It’s official.  The menu for the Inaugural Luncheon for the 44th President of the United States of America has been made available to the public.  Barack Obama’s inaugural first food as President will consist of three courses inspired by the tastes of Abraham Lincoln, whose birth 200 years ago inspired the inaugural’s theme: “A New Birth of Freedom.” 

I am so glad there is a luncheon! After the early hours, excitement of the swearing in and speech, and possibly little time for perhaps even a croissant and coffee, can you imagine how hungry President Obama would be if he had to wait until after the inaugural parade to nosh and reinforce at all the Inaugural Balls?  Somebody IS thinking in Washington, D.C.!

Let’s take a look at what is on Barack Obama’s inaugural first food luncheon menu that you could re-create yourself for an Inaugural Day Dinner at home (and, of course, include in your historic family recipe cookbook):

FIRST FOOD FIRST COURSE (APPETIZER)
Seafood Stew
No doubt the finest ingredients will be collected from across the land to make this wonderful stew, which can be any combination of firm white fish, such as cod, with a variety of shellfish that can range from clams, crab, lobster, mussels, oysters, scallops, shrimp, even squid.  If Barack Obama’s inaugural first food has tomatoes, it will resemble the French version called Bouillabaisse (very nice with garlic mayonnaise stirred in), or the Italian style Cioppino. If it has bananas, it could mimic the Senegalese version, or with lime and chilies it could reflect the Yucatan. However, it looks like Barack Obama’s inaugural first food will be made with potatoes and cream, more like a chowder. You can explore making a similar seafood stew dish for dinner on Inaugural Night with one of these recipe links in the Google Directory.

FIRST FOOD SECOND COURSE (ENTRÉE)
Duck Breast with Cherry Chutney
Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing
Accompanied by
Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Winter Vegetables

A brace of American game birds with symbolic cherry accents, and sides of root vegetables the way Lincoln might have enjoyed are on deck for the main course of Barack Obama’s inaugural first food luncheon. Personally, I would probably go with a few chicken tenders and cherry sauce with the wild rice for an easier (and less costly) dinner at home.

FIRST FOOD THIRD COURSE (DESSERT)
Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake with Sweet Cream Glacé

Lincoln apparently enjoyed apples as a snack and apple cake for dessert, so the sweet course for Barack Obama’s inaugural first food luncheon is in keeping with the inaugural’s Lincoln theme. The recipe for the Inaugural Luncheon dish appears to be a cake/pie/cobbler combination, so here’s a nice recipe for apple cake that could be made ahead and served with vanilla ice cream without losing any inaugural spirit.

Whether you choose to get involved with inaugural festivities at home by duplicating the exact recipes from Barack Obama’s inaugural first food luncheon, or modify the ingredients to suit yourself, be assured that your results will be just as fabulous and filling as the fancy dishes at Barack Obama’s inaugural first food luncheon (and worthy of including in your family recipe cookbook).

See the actual recipes for the 2009 Inaugural Luncheon at the special luncheon website sponsored by the U.S. Senate Rules Committee.

You can also read all about the 2009 Inaugural Luncheon (history, decorations, gifts) at this same website.

Happy Cookbooking!

Matilda

Making a recipe book? Check out all the recipe software and cookbook binding supplies we have at CookbookPeople.com.

If you enjoyed this article, you might check out:
• Best Chocolate Cherry Cake Bars You Can Make for St. Valentine’s Day
• Catfish & Congress
• Easy Apple Pecan Cream Pie Recipe Reinvents Grandma’s Old Standby

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...