The President's Kitchen Cabinet
The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas
By Adrian Miller | Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
About the book
An NAACP Image Award Finalist for Outstanding Literary Work—Non Fiction
James Beard award–winning author Adrian Miller vividly tells the stories of the African Americans who worked in the presidential food service as chefs, personal cooks, butlers, stewards, and servers for every First Family since George and Martha Washington. Miller brings together the names and words of more than 150 black men and women who played remarkable roles in unforgettable events in the nation’s history. Daisy McAfee Bonner, for example, FDR’s cook at his Warm Springs retreat, described the president’s final day on earth in 1945, when he was struck down just as his lunchtime cheese soufflé emerged from the oven. Sorrowfully, but with a cook’s pride, she recalled, “He never ate that soufflé, but it never fell until the minute he died.”
A treasury of information about cooking techniques and equipment, the book includes twenty recipes for which black chefs were celebrated. From Samuel Fraunces’s “onions done in the Brazilian way” for George Washington to Zephyr Wright’s popovers, beloved by LBJ’s family, Miller highlights African Americans’ contributions to our shared American foodways. Surveying the labor of enslaved people during the antebellum period and the gradual opening of employment after Emancipation, Miller highlights how food-related work slowly became professionalized and the important part African Americans played in that process. His chronicle of the daily table in the White House proclaims a fascinating new American story.
Editions of The President's Kitchen Cabinet
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9781469632537
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781469647678
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890850676
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469632544
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469632551
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890850683
Read an Excerpt
An NAACP Image Award Finalist for Outstanding Literary Work—Non Fiction
James Beard award–winning author Adrian Miller vividly tells the stories of the African Americans who worked in the presidential food service as chefs, personal cooks, butlers, stewards, and servers for every First Family since George and Martha Washington. Miller brings together the names and words of more than 150 black men and women who played remarkable roles in unforgettable events in the nation’s history. Daisy McAfee Bonner, for example, FDR’s cook at his Warm Springs retreat, described the president’s final day on earth in 1945, when he was struck down just as his lunchtime cheese soufflé emerged from the oven. Sorrowfully, but with a cook’s pride, she recalled, “He never ate that soufflé, but it never fell until the minute he died.”
A treasury of information about cooking techniques and equipment, the book includes twenty recipes for which black chefs were celebrated. From Samuel Fraunces’s “onions done in the Brazilian way” for George Washington to Zephyr Wright’s popovers, beloved by LBJ’s family, Miller highlights African Americans’ contributions to our shared American foodways. Surveying the labor of enslaved people during the antebellum period and the gradual opening of employment after Emancipation, Miller highlights how food-related work slowly became professionalized and the important part African Americans played in that process. His chronicle of the daily table in the White House proclaims a fascinating new American story.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The President's Kitchen Cabinet about?
An NAACP Image Award Finalist for Outstanding Literary Work—Non Fiction
James Beard award–winning author Adrian Miller vividly tells the stories of the African Americans who worked in the presidential food service as chefs, personal cooks, butlers, stewards, and servers for every First Family since George and Martha Washington. Miller brings together the names and words of more than 150 black men and women who played remarkable roles in unforgettable events in the nation’s history. Daisy McAfee Bonner, for example, FDR’s cook at his Warm Springs retreat, described the president’s final day on earth in 1945, when he was struck down just as his lunchtime cheese soufflé emerged from the oven. Sorrowfully, but with a cook’s pride, she recalled, “He never ate that soufflé, but it never fell until the minute he died.”
A treasury of information about cooking techniques and equipment, the book includes twenty recipes for which black chefs were celebrated. From Samuel Fraunces’s “onions done in the Brazilian way” for George Washington to Zephyr Wright’s popovers, beloved by LBJ’s family, Miller highlights African Americans’ contributions to our shared American foodways. Surveying the labor of enslaved people during the antebellum period and the gradual opening of employment after Emancipation, Miller highlights how food-related work slowly became professionalized and the important part African Americans played in that process. His chronicle of the daily table in the White House proclaims a fascinating new American story.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in The President's Kitchen Cabinet?
Lifestyle, Hobbies and Leisure > Cookery / food and drink / food writing / cookbooks
Where can I read a sample of The President's Kitchen Cabinet?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781469632537
How long is The President's Kitchen Cabinet and how many pages does it have?
The President's Kitchen Cabinet has 296 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book The President's Kitchen Cabinet?
Adrian Miller
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
The President's Kitchen Cabinet is available as hardcover(ISBN 9781469632537) and paperback(ISBN 9781469647678) and ebook(ISBN 9798890850676) and ebook(ISBN 9781469632544) and ebook(ISBN 9781469632551) and ebook(ISBN 9798890850683)
Where can I buy The President's Kitchen Cabinet online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy The President's Kitchen Cabinet from below
Where can I buy The President's Kitchen Cabinet?