Dining at the White House: From the President's Table to Yours

To much story telling and not enough recipes.

Dining at the White House by John Moeller would make a wonderful present to yourself or for anyone who enjoys cooking or eating good food or who just enjoys reading about the inner workings of the White House.In the first section, the author shows us his transformation from a bistro chef in the United States through his early training in France to becoming a four-star chef working at the White House from the latter days of Bush Senior through the Clinton administration and into the days of Bush Junior. Without gossip, Chef Moeller shows us how the White House kitchen works. For example, he walks us through the food shopping. The chef shopped each day, paying in cash to keep the fact that it was going to the White House secret. Afterwards, he was paid from petty cash, and if the food was for the first family, the family was presented with an itemized bill each month. Interspersed throughout the book are beautiful photos of the china used in different administrations, plated dinners for state functions, and menus for the luncheons and dinners Chef Moeller served--the holiday dinner from 2004, the luncheon for Vladimir Putin, among others.In the second section, the recipes shown are straightforward, using common, easily obtainable ingredients. The hardest part for the home cook pressed for time is finding the perfectly fresh ingredients that the chef insists on--that perfect, vine-ripened tomato for his Tomato and Fennel Soup, for example. After having eaten Chef Moeller's delicious Chanterelle Mushroom Soup at a Christmas dinner last year and seeing how simple it is to make, I intend to replicate it in my kitchen. For Thanksgiving, I think his Braised Celery Hearts and his Potato Celery Root Puree would be perfect with roast turkey.

I love this book so much and couldn't put it down! It is extremely well written, well paced, and tasteful in that the author sticks to the perspectives of his position without compromising the privacy of the first families. He was definitely a good hire for the White House. It was such fun to read the anecdotes that I would never otherwise have access to, as well as seeing menus and letters that are thoughtfully included. As for the recipes, I settled for reading them since I'm not a good cook. It will likely be great fun for cooks to tackle some of these recipes that were served at the White House by a top-of-the-line chef.

In this hybrid of memoir and cookbook, former White House chef John Moeller has created perhaps the ultimate go-to reference when you to want to wow that visiting Head of State, or the in-laws. The first half of the book recounts, in great detail, the day-to-day challenges of running a large kitchen in the house of the closest thing to royalty one will find in the USA. On any given day, the White House kitchen prepares, often on short notice, meals that range from simple lunches for the First Family to gigantic buffets for hundreds of visiting dignitaries. Moeller guides us through this complex operation, discussing everything from the mechanics of daily food purchases to, say, Chelsea Clinton's preferences for mac 'n' cheese and a particular brand of pretzels.The recipes, reflecting Moeller's career background, emphasize the use of fresh, local ingredients with a mix of American and French cooking techniques. Complete, illustrated menus for a state luncheon (served to Vladimir Putin) and a holiday dinner are included, as well as numerous stand-alone recipes for starters, main courses, sides, desserts and sauces. Most do not require exotic techniques to execute and appear to be well within the capabilities of the average home cook.Top-quality in presentation and content (much like your typical White House meal), this book should be of interest not just to hard-core foodies but anyone fascinated in the ways that food and social occasions serve as tools of national diplomacy.

Dining at the White House - John MoellerThis was just OK. One big complaint I have is that it is ghost written - at least that is how I interpret "with Mike Lovell" on the title page. [EDIT: I have subsequently been informed that this book was based on tape recorded conversations with John Moeller] I generally find the prose style of ghost written books fairly bland, and this was no exception. I'd much rather read the author's own words, however unpolished they might be. As a result, there is a lot of insipid writing, e.g. - "A state dinner is a grand and exciting affair. It gives the President the opportunity to showcase the best that the White House can offer and at the same time, it honors the guests. Everyone remembers a state dinner." There are many passages like that. On the other hand, there are plenty of interesting vignettes of life in the White House: menus planning, acquiring provisions, interacting with the First Family, and so forth. I enjoyed learning about the different sets of china commissioned by various presidents over the years. The logistics of hosting dinner for 200 or 300 guests were quite interesting. The recipes at the end of the book were intriguing, if somewhat conservative. I will probably make the chocolate truffle dessert featured on the dust jacket. Unsurprisingly, there are almost no politics. Overall a decent if uninspired read.

Loved this book by Chef Moeller and his inside look at "normal" White House years, recipes, and bonuses! It makes a superb present to yourself or a loved one. Take it to the Greenfield Inn in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and owner/Chef Moeller will sign it! (Next time we go we will take a selfie with him and post it here. Can't believe I forgot! It was our first restaurant visit in 14 months after our vaccinations ... I guess we were flustered.)

Fascinating facts about presidents and their families. Interesting menus and choices of wines by all the different administrations.

this is a great little read from a low-level white house insider who spent time as a chef there through several administrations. you actually get a pretty good idea of how life goes on in the white house residence and during special functions. and, regardless of who is president, it's interesting to read about the interchanges between the first families and those who cook their meals day in and day out. moeller also includes quite a few recipes from meals he produced during his years in service.

Gave this as a present after hearing it reviewed on the radio. It was given to someone who likes to read but hard to buy for. Such a great buy and it went down well as it was something different .