A Lunch Fit for Lincoln

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Abraham Lincoln is Barack Obama's hero. So it's appropriate that the first meal Obama will eat as president was inspired by the Lincoln White House. On the menu for his inaugural lunch: seafood stew of lobster, shrimp and black cod topped with a puff pastry dome; duo of pheasant and duck served with sour cherry chutney and molasses sweet potatoes; and apple cinnamon sponge cake with sweet cream glace.

The lunch, organized by the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, is being catered by Arlington-based Design Cuisine at Statuary Hall for 232 people, including members of the Supreme Court, Cabinet designees and the congressional leadership. Company chefs spent months researching the food and cooking style of the 1860s. Wild game, especially duck, appeared on many White House menus of the day. Apples were widely available.

"Stews were very popular. It wasn't rare to have stew for breakfast," says account executive Rickie Niceta of the decision to serve seafood stew. "But we were also thinking about who will be attending. They'll be cold, and they'll be starving. We wanted to start with something hot and substantial."

-- Jane Black