There are plenty of ways to make this ultimate Italian comfort food, but this version is my favorite. It’s certainly the simplest! You can add grilled chicken to the recipe if you want it to be more substantial, but as written it’s the most deeply satisfying meal imaginable. My favorite time for penne alla vodka is when you’ve been traveling for a couple of days, skipping meals or eating granola bars for dinner – or worse, inhaling half the (stale) […]
When Jeremy and I were writing our book, we tried to include at least one good story about each of the modern presidents, but when we came to Richard Nixon the whimsical anecdotes were not so easy to find. But here’s one thing you probably didn’t know – he was a man who could appreciate a good meatloaf. Chef Henry Haller was the Executive Chef at the White House for twenty-one years and through five presidents – Johnson, Nixon Ford, […]
Who doesn’t love a one-dish dinner? Protein, fruit, veggies, nuts and carbs – this recipe has it all. You don’t need to wait for fresh figs to show up at the grocery to make this – just use dried figs, soak them, and drain and it’s every bit as delicious. This is perfect for a cold weekend when you don’t feel like cooking. Pop this in the oven on Friday night and you can nibble all weekend long. Ihope you […]
“And I think this word ‘sallet’ was born to do me good…” – Henry IV, Part II When I worked at the White House, the Bushes held a dinner one year to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday. The menu card contained a quotation from Shakespeare to accompany each course, and this quote from Henry IV came from the salad course. I don’t think I’ve ever had more fun planning a dinner, pouring through Shakespeare quotations looking for just the right one. (Dessert: […]
SRIRACHA SESAME BEEF SKEWERS Sriracha is the chili sauce of the moment, an import from Thailand wildly embraced by every American fast food outlet from Applebee’s to White Castle. That doesn’t mean you should pass it by; on the contrary, sriracha is everywhere because it’s a howling wake-up call for the tastebuds. It doesn’t have to make tears stream down your face; used judiciously, it adds texture and heat that elevates a dish exotically. I added sriracha to my favorite […]
