Dinner with the President by Alex Prud'homme

Hello my lovely readers!

I am really surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Let's get into it.

SYNOPSIS
The American presidents have been hosts to some of the most significant moments in our history over meals at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. And during such occasions, our commanders-in-chief have understood the value of breaking bread with both friends and foes—Thomas Jefferson’s nation-building receptions in the new capital Washington, D.C.; Ulysses S. Grant’s state dinner for the king of Hawaii; Booker T. Washington’s groundbreaking supper with Teddy Roosevelt; Richard Nixon’s practiced use of chopsticks to pry open China; Jimmy Carter’s détente between Israel and Egypt at Camp David.

Here, Alex Prud’homme invites readers into the White House kitchen to reveal the sometimes curious tastes of twenty-six of America’s most influential presidents, how their meals were prepared and by whom, and the ways in which their food policies affected people around the world. As each president grew into his distinguished role, his personal tastes evolved White House menus over time—from simple eggs and black coffee for Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War and celebratory turtle soup after, to squirrel stew for Dwight Eisenhower, jelly beans and enchiladas for Ronald Reagan, and arugula for Barack Obama. What our leaders say about food touches on everything from our nation’s shifting diet and local politics to global trade, science, religion, war, class, gender, race, and so much more.

MY THOUGHTS
I initially picked this up because I was curious to see what else the author, Alex Prud'homme wrote after reading the memoir he co-authored My Life in France with his great-aunt Julia Child. I saw this book and decided to give it a read and I'm glad I did!

This book was an absolute delight to read. I am not a "foodie" or a political person (but again, I always vote in my city, county and presidential elections!), but this book was a joy to experience.

I think I enjoy learning about off-beat topics regarding all presidents rather than their political ideologies, beliefs etc. I love learning about how many pets a president had or their religious beliefs or how many mistresses a president had (I need to read Sex with Presidents this year), so this book was right up my alley. 

This was a great combination of short presidential biographies, U.S. history and how food influences how the public looks at the Commander-in-Chief. The writing was concise, engaging and approachable.

This would be a five star book for me, but I have to knock off a 1/2 star for how much Prud'homme inserts Julia Child into this book.  It was so random and since I knew he was related to her, it gave me a chuckle.