The Slow Food USA Blog

Nantucket Scallop visits the White House

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by Slow Food USA intern Gabrielle Redner

We may all be wondering what goes on inside the White House kitchen on a daily basis, but it is not every night that we get to peek inside. Yesterday, newspaper readers, blog addicts, and radio listeners across the country got a mouthwatering sneak-peak into the Obamas’ first state dinner, thanks to the slew of reporters invited into the kitchen by First Lady Michelle Obama. Here is the menu that is largely locally sourced (and “built on American Relationships,” in the words of Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford) for all you hungry and curious readers.  Nota bene, the main course features a Slow Food USA Ark of Taste food, the Nantucket [Bay] Scallop!

Chesapeake Crab Agnolottis with Roasted Sunchokes
Wine pairing: Spottswoode Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (California)

Huckleberry Cobbler with Caramel Ice Cream
Wine pairing: Black Star Famrs “A Capella” Riesling Ice Wine 2007 (Michigan)

The Nantucket Scallop that fed the nation’s governors last Sunday is the Nantucket Bay Scallop that was featured in the February Food Chain e-Newsletter—are the Obamas getting Slow Food mail? Or maybe White House Executive Chef, Cristeta Comerford is!

To read more about the dinner, whose attendees included six female students from Maryland’s L’academie de Cuisine culinary school, and Michelle Obama’s affinity for local, flavorful veggies, check out the following articles: (there is also a C-Span video attached to the first article, showing Michelle in the kitchen with Chef Cristeta Comerford and the six culinary students)!

The Sun Times

The New York Times