A Sneak Peek At The Extravagant Meal Being Prepared For Tonight's State Dinner At The White House
President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are hosting French President François Hollande today, to be followed by an official State Dinner held in a big white tent on the South Lawn of the White House.
Thanks to the White House Instagram account, we have an advanced look at the feast being readied for the 350 guests.
White House Executive Chef Cris Comerford and Pastry Chef Bill Yosses, selected a menu that "celebrates the best of American cuisine," according to a release from the White House. The ingredients come from around the country, and from the White House itself. Honey from the White House beehive will be used in a vinaigrette dressing, and the salad will feature ingredients from Michelle Obama's kitchen garden.
The wine list is also American, with bottles from California, Washington state, and Virginia.
After the food, guests will be serenaded by Mary J. Blige. Keep reading to see the official menu, as well as a preview (and more specifics) on all of the courses.
"The Winter Garden Salad" served with radish, baby carrots, lettuce, and a red wine vinaigrette, looks more like a piece of art than a first course.
Pastry chef Bill Yosses prepares Hawaiian chocolate-malted ganache with vanilla ice cream and tangerines. And yes, that's a paint sprayer they're using to coat the desserts.
Sugar roses and fleur-de-lis, the official flowers of the United States and France. "We made 38 of each - that's more than 1,800 petals," Pastry Chef Bill Yosses said.
Here's the official menu.
And an in-depth description of each course, via The White House:
The First Course, American Osetra Caviar, farmed from the estuaries of Illinois, is paired with quail eggs from Pennsylvania and twelve varieties of potatoes from farms in New York, Idaho, and California.
The Salad Course is petite mixed radish and baby carrots, served on a bed of merlot lettuce with a red wine vinaigrette. The Winter Garden Salad pays tribute to The First Lady's White House Kitchen Garden. Even when covered with snow, the winter vegetables in the White House Kitchen Garden continue to thrive, and little hints of spring are already starting to sprout.
The Main Course, Dry-aged Rib Eye Beef, is sourced from a family owned farm in Greeley, Colorado and served with a Jasper Hill Farm Blue Cheese crisp from Greensborough, Vermont.
The dessert is a celebration of American traditions and produce. The Chocolate Malted Cake is a modern version of an all- American layer cake presented in a geometric form. This dish combines bittersweet chocolate from Hawaii, tangerines from Florida, and is served À la mode with vanilla ice cream from Pennsylvania.
After dinner, guests can enjoy fudge made from Vermont maple syrup, lavender shortbread cookies, and cotton candy dusted with orange zest.