Hail to the Chef at White House State Dinners

Kings, queens, princes, premiers, military rulers, prime ministers and foreign and U.S. Presidents have all dined on the White House executive chef’s sumptuous souffles, mousses, apsics, casseroles and veal dishes. For 20 years, Swiss-born and -trained Henry Haller has created spectacular state dinners--usually one a month--for the Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan administrations. And occasionally he prepares meals for the First Families too.

Haller, 63, keeps his cool in the hottest kitchen, even when he prepares meals under the direct supervision of Nancy Reagan. By planning his daily work carefully, he avoids becoming flustered. For each visit, he said, the State Department briefs the White House social office about the number of invited people and their culinary preferences and taboos early enough for him to plan ahead.

If it’s someone who has eaten at the White House before, Haller checks his file to make sure that the meal he is planning is not one the guest was served previously. He doesn’t have to consider costs. The White House sends food and wine bills for meals honoring heads of countries to the State Department.

“After I do the menu, Mrs. Reagan gets involved,” Haller said. She previews entire meals for state dinners, critiquing garnishes and sauces. “We try out certain dishes, cooking them ahead of time. Knowing what she wants, she approves or suggests changes. First Ladies want things their way. That’s normal.”

Three days before a state dinner, Haller places his orders with selected dealers the Secret Service has screened and cleared. “For security reasons I won’t say how the food arrives from the grocers,” he said.

Haller said no state dinner guests receive preferential treatment. The Prince of Wales receives no better nor more expensive food or wine than lesser well-known international figures.

“Seasons change the menu,” Haller said. “We try to use fresh products. Our fad is fresh foods prepared at the last minute to keep their nutritional value.”

No one gets second helpings at state dinners. All guests take the amounts they want from the butlers’ trays. They offer the edibles only once. The White House apparently figures its guests should be full with four courses--first course, main course, salad with cheese and dessert.

Although the excitement at these functions may diminish guests’ appetites, there are few leftovers.

Under Haller are his assistant chef, pastry chef, First Family chef, the kitchen steward and three cooks.

The food the White House serves has changed throughout the years. Now, Haller said, he is trying to serve lighter dishes, less beef and more veal, chicken and fresh vegetables. Originally concentrating on classical French cuisine, Haller has adopted an international cuisine throughout the years, borrowing especially from Italy, France, Germany, Latin America and China.

“I take a little from here and a little from there. I can cook in any ‘language,’ ” he said. Haller’s specialties are aspics of crab meat, lobster and shrimp. “My presentation of these is different. They have different designs.”

American cuisine, Haller said, is improving all the time. “Americans are demanding more varied foods from different regions. More fresh vegetables are available.” This country has “fantastic oysters and crab meat--none better in the world--from the Chesapeake and lobsters from New England.”

First Family Favorites

Although state dinners are Haller’s main responsibility, he sometimes takes over for the First Family chef. Haller recalls some of the Presidents’ and First Ladies’ favorites.

President Johnson liked roast rib of beef (“He wanted his Texas food. All you do is overcook it.”) while Lady Bird Johnson enjoyed French food, as did Pat Nixon, who especially liked crepes filled with crab meat.

President Nixon often asked for Haller’s broiled steak with watercress salad. “I never saw Nixon eat catsup on his cottage cheese as some people said,” Haller said. The Nixons very much liked his souffle au Grand Marnier, “but the President wouldn’t eat it too often. He wanted to keep his weight down.”

The day after a rich state dinner, Nixon always ate a light lunch--such as sirloin steak with green beans and sliced tomatoes, or chicken breasts baked 20 minutes with lemon juice, oregano, fresh chopped parsley and Sherry. His favorite vegetable was zucchini, Haller said.

The Fords never complained about a meal the two years they were in the White House, Haller said. President Ford often requested bread-and-onion stuffed pork chops.

President Carter was fond of Southern fried chicken and Southern barbecue. He especially liked “anything with corn, like corn on the cob or grits.” Haller also served Carter okra with lemon butter and braised quail in cream sauce.

President Reagan likes veal and chicken dishes, mousses with different fruits, and grapefruit and pineapple sorbets. He delights in the unpretentious meals of his early days, like macaroni and cheese, which Mrs. Reagan makes sure he is served frequently. Haller sometimes cooks private meals for the First Family in a separate kitchen on the second floor of the mansion.

Small Portions for Reagans

What is on people’s minds can affect the amount they eat. People usually eat lightly when they face big problems. Mrs. Reagan, though, even on an ordinary day, doesn’t eat much--fruit and perhaps an egg for breakfast, and soup and a light main course, such as a chef’s salad for lunch. Both she and the President eat small portions.

All First Families have had disciplined eating habits. They have seldom raided the refrigerator for a snack, Haller said.

“From time to time we have had Presidents on special diets,” Haller said. Johnson was on a low-fat diet after his gall-bladder operation. Reagan is healthy after last summer’s cancer operation and “eats everything,” Haller said.

Except for the Nixon presidency, it has been the practice since the Kennedy Administration, for the White House to serve American wines at official occasions. French Bordeaux and Champagne and German white wines appeared at the Nixon state dinners.

The policy of serving California wines predates Reagan. In the Carter years, the Executive Mansion served, at one time or another, wine from every wine-producing state, but primarily California wines and a New York Champagne at state dinners. Popular at the Reagan state dinners is California Schramsberg Champagne.

Throughout the years, Presidents have had mostly praise for Haller’s cooking. “There have been few complaints from all the administrations, and those complaints were constructive,” Haller said.

Johnson once called Haller into the dining room. In front of Mrs. Johnson and daughter Luci, he politely but firmly told the chef, “Henry, if you can’t get all the strings off the string beans, please don’t serve them to me again.”

Haller recognized the criticism as valid. “He was right,” Haller said. “I should have removed them. He was the President. He didn’t have time to take them off. I don’t think I served him string beans again, however.”

Saving a State Dinner

Some kitchen accidents are inevitable. Haller remembers that a pot washer once spilled soap over the fresh fish Haller was planning to serve the Shah of Iran that evening at a state dinner.

“I quickly had more fish flown in from New York. It arrived just in time to make the party a big success,” he said.

Only a few will be able to eat Haller’s delicacies at White House state dinners. And most Americans won’t receive a fancy invitation to don a long dress or tuxedo to attend an official dinner. Therefore, Haller gives helpful hints so that everyone can become better chefs:

“You must concentrate. Cooking takes time and research. Everything must be prepared ahead of time. In France we call it mise en place. Have your cut-up onions here, your tomatoes here and your garlic here.” His cupped hands moved from one place to another to another over imagined piles of assembled foods. “It takes practice to get finesse. Most important is that you’re interested in cooking.”

Those who share Heller’s enthusiasm in creating culinary delights will find the following recipes interesting. The recipes for the hearts of palm salad, the red cabbage and the veal piccata are Haller’s recipes. The others are recipes that are frequently requested from the White House.

HEARTS OF PALM AND WATERCRESS SALAD

1 head Boston lettuce

2 (14-ounce) cans hearts of palm

1 bunch watercress

Pimientos

Bottled vinaigrette dressing

Cover large platter with lettuce leaves. Strain hearts of palm, cut into spears lengthwise, then cut into halves.

Arrange hearts of palm like wooden logs in circle. Leave enough room in middle to place bunch of very crisp watercress.

Garnish hearts of palm with pimiento. Spoon vinaigrette dressing sparingly twice over salad. Let salad stand 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings.

BRAISED RED CABBAGE

1/4 pound diced lard or 8 strips bacon, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon oil

2 large onions, thinly sliced

2 small red cabbages (about 2 1/2 pounds), shredded and rinsed

2 apples, peeled and sliced

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon MSG

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Dash ground cinnamon

Dash white pepper

2 cups red wine

In 6-quart pot, melt lard. Add oil and onions and simmer about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not brown onions.

Add half of cabbage to onions. Layer with half of sliced apples, then remaining cabbage and apples. Add salt, sugar, MSG, nutmeg, cinnamon and white pepper.

Pour wine over top of seasonings. Cover with wax paper cut to shape of pot. Hold wax paper down and press cabbage. Place plate that fits inside pot on top of wax paper. Cover pot and simmer 15 minutes.

Remove cover, plate and wax paper. Stir cabbage carefully with large fork. Blend well. Braise cabbage 15 minutes and stir again. Let cabbage braise 15 minutes longer. When cabbage is done, there should be almost no juices left. Makes 6 servings.

PICCATA OF VEAL

1/2 cup oil

12 thin slices veal, trimmed

Salt

Ground white pepper

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese, optional

Pasta or rice, optional

Tomatoes, optional

Slowly heat oil in large pan or skillet. Sprinkle veal on both sides with salt and pepper to taste, then dip each veal slice in flour to coat very lightly on both sides. Mix beaten eggs, parsley and cheese.

Place veal in egg mixture, turning each slice. Saute egg-coated veal in hot oil until golden-brown on both sides. Remove to serving platter. Serve with pasta or rice and tomatoes. Makes 6 servings.

BAJA CALIFORNIA CHICKEN

8 boned chicken breast halves

Seasoned salt

Pepper

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup tarragon vinegar

2/3 cup dry Sherry

Sprinkle chicken with seasoned salt and pepper. Heat garlic, oil and vinegar in skillet. Saute chicken pieces in skillet until golden brown, turning frequently. Remove. Place in baking dish. Pour Sherry over chicken and bake at 350 degrees 10 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

CRAB MEAT CASSEROLE

1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts

1 pound crab meat

1/2 pound mushrooms, sauteed

1/4 cup butter

2 1/2 tablespoons flour

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup medium-dry Sherry

Paprika

Ground red pepper

Pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place artichokes in bottom of baking dish. Sprinkle with crab meat. Top with sauteed mushrooms. Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour, cream, salt, Worcestershire, Sherry and paprika, red pepper and black pepper to taste, stirring well after each addition to form smooth sauce.

Pour sauce over artichoke-crab layer. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake at 375 degrees 20 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

PRESIDENT REAGAN’S FAVORITE MACARONI AND CHEESE

1/2 pound macaroni

1 teaspoon butter

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon hot water

1 cup milk

3 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Cook macaroni in boiling water until tender and drain thoroughly. Stir in butter and egg.

Mix salt and mustard with hot water. Add to milk. Add cheese, reserving enough to sprinkle over top.

Pour macaroni into buttered casserole. Add milk-cheese mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes or until custard is set and top is crusty. Makes 6 servings.

PUMPKIN PECAN PIE

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cups canned or mashed cooked pumpkin

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

1 cup chopped pecans

Combine eggs, pumpkin, sugar, syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Pour into pie shell. Top with pecans. Bake at 350 degrees 40 minutes or until set. Makes 8 to 10 servings.