Dinner With the President: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House by Alex Prud'Homme

 

A delicious idea for a book, Prud’homme tucks into the subject matter with gusto. The book acknowledges the role of slavery in the Presidential kitchen. It traces how food became a significant component of politics. Remember Arugula Gate? The early sections are understandably slim and sometimes unnecessarily compensate by digressing into adjacent material. A last section, covering a round-table discussion with experts about the topic, also feels tacked on. Nevertheless, from the vichyssoise that President Kennedy loved to the cottage cheese that President Nixon savored, there’s lots of fun behind-the-scenes peeks at what each President has brought to the table.