [Washington Post], from Design Cuisine and tested by Tom Wilkinson (WP) (January 19, 2005)
Fin.
***
Photo: "Warm lemon pudding" [Instagram via Twitter: christine teigen] (March 15, 2012)
Copyright status unclear but I'm hoping my use is fine.
*****
A response from a guest and golfer:
Rory Mcilroy @McIlroyRory***
Unbelievable experience at the White House last night! Big thanks to @BarackObama for the invite! We'll get that golf swing sorted soon!
"What's on the menu tonight?" [Twitter: The White House] March 15, 2012 (in the Germany time zone)
[Link to YouTube video of White House cookery.]
"State Dinner" [White House] (PDF) March 14, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment