President Biden Will Serve Exquisite French Cuisine For His First State Dinner
French cuisine is getting quite the spotlight this week. On Wednesday, the classic French baguette reached a cultural milestone by earning a spot on UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage, CNN reports. Sharing the stage with other iconic comestibles like Arabic coffee, Korean kimchi, and Neapolitan pizza, the designation recognizes the crusty loaf as a backbone of French culinary history and national pride, also lending it "special protected status" by the U.N. agency.
Across the pond on Thursday, timeless French dishes will also get star treatment on the plates of President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. The Washington Post reports that the White House denizens are hosting their first state dinner in honor of French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte Macron. Per the tradition of "culinary diplomacy," the kitchen staff is whipping up an appropriately refined French feast that features some Biden-esque touches. Here's what's on the menu.
Lobster, caviar, and ice cream
At a press preview of Thursday's state dinner, first lady Jill Biden told The Washington Post that the meal is "an expression of welcome and friendship" and "a way to connect through a language that transcends words." To make their French guests feel at home without completely forgoing their own "homey-classic" tastes, the Bidens (or, rather, White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford) will serve French classics trimmed with some distinctly American ingredients.
The feast will begin with butter-poached lobster, American osetra caviar, and delicata squash ravioli says The Post. Next, a humble "calotte" of beef (a lean cut of steak cut from the hindquarter section of the cow, per ButcherBox) will be served in a "shallot marmalade," bolstered by sides of thrice-cooked potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, and creamed watercress in a glossy red wine reduction.
Finally, to follow a Fromage course starring "American artisanal cheeses," White House Executive Pastry Chef Susie Morrison has dreamt up crème fraîche ice cream, an elevated take on the vanilla chocolate chip Haagen-Dazs ice cream that claims permanent residence in the President's freezer, per The New York Times.