All the Presidents’ Tables: George W. Bush’s First Inaugural Luncheon 2001

George W. and Laura Bush (White House photo by Shealah Craighead)

Two-hundred years after President Thomas Jefferson’s 1801 inauguration, to celebrate George W. Bush’s first inauguration in 2001, the U.S. Army Brass Quintet provided music. Around 230 dignitaries ate lobster from the surface of U.S. Senate china and enjoyed other dishes honoring Jefferson’s presidency.

Now Bush walks about as a very lame duck, so lame that the White House Web site hasn’t even added the dishes of the Christmas menu eaten by the Bush family and it’s too soon for the Obama inaugural menu to be added.

The food eaten at Bush’s first inaugural luncheon paid tribute to colonial American recipes and the American wine industry, which Jefferson tried in vain to get started.

Table Setting (for French president Sarkozy in 2007; White House photo by Shealah Craighead))

The photo below gives the reader an idea of what a place setting might look like if one were so lucky to actually be invited to eat in the White House. And not stuck watching re-runs of “West Wing” or glued to “The American President,” salivating in the China Room with Annette Benning.

The following menu jump-started what historians are likely to call the worst presidency in the history of the United States. James Buchanan, you can rest easy now!

Try the recipes, too!

LOBSTER PIE
Morsels of lobster sauteed with fresh herbs and winter vegetables in a rich cream sauce; served in a flaky pasty crust, topped with fresh lobster, garnished with lemon leaves and lemon wedges.

GRENADINE OF BEEF SUPREME
Petit filets of prime beef tenderloin individually tied, marinated in garlic and fresh herbs, interlarded with vegetables, well seasoned and sauteed topped with a turned mushroom cap and presented over steamed green beans with Madeira demi-glace;

Chartreuse of vegetables – a puff pastry ring filled with chestnuts, Brussels Sprouts and Parisienne vegetables to include carrots, squash, broccoli stem, zucchini and yellow and red tomatoes;

Puree of small roots – to include celery root, navel and parsnip.

SOUR CREAM DROP BISCUITS
Served warm.

TOFFEE PUDDING
A moist, dense nutmeat pudding loaf served with caramel sauce, surrounded with navel and blood orange slices topped with crystallized ginger and sugared pecans and presented warm with very rich very vanilla bean ice cream scoops.

DEMITASSE CAFÉ AND TEA
Pass chocolate dipped ginger, candied fruit rinds, fresh strawberries florentines, macaroons and truffles.

Sonoma-Cutrer, Les Pierres, Chardonnay 1998
Fetzer Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 1997
Korbel Natural Special Inaugural Cuvée Champagne N.V.