Presidents Day

President Eisenhower was a very good cook, a skill learned in childhood. The recipe below, courtesy of the Eisenhower Foundation, is a pared down version of the one that serves 60, written down by the president on White House stationary.

1 tablespoon oil

2 pounds stewing beef

2 1/2 pints beef stock

1 pound small potatoes, left whole or cut in half

3 small carrots, peeled and sliced

1/4 pound small onions, peeled and chopped

2 fresh tomatoes, cut in wedges

assorted spices (thyme, bay leaves, garlic, etc.,) tied in cheesecloth bag

salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup cold water

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until the beef is browned on all sides. Add the stock, potatoes, carrots, onions, spice bag, and salt and pepper as desired. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook for 45 minutes or until the beef is cooked and the vegetables are tender.

Remove the spice bag from the stew. Combine the cornstarch and water and mix until smooth. Stir into the stew. Let cook for another 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

“Calvin Coolidge used to say he ‘never ate anything as good as his mother's pork apple pie.’” - The Presidents' Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks

For The Pastry Dough (makes a double crust):

2 sticks cold unsalted butter

2 cups AP flour plus more for dusting

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold water

For The Pork Pie Filling:

1 small pork tenderloin about 1 ½ pounds, trimmed of fat and cut, crosswise, into thin slices (¼-inch).

2 granny smith apples

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, divided

1 cup dry white wine (Vermouth works well)

3 tablespoons sugar (I used white sugar)

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, divided

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 large egg

Cut butter into small chunks and put it into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the s-shaped chopping blade. Add flour, and salt. Pulse about 10 times. Then add the water and pulse about 10 more times or until the texture resembles cornmeal. Pour the mixture into a large bowl or onto a clean surface and, using the heal of your hand, press it little by little, until the butter and flour are incorporated. Divide the dough in half, gather it into two balls, flatten the balls into discs, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and add 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Peel and core the apples and slice them into ⅓-inch rings, placing the rings in water as you go, to prevent discoloration.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a large skillet (preferably cast iron). Add sliced apples in a single layer and let them brown for 2 minutes per side. Use a spatula to gently transfer apples to a plate. Pour the wine into the skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let the wine bubble for 2-3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the skillet with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, to release any bits of cooked apple, until wine has reduced by half. Pour into a heat-proof cup and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Generously dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Remove one disc of dough from the fridge. If it's been in for more than 15 minutes, let it warm up and soften for a few minutes. Roll the dough out into a thin 13-inch circle. Line your pie pan with the dough, trimming off the excess. Save the excess to make decorative leaves for the top crust, if you like.

Arrange half the pork slices in the bottom of the crust. Season with ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg and a few grinds of pepper. Arrange all of the apple slices on top of the pork. Sprinkle evenly with sugar. Arrange the rest of the pork over the apples and season with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, and a few grinds of pepper. Chop up the remaining tablespoon of butter and scatter it over the pork. Pour the reduced wine evenly over the filling.

Roll out the top crust as you did for the bottom. Cover the pie and trim the excess, using the tines of a fork to press and seal edges of top and bottom crusts together. If you want to decorate your pie, roll out excess dough and cut out leaves or any shapes you like. Whisk the egg with a teaspoon of water. Brush the top of the pie with egg wash. Place decorations on and brush them with a little egg wash.

Bake pie in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned. Let the pie stand for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

“Herbert Hoover thought marshmallows cooked on top of sweet potato was the height of deliciousness, so much so that he left his own recipe for the treat in the presidential archives.” – The President’s Own White House Cookbook, Robert Jones

6 sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons butter

Dash of nutmeg

Salt to taste

½ cup cream

1 cup ground walnuts

Marshmallows

Boil the sweet potatoes; peel and mash through a potato masher to remove all strings. Add the butter, nutmeg, salt, and cream enough to make a soft consistency. Blend in the ground walnuts. Put in a buttered baking dish and bake at 375°F for 10 minutes, or just long enough for potatoes to heat thoroughly. Remove from oven and dot the top with marshmallows; return to oven and brown as for a meringue.

"Harry S. Truman was a Senator long before he was President, and he carried his fondness for ‘Senators' Bean Soup’ from one position to the other." - The Presidents' Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks

2 lbs. small Michigan navy beans

1 1/2 lbs. smoked ham hocks

1 onion, diced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

salt and pepper, to taste

Wash and pick beans, running through hot water until beans are white again.

In a large stock pot, add rinsed beans to 4 quarts of hot water. Add ham hocks. Cover and boil slowly for approximately 3 hours, or until beans are soft.

Remove hocks and pick and shred meat from bones. Discard bones or reserve for other use. Return shredded meat to pot.

In a small skillet, sauté onion in butter until lightly browned. Add all to pot. Stir well.

Season with salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

"Steak spelled with a big 'S' was the favorite food of William Howard Taft. As a matter of fact, according to the late Ike Hoover, of the White House staff, when Taft was President, there was always steak for his breakfast.”  - Favorite Foods of Famous Folk, Pattie Ellicott

Select a T-Bone, tenderloin, or sirloin.

Wipe the meat dry.

Place the steak on a broiler pan under gas flame/heat (550 degrees or ‘broil’ setting on oven). Sear quickly on both sides to prevent the juices escaping. Turn again and cook on both sides until done, 10 to 15 minutes for a medium thick steak if desired rare, allowing a few minutes longer if steak is preferred well done.

Remove to hot platter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and spread with soft butter.

"Soup was a dish close to the heart of President Kennedy, since it gave him an opportunity to be served the fish for which his New England background had given him a special appreciation." - The White House Chef Cookbook, Rene Verdon

2 pounds haddock

2 cups water

2 ounces salt pork, diced

2 onions, sliced

4 large potatoes, diced

1 cup chopped celery

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 quart whole milk

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

In a large sauce pan, simmer the haddock in the water for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Add enough water to reserved liquid to equal 3 cups. Remove the bones from the fish.

In a large Dutch oven, sauté the pork until crisp, remove from pan, and set aside. Sauté the onions in the pork fat until golden brown. Add the fish, potatoes, celery, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Pour in fish broth, plus enough boiling water to make 3 cups liquid. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Add milk and butter, stirring gently. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve the chowder sprinkled with pork dice.

“(Theodore Roosevelt) was also very fond of chicken…and had pronounced ideas on serving it, saying once, ‘The only way to serve fried chicken is with white gravy soaked into the meat.’" - The Presidents' Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup flour

1 egg, beaten

4 tablespoons oil

For Gravy:

1/4 cup flour

1 cup evaporated milk mixed with 2 cups 2% milk

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

Pound breasts between sheets of waxed paper to flatten.

On a plate, mix flour, salt, and pepper. Beat egg in a shallow bowl. One at a time, roll flattened breasts in flour, then egg, and back in flour. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add breasts and cook, flipping until golden brown on both sides, and juices run clear when pierced - about 8 minutes. Remove and keep warm.

To the same skillet, add flour, cooking and stirring until light brown and bubbly. Slowly pour half the milk mix into skillet, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Continue adding milk and stirring until desired consistency is reached. Add poultry seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Let boil 1 minute. Serve spooned over chicken.

“(Ulysses S. Grant’s) fondness for simple rice pudding was almost a mania." - The Presidents' Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks

¾ cup long-grain white rice

1 ½ quarts whole milk

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 eggs

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup slivered almonds

In a saucepan, combine rice and milk and simmer very slowly, stirring occasionally, until the rice is soft – about 30 minutes. Incorporate butter, remove from heat, and cool.

Beat eggs well and stir them into the rice mixture. Combine sugar, almonds, and spices, then softly stir mixture into rice. Pour all into a well-greased 2-quart baking dish.

Bake in a medium-warm (325 degrees F.) oven until the custard sets.

"Welsh rabbits (or rarebits) were a family favorite for Sunday-night suppers, and cheeses of all types were always on hand for Roosevelt snacks or desserts." - The Presidents' Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup porter beer
3/4 cup heavy cream
6 ounces (approximately 1 1/2 cups) shredded Cheddar
2 drops hot sauce
4 slices toasted bread

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to brown the flour. Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add beer and whisk to combine. Pour in cream and whisk until well combined and smooth.

Gradually add cheese, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Add hot sauce.

Pour over toast and serve immediately.

"Abraham Lincoln dined in a Spartan fashion...One of the few entrees that would tempt Lincoln was Chicken Fricassee. He liked the chicken cut up in small pieces, fried with seasonings of nutmeg and mace and served with a gravy made of the chicken drippings."  - A Treasury of White House Cooking, Francois Rysavy

Shredded meat from 1 rotisserie chicken

2 cups chicken stock, heated

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

4 Tablespoons flour

½ cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons parsley, minced

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is cooked and golden – about 1 minute. Slowly add 1 ½ cups of the warm stock, stirring until smooth. Bring mixture down to a simmer.

Add the cream and more of the stock if needed to thin the liquid to the consistency you prefer, season with salt and pepper, and then whisk the lemon juice into the sauce. Do not let the sauce boil or the lemon will curdle it.

Mix the sauce with the pulled chicken, add the parsley, and serve with mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice.

“Chicken salad was a favorite and was frequently requested by Wilson as a luncheon dish.” - The Presidents' Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks, Adapted from The Economy Administration Cookbook, 1913

1 rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat shredded

1 cup of broken pecans

4 stalks of celery, chopped

1 ¼ cups fresh lemon juice

1 Honey Crisp apple, seeded and chopped

Dressing:

4 eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup vinegar

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon stoneground mustard

In a large bowl, mix the chicken, celery, apple, and pecans. Add lemon juice and stir to combine.

Whisk together dressing ingredients in a small sauce pan. Cook over lowest heat, stirring constantly, until thickened to desired consistency – 3 to 5 minutes. NOTE: eggs will curdle if mixture is not constantly stirred. Remove from heat and allow to cool for several minutes. Pour over chicken mixture and stir well to combine.

"The Ohio-Indiana-bred Harrison family were all corn addicts, favoring a great number of recipes for serving this useful vegetable." - The Presidents' Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks

3 cups frozen corn

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cream

1 ¼ cups milk

1 tablespoon sugar

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

In a medium sized pot, melt the butter over medium high heat. Stir in the flour. Cook for several minutes, stirring constantly to avoid lumps and browning. Add the milk and cream and stir until well blended and lump free, turn heat to low, stirring occasionally, until it's thick and smooth. Stir in sugar, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.

Whisk in beaten eggs until incorporated. Stir in corn.

Pour mixture into well-greased 8X8 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 more minutes or until the top is golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

"Andrew Johnson...[had] a fondness for the Carolina specialty called Hopping John." - The Presidents' Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks

4 Tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

4 cups black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and rinsed

5 cups low-sodium (or No-sodium) chicken broth

1 smoked ham hock

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons White Vinegar

Heat butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery and stir. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in soaked beans, then add chicken broth, ham hock, and salt & pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover the pot for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, check the liquid level; if it's too soupy, cook with the lid off for another 15 minutes or so, until peas are soft. If it's too thick, splash in a little more broth. Stir in vinegar, then taste for seasonings. Serve over rice.

"His kitchen garden at Monticello contained a variety of vegetables including his favorite peas, of which he was familiar with more than thirty varieties." - The First Ladies Cook Book: Favorite Recipes of All the Presidents of the United States, Margaret Brown Klapthor

2 cups of fresh shelled or frozen peas

1 medium Spanish onion, diced

1 small cabbage or one half a large one, chopped

1 cup water

1 tablespoon Worchester sauce

¼ cup butter, softened

2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons of pepper

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ cup flour

Place the onion, cabbage and peas into a pot and add the water. Season them with the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let the vegetables cook on low for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the butter and flour together to form a smooth paste.

Add the flour mixture and the Worchester sauce to the vegetables and stir well. Continue to simmer until the vegetables are soft, but not mushy, approximately 5-10 minutes.

"[Nixon] likes ketchup on his cottage cheese, but his favorite food is meat loaf." - Marie Smith, Washington Post, January 17, 1969
Adapted from The White House Family Cookbook, Henry Haller

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 slices white bead

1 cup milk

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram

2 tablespoons tomato puree

2 tablespoons bread crumbs

In a small skillet, melt butter. Add garlic and onions and sauté until just golden - do not brown. Let cool.

Dice bread and place in a small bowl. Add milk and allow bread to absorb liquid.

In a large mixing bowl, use hands to mix ground beef with onions and garlic and soaked bread. Add eggs, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme and marjoram and mix by hand in a circular motion, then turn mixture into a 9X13 baking pan and pat into a loaf shape, leaving at least one inch of space around the edges. Brush the top with the tomato puree and sprinkle with bread crumbs. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Bake meatloaf on lower shelf of preheated 375 degree oven for 1 hour, or until meat is cooked through. Pour off accumulated fat. Let pan stand on wire rack for five minutes before slicing.

"In the Hoover household [Egg Timbales]...was a frequent luncheon dish. The President invariably, so we are told, asked for a second helping." - The Presidents' Cookbook, Poppy Cannon and Patricia Brooks

2 cups spinach, cooked and squeezed dry

4 eggs

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon paprika

1/2 cup cream

Optional White Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Add melted butter, seasonings, and cream and stir to combine. Add spinach and mix well.

Pour mixture into greased 8X8 baking dish or divide between 6 custard cups. Place in a pan of hot water and bake at 325°F until firm, about 30 minutes.