Although sauerkraut is now hailed as a superfood, Lancaster History notes that the rest of Buchanan's diet wasn't too healthy, so he still suffered from health problems such as gout. Atone of his favorite oysterrestaurants he used to frequent, they even have "The Kennedy Booth", a table that was dedicated to him. As the president to pardon Nixon for his scandal, he seemed to have also forgave him for his offensive choice of food. notes that the rest of Buchanan's diet wasn't too healthy, so he still suffered from health problems such as gout. Not one, but two presidents claim to have squirrel as a favorite dish. Lyndon Johnson was a Texas man through and through. According to The History Chef, grits were on the menu as soon as the Carters moved into the White House. It rates 18 different mentions in. Johnson, who took over as the president after JFK was assassinated, was born and raised in Texas and carried pride in his state throughout his entire life (via The White House). There, his staff would serve everything from mutton chops to roast beef to macaroni pie. According to, , Tyler pudding wasn't really a pudding, per se, but was nearly identical to the. During his relatively short 895 days as president, Ford had to attempt to restore American confidence in the Oval Office. He famously hated broccoli, which is something many of us can relate to, but what he did enjoy noshing on was pork rinds doused with Tabasco sauce. The wedding had been delayed until just before the 1948 House election because Ford was concerned conservative voters might take issue with marrying an ex-dancer who had already been divorced. Unlike squirrels, which are still quite prolific, many sea turtles are now so scarce that they fall under the protection of the Endangered Species Act. George H.W. James Monroe was yet another Virginia-born president, and it's to him or rather, to his cook that we may owe the Southern specialty known as. Jimmy Carter, the 39th president, is from Georgia, so it's no surprise that his favorite food is grits. The formula was about 60 percent rye, 3 percent corn and a very meager Cleveland also enjoyed other types of seafood, including oysters and lobsters. While Jefferson neither invented nor introduced ice cream, he was quite a fan, and atMonticello, there's a recipe he wrote out himself for a French vanilla version. He also likes Hagen-Dazs, so much so that the, with its vanilla chocolate chip flavor. "I'll have guacamole coming out of my eyeballs," he admitted. there's a recipe he wrote out himself for a French vanilla version. Thomas Jefferson was not only a founding father but apparently a founding foodie. His housekeeper Henrietta Nesbitt was notorious for serving some of the, . The most The former president also liked biscuits, chicken pot pie, and BLTs. John Adams: Hard cider. Wilson was known for being a very private person and didn't share much about his personal life with the public, making it hard to uncover his favorite dishes. James Madison may be the only president who ever had a, , but he probably wasn't a huge devotee of sugary junk food, as there wasn't much of it available in the early 19, admits that history has little to say about Madison's favorite foods, but the best guess is that this Virginia native enjoyed, . He is very fond of chili, though, and in an interview with, , neither drinks nor smokes, but he does have one weakness he'll cheerfully admit. A, article written a month prior to the 39th president's inauguration says he was really into dairy products of all kinds: milk, buttermilk, butter, and especially cheese. Taft went on a diet in 1911, but it didn't seem to affect his weight much. Nesbitt was a friend of his wife's, though, so as much as he longed to fire her, he was never able to do so. Sign up for our newsletter and receive the mighty updates! President Joe Bidenhas made his stance on his favorite food very clear. John Quincy Adams was the sixth president and son of President John Adams. During an interview withTime magazine in 1988, George H. W. Bush mentioned one of his favorite foods was pork rinds with Tabasco sauce. Known for his time as a Major General in the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson focused his presidency on serving the common man (via The White House). Despite his efforts to stay healthy, several months later Polk would still succumb to the disease (through no fault of the ham, we're sure.). (It's possible it was the possum, though, as One For the Table says this critter may have been part of that burgoo, too.). According to Food Timeline, the president's favorite meal was a large spread featuring Texas beef barbecue with gravy, smoked beans, corn, potato salad, coleslaw, dill pickles, sweet onions, sourdough biscuits, fried apple pies, coffee, and soft drinks. In the early 1800s, fresh fruit was not as readily available as it is today, so it was a treat. Bush, developed a taste for Tex-Mex cuisine while living in Texas. However, the former presidentdecided to go veganfor his health and doesn't splurge on cheese chicken enchiladas anymore, as per AARP. Mighty Networks, 2023. In addition, the 39th president and Nobel Peace Prize recipienthad a fondness forsirloin steak, and nuts. Rest well and thanks for the memories! Truman, a Missouri native, was especially fond of one of his home state's products: sorghum, a molasses-like syrup that he would drizzle over cornbread. He picked one up and proceeded The. According to The History Chef, Harrison and his wife Caroline were known as "corn addicts" who ate the vegetable often. So it's not surprising to learn that much of what he ate came from no more than a few miles from his Massachusetts home. Bush was also well known for his intense dislike of broccoli, apparently expressing during his presidency that he had disliked it since he was a child and refused to touch it in adulthood. Among the more innocuous facts on file about Richard Nixon is his habit of lunching on cottage cheese. The actual dish, however, as described by Ohio's. When you google "Abraham Lincoln" and "cake," you're likely to get a zillion recipes for modernized versions of an almond cake that, . He was known for his wartime endeavors, but he also had a soft spot for sweets. While the president's favorite flavor was licorice, he celebrated his 1981 inauguration by treating his guests to 3 tons of Jelly Bellies in a patriotic selection of red (cherry), white (coconut), and blue (blueberry) hues. Other foods the now-retired president enjoys include chili, chocolate, trail mix, and roasted nuts (via The New York Times). says that pot roast and red cabbage was one of the president's favorites, even if Haller remembers the dish as being pork chops and red cabbage, instead. While traveling through Europe, Jefferson developed a taste for fine cuisine and wine, which he then brought back to the States. One account of an evening's entertainment records quite the menu, including roast beef, goose, pork, mutton, cabbage, onions, potatoes, and pickles followed by mince pies, tarts, fruit, nuts, and cheese. As he told the. As the president to pardon Nixon for his scandal, he seemed to have also According to Parade, Bush's favorite snack was pork rinds, which he was known to eat often, much to the dismay of his wife Barbara. On a trip to the headquarters for Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio in 2016, Biden stated, "My name is Joe Biden, and I love ice cream" (via The Hill). Gerald Ford Butter Pecan Ice Cream Jimmy Carter Peanut Butter Pie Ronald Reagan Coconut Macaroons. Case in point: Free, may have helped William Henry Harrison get elected our ninth president. According to Food Timeline, Harding also liked German foods such as sauerkraut and frankfurters, as well as scrambled eggs and corn muffins in the morning, served with what was hopefully metaphorical "gallons" of coffee. These were all on the menu when U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt As apple orchards began to pop up across the country, hard cider became a staple and was even used as payment for some workers (via Washington State University). He seemed to have a particular fondness for soups. Food, after all, is the great equalizer. He also enjoyed a dish called hot lobster salad enough to serve it on his 25th wedding anniversary. Okay, no, for the most part, they are not. While Jefferson neither invented nor introduced ice cream, he was quite a fan, and at. 1:26. That same year, Ford married Elizabeth Betty Bloomer, a former dancer and model. At a campaign stop in San Antonio, Texas to visit the Alamo, Ford was offered a plate of tamales. Chester Arthur had the unique distinction of sharing his favorite food with his signature look. These rice cakes are deep-fried and often served with molasses or syrup. ", "That's one of those where I have to haveit taken away. A dinner hosted one year by the Officer's Club on the. he was partial to a fried sweet rice dumpling known as calas tous chauds. Take a culinary trip around the world from your kitchen. So much so, that the Hoovers' cook Mary Rattley created a recipe for caramel tomatoes that was a hit with the first family. Although food wasn't "much of a priority" for the couple while Bush was president, it was well-known that they enjoyed Tex-Mex food when they could get it (via Food Timeline). A simple mixture of meat, potatoes, and vegetables seemed to do the trick, and these kinds of soups were served often during Filmore's time as president. Recipe Circus, however, explains that fannie daddies are actually clam fritters, something that's long been popular in New England (Pierce, as you may or may not recall, was a New Hampshire man, notes The White House). H.R. Unlike squirrels, which are still quite prolific, many sea turtles are now so scarce that they fall under the protection of the, . Although. 1:28. Richard Nixon was known for a lot of things that happened during his presidency, including the infamous Watergate scandalthat ultimately ended his presidency. He was known to have a sweet tooth and puddings were some of his favorite desserts, as perFood Timeline. As, at a campaign stop in 2016, "My name is Joe Biden and I love ice cream." He was known (and probably thanked) for bringing Texas barbecue to the White House during his time as president. It's a hearty dish that would have certainly been filling for the president. While the president's favorite flavor was licorice, he celebrated his 1981 inauguration by treating his guests to. In an, , he admitted that "many pretenders to refinement despise [sauerkraut]," but said he was glad that "we both delight in the classical dish." Rutherford B. Hayes may be better known for what he didn't like than what he did he was no fan of booze, to the point where he was known to have, by serving punch flavored with rum extract instead of real rum. (Not Millard himself, though, or he would not have qualified for the presidency.) The intent behind this was to have them serve it up to their neighbors while convincing them to vote for the man who created it. He never really took to formal dining, either, as he'd rather have been eating the foods he grew up on like meatloaf and fried chicken. Too bad he and James Buchanan never got to know each other, but as. A former president has never gone on to become a running mate for a presidential candidate, but Ford thought about it. Although he often talks about his wealth, Donald Trump's guilty pleasure is affordable fast food. This ice cream is French vanilla in two senses of the term for one thing, it's made with eggs, but for another, the recipe may have come from Jefferson's French butler. Taft was known to start each day with a 12-ounce steak, although eventually he took his doctor's advice and reduced the size of his steaks to 6 ounces. While George W. Bush, unlike his predecessor, wasn't known for frequenting fast food chains, he did enjoy homemade (or rather, White House chef-made) versions of what's typically considered junk food, with his favorite being cheeseburger pizza. In an 1866 letter to a friend, he admitted that "many pretenders to refinement despise [sauerkraut]," but said he was glad that "we both delight in the classical dish." Source: Fox News, Eisenhower Presidential Library. While George W. Bush, unlike his predecessor, wasn't known for frequenting fast food chains, he did enjoy homemade (or rather, White House chef-made) versions of what's typically considered junk food, with his favorite being cheeseburger pizza. Sensing the American public wanted someone less like the studious, humorless Nixon, he appeared on SNL and once pulled up a tablecloth next to Chase during a formal dinner in 1975. The whole "eat local" movement is trendy these days, but back in John Adams' time, being a locavore was pretty much the norm. This is likely because McKinley was a relatively private person who didn't share much about his personal life with the public. says the dish became one of his favorite Christmas traditions. From their backgrounds, personalities to their favorite food its something that we can relate to. While Donald Trump got a lot of flak during his presidency for his fondness for fast food, he did have an explanation for this. Although beignets are more popular these days, calas-tous-chauds were immensely popular before World War II. Grover Cleveland was born in New Jersey and later moved to New York, where he became a lawyer (via The White House). The sufficient reason, we'd say, to assume the man was fairly fond of fruit and may have been eating his recommended daily allowance years before the USDA existed to do the recommending. Patterson's versionis made of peppers, tomatoes, rice, and black-eyed peas. After his parents got a divorce, his mother remarried a paint salesman named Gerald Rudolff Ford. According totheManuscripts Cookbooks Survey, Tyler pudding wasn't really a pudding, per se, but was nearly identical to the Southern staple we now know as chess pie. They're also human, which means they have to eat. Earlier in his political career, he was reported to havea hamburger for lunch every day. On September 5, 1975, a disciple of Charles Mansons named Lynette Squeaky Fromme pulled out a .45 pistol during Fords visit to Sacramento, California in the hopes of winning Mansons approval. It seems like something that might be made out of worn-out handkerchiefs and Long Johns with holes in the seat. Ford recalled their conversation as superficial. His birth-father handed him $25 and disappeared. But the fact didnt sink in until 1930, when King visited him. William McKinley had a favorite dish that really doesn't sound appetizing at all red flannel hash. Sure, that stop did happen to be at Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream in Columbus, Ohio, but Biden has long been a fan of Jeni's. As Parade recalls, Bush I was responsible for a huge bump in sales of these gas station snacks once he admitted that they were one of his favorites. Gerald White has passed away. On an episode of "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee," the former president said that he loves nachos so much, he needs someone to take them away from him while he's eating (via CNN). there's no written record of a sauce by this name prior to the 1950s. Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd president of the United States, was born in Indiana and later served as a general in the Union Army during the Civil War, before becoming president in 1889 (via The White House). However, one of Buchanan's favorite things to eat was cabbage. One of Roosevelt's favorite foods was fried chicken. The calorie total? Both women were charged with attempted murder and stood trial. Nixon, who resigned rather than face impeachment, could have been up on federal criminal charges. William Henry Harrison was born in Virginia and served as the ninth president of the United States for only 31 days before he died of pneumonia (via The White House). (It's possible it was the possum, though, as, says this critter may have been part of that burgoo, too.). clarifies that they were originally made from whatever leftovers were available, thus "resurrecting" the food and giving the pie its name. As per The President's Cookbook, he would eat this dish accompanied by macaroni to help offset some of its richness. Famous chefs, including the easily-irritable Gordon Ramsay, havebeen known to criticize awell-done steak. But that's what happens when you perform an autopsy 164 years post-mortem, reports the Courier Journal. According to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, the president first started snacking on jelly beans in 1966 to help himself get over his smoking habit. While this sounds somewhat more palatable than cloth scraps, it's still not really something you'd expect to see come out of The White House kitchens. Its rare that former presidents accept acting roles on primetime soaps, even when playing themselves. President Bush also enjoys home-made chips, peanut butter, cinnamon bread, and pickles. Fortunately, Lyndon B. Johnson used that power to instead install abutton that was dedicated to have an aide bring him some Fresca. Before becoming president,Jimmy Carterspent some time, . , they were fated never to become sauerkraut buddies. Joe Biden, as per Politico, neither drinks nor smokes, but he does have one weakness he'll cheerfully admit. We assume Hoover enjoyed this combo to have it recorded in history. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library describes JFK as a "small eater," but when he did remember to eat, he seems to have been a meat and potatoes man. Some of these were childhood favorites that stayed with them into adulthood while others were recipes they had picked up after traveling abroad. He liked to top them with Tabasco sauce for a spicy, crunchy treat. His wife, too, was known by the sobriquet of Lemonade Lucy for the nonalcoholic beverage she favored. ," may have been a favorite dish of Millard Fillmore's due to the fact that it originated in the North of England, as did the Fillmore line. It rates 18 different mentions in his diary,and among Hayes' favorite recipes were ones for cornbread, corn fritters, and corn soup. Along with letting the presidents indulge in their favorite foods, that team of chefs also kept a few of these foods from being lost to memory. According to the biography ", ," Roosevelt was very fond of fried chicken. ", While some critics might maintain that gobbling jellybeans isn't the healthiest of habits, it's one Ronald Reagan adopted in his pre-presidential days in order to ditch an even worse one the, says he was attempting to give up tobacco. For a cute story about one boy's search for his hero's favorite recipe, check out the 1969 children's classic "George Washington's Breakfast.". There's not a lot known about William McKinley's dietary habits. Warren G. Harding presided over the nation during Prohibition, so his dinners of state were as booze-free as those of Rutherford B. Hayes. But, one of his favorite foods was something he himself described as an "honest German dish": fermented cabbage, aka sauerkraut. previous 1 2 next . Fromme was sentenced to life and was released in 2009. One of the highlights seems to have been "an old-fashioned English Christmas" complete with "mummers and morris dancers and the boar's head crowned with holly." In 1925, he spoke with a newspaper called the. Poor FDR! Oysters were a popular Southern dish in the 1800s are were a favorite of Martin Van Buren, who served from 1837 to 1841. In 1976, Gerald Ford was running for a second term as president against Jimmy Carter. Ford, however, chafed at the diminished powers of a vice-president and instead asked that Reagans campaign consider a co-presidency ticket that would give him greater influence in office. James Madison may be the only president who ever had a line of snack cakes named after his wife, but he probably wasn't a huge devotee of sugary junk food, as there wasn't much of it available in the early 19th century. , however, explains that fannie daddies are actually clam fritters, something that's long been popular in New England (, James Buchanan, our 15th president, came from a Scots-Irish background on both sides, as lovingly detailed by Northern Ireland's, But, one of his favorite foods was something he himself described as an "honest German dish": fermented cabbage, aka sauerkraut. According to "The Lincolns: Portrait of a Marriage," he once claimed, "I could eat corn cakes as fast as two women can make them.". The Guardian estimated it at upwards of 2,300, but Dubya's chef did say of her boss, "He watches his portion control!". Hoppin' John is a dish made from rice, pork, and black-eyed peas that's popular in the south. Not Harry S. Truman thoughhe was once quoted as saying, "only coyotes and predatory animals eat raw beef.". He tipped the scales at 332 pounds, and you don't sustain a robust physique like that by nibbling on lettuce leaves. A poor economy meant steep budget cuts, while at the same the nation's Bicentennial needed to be celebrated in style with lobster and medallions of veal. Ulysses S. Grant was born in Ohio and later fought in the Civil War. December 28, 2022. According to The White House website, he was both the 22nd and 24th president, with a brief break for Benjamin Harrison at number 23. That's certainly a character trait we can get behind. Federalist senator Manasseh Cutler even wrote about eating "a pie called macaroni" at the President's House in 1802. Every US President's Favorite Food During Their Time in the Oval Office. After some laughter from the crowd, he insisted that he wasn't kidding. Mrs. Coolidge, he said, was a big fan of his veal curry, but the president had more of a sweet tooth. Tyler, who was born in Virginia, served as the 10th president of the United States from 1841 to 1845 (via The White House). According to the biography "Theodore Rex," Roosevelt was very fond of fried chicken. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, also popularly called FDR, is best remembered for his role in leading America out of the Great Depression and through most of World War II (via History). Not so his private parties "Entertaining in the White House" relates how he would frequently invite his pals over for an evening of poker and bathtub gin (or more likely a private pre-Prohibition stash). So what goes into this not-so-descriptively named dish? ), she'd start off with a Margherita pizza base got to retain those foodie credentials somehow then pile on toppings including ground beef, bacon, fried onions, ketchup, pickles, and, of course, lots of cheese. Before Martin Van Buren was president, he traveled to England accompanied by Washington Irving. The White House chef made sure the grits were prepared well, served hot, and mixed with plenty of butter and cheese. Culinarily, Jackson may have been a man well ahead of his time. US Presidents - Favorite Foods - White House Chefs - Delish He also reportedly enjoys eating healthy and noshes on plenty of vegetables every day. George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States and son of George H.W. , holds the distinction of being our nation's heftiest POTUS to date. First ladies have shared cookie recipes in the past, but they dont generally make them part of Thanksgiving dinner. He particularly loved sauerkraut, which is made from fermented cabbage. Aside from a few dishes, Pierce wasn't well known for a love of food, and rarely bothered to host dinners at the White House, so there is little other evidence of his tastes. The Gerald R. Ford Library says that pot roast and red cabbage was one of the president's favorites, even if Haller remembers the dish as being pork chops and red cabbage, instead. Case in point: Free squirrel stew handed out at voter ralliesmay have helped William Henry Harrison get elected our ninth president. T, he Adamses most likely had their dinner in the middle of the day and the main course would often be a boiled dinner of meat and potatoes. According to The Daily Beast, cornbread was a staple of the Polk household, even though no one in the family was known for their love of food. He was even known as the "Cheese President" because he would keep wheels of the stuff at the White House and served it often at parties. Believe it or not,he had 15 children that we know of, the youngest born when he was 70 years old. His favorite dessert is butter pecan ice cream, and also enjoys butterscotch candy and bite-sized snickers bars. At these stealthy soirees, Harding would always feed his friends the same meal: knockwurst with sauerkraut. Just like a hot, juicy sex scandal, President Bill Clinton loved his hot and greasycheeseburgers. In 1925, he spoke with a newspaper called the Daily Evening Item and dished on the first family's favorite foods. Van Buren became somewhat of a boar aficionado after this introduction, as. The future President legally changed his name to Gerald Ford in Ford was also a fan of other hearty American foods, including freshly baked bread, spare ribs, burgers, and ice cream. He enjoyed breakfast food, according to Food Timeline, and often started his day with fresh fruit, juice, English muffins, and jam. The. The funny thing is, according to the Biloxi Sun-Herald article reprinted in The Food Dictator,there's no written record of a sauce by this name prior to the 1950s. All rights reserved. Haller wasn't the only one to do the cooking, though. William Howard Taft was born in Ohio in 1857, studied law at Yale, and served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (via The White House). Benjamin Harrison was really into Christmas, to the point where he was the first president to set up a Christmas tree inside the White House. These Were The U.S. Presidents' Favorite Foods, Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library. ," we learn that the president was even known to eat an entire chicken in one meal. One fancy-sounding dish he's known to have served as tenderloin with jezebel sauce. Whether these two were related, we'll never know. According to Food Timeline, Millard Filmore was responsible for having the first iron cookstove installed in the White House. Barack Obama was quite the First Foodie while in office, frequenting restaurants all around the nation's capital. He also likes Hagen-Dazs, so much so that the White House kitchen is typically stocked with its vanilla chocolate chip flavor. Former president Gerald Ford (1913-2006) had the unenviable task of following a disgraced Richard Nixon, the first man to resign from the presidency, in the wake of the Watergate scandal. True to his frontier background, he was also a man of simple tastes. He also frequently drank whiskey, wine, and port. According to The Daily Beast, Wilson didn't have many favorite foods but requested chicken salad often. So proud of the recipe was he, though, that he submitted it to "The Original White House Cookbook," published in 1887. Wow, that's one heck of a pudding. According to "The Presidents' Cookbook," though, not a dessert on the menu at this ritzy restaurant could woo Grant away from his beloved rice pudding. After attending Yale and entering law practice in Michigan, Ford became interested in politics.