Dames Who Read – “Dinner with the President” by Alex Prud’homme

Timing is everything for our first book for 2025: “Dinner with the President – Food,
Politics and a History of Breaking Bread at the White House.” We will meet on Zoom
the day after the President’s Day holiday to hear about the importance of food and the
dining table in the political history of the USA, directly from the author!

Approximately 25 of our presidents and their menus, dining habits and guest lists are
covered in the book, from George Washington to Joe Biden, including stories of the
White House executive chefs who were tasked with honoring the Presidents’ whims
while cooking for the family and also entertaining heads of state at grand banquets.

Did you know that Richard Nixon’s favorite restaurant was Trader Vic’s ? Or that
Woodrow Wilson was such a picky eater with stomach problems that his ideal meal was
clear soup, chicken salad and strawberry ice cream? Imagine President Grant lobbing a
bread roll at the British Ambassador’s wife during a State Dinner! Filled with decades of
history, this book is also entirely entertaining.

Jacques Pepin says about the book: “’Dinner with the President’ is a splendid and
captivating book about the power of food in American politics.” And Stanley Tucci’s
review is this: “A deeply researched and beautifully written book about how the
presidential palate has helped shape America.”

Author Alex Prod’homme has agreed to join us on this Zoom call and share his
research and insights. We know you won’t want to miss this exciting opportunity to hear
from him first-hand. No winter travel is necessary to attend this one, so please register
to receive the Zoom link. We look forward to what will most certainly be a lively and
fascinating discussion.

LDEI Chicago’s Book Club is for Members Only.