The White House Family Cookbook
by Henry Haller

Publisher:  Random House
ISBN:  0394556577

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to dine at the White House, then you'll enjoy reading Henry Haller's The White House Family Cookbook. For over twenty years Haller was Executive Chef at the White House, overseeing the preparation of meals through five Presidential administrations. As he points out in the introduction, accommodating the individual dietary needs and preferences of each First Family was no easy task. The Texas dishes Halle prepared for President Johnson and his family were very different from the sophisticated fare favored by the Reagans, while the Carters brought with them a love of southern US cuisine. It's not surprising that Halle was hired partly for his ability to cook a wide range of food!

All this diversity gives the cookbook an added depth. Halle provides over 250 recipes, from Texas-Style Barbecued Ribs to mushrooms provencale. Besides his own store of recipes, he includes the culinary creations of several first family members, such as Mrs. Ford's chocolate angel food cake and Amy Carter's peanut butter cookies. Accompanying the recipes are interesting personal ancedotes, such as President Johnson's reaction upon being served crab bisque for the first time: "Take the rest home to your wife." (He quickly changed his mind after having a taste).

As fascinating as the book is to read for its inside glimpse into White House family life (where else could you find a picture of Amy Carter's tenth-birthday cake?) it is also a valuable resource for the kitchen bookshelf.

Rhonda Parkinson, your Guide for Chinese Cuisine