Being the history nerd and foodie freak that I am, I thought it would be fun for history and food to collide today. I'm not sure our presidents necessarily want their legacy to be about their favorite foods but rather their diplomatic and political successes. I would like to think that they had/have a sense of humor and know how to have some fun. After all, they were/are human and had to sustain life from day to day. So why not have a little fun by stating some fun foodie facts about some of our presidents. Not all are listed, just a small group. This is a non-partisan list so please do not protest one way or the other :-) Happy Presidents Day! And don't forget to pray for our leader today....whether you like him and his politics or not. Take the time to pray for those former presidents who are still alive and doing great charity work. And go and eat something yummy too! Love from the Windy City!
1. George Washington - Our first president really loved nuts, hazelnuts to be exact. I am sure it was interesting to hear him chewing on those with false wooden teeth. Martha Washington must have stories :-) He also liked sliced tongue...not sure I will be giving that one a try. Do you think he likes cherries after cutting down that tree?! ;-)
2. John Adams - Our second president loved cider. He also loved a dish called scootin-long-the-shore. Yes, I looked it up. It is hash browns. Wonder what my local breakfast place would say if I ordered that next time I went in?!
3. Thomas Jefferson - Jefferson would definitely be a modern day foodie. During all of his travels in Europe before becoming president he had the opportunity to try so many unique foods. His favorites seemed to be Madeira wine and anchovies.
4. Andrew Jackson - He was a little rough around the edges but the man loved cheese...I can't fault him for that, it is one of my favorites too!
5. Abraham Lincoln - Lincoln had very simple tastes where food was concerned. He liked apples and coffee. His wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, was known for preparing some outlandish dishes but Lincoln kept it simple. There are many reasons he is one of my favorite 2 presidents, his simplicity is just one of them.
6. Ulysses S. Grant - I don't think it would shock anyone that the great General of the Civil War loved all things meat. It seems only fitting. He also loved rice pudding, it was his most favorite dessert.
7. Teddy Roosevelt - It is hard to believe President Roosevelt was not born in the south, because he loved fried chicken and white gravy.
8. Franklin Roosevelt - FDR loved simple yet yummy cuisine. One of his favorites was grilled cheese. The simplicity continued even when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the US and the Roosevelt's served them hot dogs. Part of me wishes I could have been a fly on the wall at that meal.
9. John F. Kennedy - Not surprising, JFK was a huge fan of New England Clam Chowder.
10. Lyndon B. Johnson - LBJ loved Fresca and sweet potatoes.
11. Richard Nixon - This is the weird one folks.....the man loved cottage cheese and ketchup...I don't mean separately, I mean ketchup in the cottage cheese. He was an intriguing man on many levels obviously.
12. Ronald Reagan - Reagan loved all things sweet. He loved dessert and his favorite candy was Jelly Bellys. He is tied with Lincoln as my favorite president.
13. George H.W. Bush - #41 loves Tabasco Sauce and he really loves putting it on pork rinds. New Englander by birth but Texan at heart isn't surprising. Book suggestion....I just finished reading 41 written by George W. Bush in honor of his father. It is a great read and I highly recommend it.
14. Bill Clinton - The man loves cheeseburgers. In particular he loves McDonald's and he also enjoys Kool-Aid...who knew?!
15. George W. Bush - There is some debate over what his favorite foods are, but anything Tex-Mex makes the list. A Texan at heart just like his dad, it looks like the Bush's can stand the heat. Pun intended ;-)
16. Barak Obama - It seems as though our current leader really likes Chili but he also has a sweet tooth for caramels.
*All of this information came from various web sources.
