Queen Elizabeth II is an historical touchpoint for the leadership of the United States, having hosted or met with every U. S. President since Truman. This is excepting LBJ, as she was pregnant with Prince Edward during the time they might have traveled to see one another. She did however spend time with Lady Bird Johnson in Texas in 1991. (Princess Margaret had a state visit with LBJ and Lady Bird during their time in The White House that was rumored to have been a rather wild time!)
When Queen Elizabeth met with Truman she was still Princess Elizabeth. This book on the favorite recipes of the presidents and first ladies begins of course with Washington and ends in the Nixon era. I am sharing with you a bit of Truman, then the full chapters on Eisenhower, with whom Her Majesty was very close, Kennedy, and Johnson. It's a gorgeous book with superbly done photographs and plenty of interesting recipes. Without further ado, I say God Save the Queen, and let's get this presidential party started!
From "First Ladies Cook Book," Parents' Magazine Press, 1969
This book has beautiful photography and design, as mentioned.
Harry, Bess, and their recipes . . .
I cut straight to the favorite recipes for Harry and Bess right here . . .
Eisenhower was a favorite president of The Queen's. They even traded recipes and cooked together!
The photos of the state china are a special treat in this book.
Unique and I bet very tasty ideas.
Simple and straightforward.
Jackie and The Queen had a bit of a rivalry apparently, but managed to work things out. The Queen corresponded regularly with JFK until his tragic untimely death.
Jackie was key in establishing some of the White House hospitality traditions that endure to this day.
An appealing selection of dishes, don't you think?
The recipes.
An elegant menu.
As mentioned, The Queen and LBJ never met in person, but Princess Margaret and her husband Lord Snowdon had a state visit with LBJ and Lady Bird in 1965. Apparently a fun time was had by all. The Queen visited with Lady Bird during a visit to Texas in 1991.
Lady Bird was famous for her love of flowers and the beautification of America.
Texan and Louisiana influences made an appearance in the menu choices of this administration.
Some said the most hospitable, or "friendliest administration" ever.
Lady Bird's chili recipe was a popular request of people writing to her at the White House.
As an example of what else this great book has to offer, here's a tempting feast from the Calvin Coolidge chapter.
The Queen had a rather elite run with these four presidents in the mid-twentieth century, as Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and LBJ all sit in US historians' top dozen ranked presidents of all time. She of course has gone on to either host or meet with every president since LBJ to the current, which totals 13 US presidents in all!
Anyhoo, that's all for now from The White House! Thanks for coming to dinner!
