The Savannah morning news., 1903-08-09
FOOD SUPPLIED AT
PRESIDENTS TABLE.
Only the Best Bought for the White
House, but No Needless Extrava-
gance or Waste.
From the New York Times.

Suhce or waste.
From the New York Times.
I'm comparison with the amount of
food consumed in the palaces of kings
and queens that used up in the
White House is very small. indeed"
said Harry Benoit, who was until re-
Gently the assistant chef in the Exec
utiVe Mansion of the President of the
united States, and who is now the
chief ruler of the kitchen of one of
New York's mammoth hotels.
OF course Mrs. Roosevelt has, nee
essarlly, to do great deal of enter
tanning, and on exceptional occasions
the dinners and luncheons given at
the White House quite equal the gor-
geous spreads we so frequently hear
of displayed in the households of Eu-
ropean rulers. We are by no means
behind in such matters. But the
White House kitchen is splendidly
managed in that no needless waste or
extravaganza is tolerated. At the
same time there is far from being any
cheese pairing. In the royal palace
kitchen of the King of the Belgians,
in Brussels, where l was employed as
third assistant chef seven years ago.
the word extravaganza was personified
IN every sense, not only in the cook
ing but in the disposition of the re-
mains of the food when taken from
the dining table. A roast joint or
chicken, for instance, after being car
ried from the table, perhaps un-
touched, would he thrown into the
sym heap. The head chef would not
glow the meat to be returned to the
royal table in any form. 1t was not
considered good enough for even the
servants to eat! The same disposition
was made of all other foods that came
from the royal dining table, except in
the case of wines and liquors.
Such wanton extravaganza would
not be tolerated for a minute in the
White House. A roast joint taken from
the Presidents table, touched or I'M
touched, is used again in cold form
and it is only right that it should be.
The expenses of the White House kit
chen are much less, believe, than is
incurred in running the same depart
ment of any of the royal palaces of
Europe.
Mrs. Roosevelt, however, does not
believe in practicing close economy or
cheeseparing methods in looking after
the White House food supply and its
disposition. Far from it. But like
every other sensible woman she will
not permit needless Waste-and she
can, of course, we'll afford to be eX-
travagant if she should choose.
LAS is to be expected, the food sup
piled to the White House is of the very
best quality that the American mar
kets can produce, and it is prepared
for the Presidents table by the highest
masters of the culinary art.
The president lives very plainly. He
prefers plain, wholesome food for the
most elaborate menu. One of his favor
ito &c GirIOip Von6i1Y11
done. with dish of blood-red gravy
and large, mealy potato. Like the true
SPORTSMAN, he is fond of all kinds OF
game, two of his preferences being
quail and venison served in the various
styles In the way of pies, the lemon
and the pumpkin are his favorites. In
the White House kitchen. where they
are made, they are known as the Pres
ident's Pies Although he is fond of
most things in the dessert line, how
ever, Mr.. Roosevelt INDUCES in them
very sparingly. His plain living, it has
been said, is accountable for his strong
vitality, mental Vigor and the enor-
nous amount of work which he can
get through with in the course of a
single day.
Most of the bread, pastry, and
cakes are made in the White House
kitchen by three bakers. There are
six bakings a week, and an average
of seven sacks of flour a week are
used up. The President has a pref
erence for graham bread.
%he meat supplied to the White
HOME is purchased from a Washing
ton butcher. 1t is no uncommon thing
for ton of meat to be used in a week
at the Executive Mansion when much
heavy entertaining is being done by
the President. So large and we'll
equipped is the White House kitchen
that a full-sized Texas steer could
be roasted whole in it without in
convenience. The heat supply, too,
is so varied that there is hardly joint
that could not be served to the Pres
ident, if he requested it, within an
hours notice.
"A varied supply of fish is also sent
to the White House every day In the
year. Most Of the fish are sent from
Maine or the Adirondacks, and they
are shipped expressly for the Presi-
dents table. In season some of the
finest salmon in the country are sent
to the White House from the Adiron-
dacks. The President is very fond of
salmon as he is of all kinds of game,
and you would be surprised at the
large number of gifts he receives in
that line of food in season-and out
of season-from admiring friends, poll
ticians. and others.
Like most people, the President is
fond of oysters, and they are usually
down on the menu in every style. The
President prefers them served on the
half shell, with the plain vinegar or
dash of lemon and pepper.
About the only thing on the White
House menu that is imported from
abroad, with the exception of certain
wines, is cheese, and it is the famous
Cheshire cheese, made in Cheshire
England. Only small quantity of it,
however, is supplied to the White
House, most of the cheese consumed
there being made in Western New
York and Virginia. There is no doubt
however, that the English easily sur
pass us in the manufacture of cheese.
and the President fully appreciates
that, as have several of his predeces-
sors in office, notably the late Presi-
dent Mckinley"
Debts and Debtors.