First Lady Michelle Obama and former First Lady Nancy Reagan will have lunch at the White House tomorrow. Mrs. Reagan is in Washington today for the signing of the Ronald Reagan Centennial Commission Act, which provides $1 million in funding for festivities to honor President Reagan on the centennial of his birthday, which is February 6, 2011. (Above: Mrs. Reagan in the White House kitchen, with Executive Chef Henry Haller, at right)
Mrs. Reagan has been all over the news for the past few days, because Vanity Fair is publishing an exclusive interview with the media-shy former First Lady, and the issue hits coastal news stands tomorrow. On their website, the mag has teased a little bit of Mrs. Reagan's conversations with writer Bob Colacello, who reports that Mrs. Obama called Mrs. Reagan for First Lady advice. In their 45-minute conversation, Mrs. Reagan encouraged Mrs. Obama to "have lots of state dinners." No doubt the two discussed many other things, but amusingly, this is the read more! teaser that made it on to the website. To date, the Obamas have had only one formal State Dinner, for the National Governors Association, but they've had plenty of other dinners and guests at the White House. (Pic above is the Reagan's formal White House portrait)
Mrs. Reagan was well known for her gracious and frequent entertaining when she was First Lady, and is credited with "restoring glamour" to the White House, after it became countrified and liquor-free during the Carter years (above: Mrs. Reagan at a State Dinner in May of 1981, for Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of West Germany). Her Executive Chef was the Swiss-born Henry Haller, who was hired by Lady Bird Johnson in 1966. Haller served at the White House for more than twenty years, for the Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, and and Reagan families. Mrs. Reagan was meticlously involved with every aspect of planning State Dinners, and she would have Chef Haller create a mini-version of the menu, with service for ten, in advance of each dinner. After Mrs. Reagan had tasted and approved-or disapproved--the results, the kitchen staff would eat the meals. When Prince Charles and Princess Diana were visitng, this trial run took three times, with about forty different dishes created, before Mrs. Reagan approved.
Chef Haller's The White House Family Cookbook, published in 1987, is an incredible compendium of stories and White House recipes, and much sought after by those who are obsessed with all things White House kitchen. It's also a telling look at the American eating habits of the administrations he served through: Even the vegetable recipes have some kind of meat component (such as bacon drippings or chicken stock), and there's a distinct love of cream and butter. Most of the recipes Chef Haller records from the Reagan White House are far lighter, and he notes that this is due to the Reagans' California origins. Ob Fo will post Mrs. Reagan's favorite recipe tomorrow.Chef Haller's The White House Family Cookbook, co-authored with Virginia Aronson, is available here.
*Read about Mrs. Obama and Mrs. Reagan's lunch here.
*H/T: Carol E. Lee, Politico *Photos from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library archive at University of Texas.
