John Moeller loves his work, and Dining at the White House is a meticulously documented, affectionate memoir of his 13 years as a chef at the executive mansion. It's also a work of American history and a cookbook.
Serving three presidents--George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush--Moeller didn't just fulfill the daily nutritional needs of the First Families, but responded to each administration's preferences, including a teenage Chelsea Clinton's request for cooking lessons. His stories read like a diary, with countless behind-the-scenes peeks at his experiences serving "at the pleasure of the president," from state dinners for hundreds to the annual Easter Egg roll to serving the White House on September 11, 2001. He's justifiably proud of the day he prepared Sunday brunch for 25 with an hour's notice, and the bold decision to serve sushi and miso soup to the senior Bushes, knowing they'd traveled in Asia. (They loved it.)
Photos include not only First Families and food but official invitations prepared by staff calligraphers, and the china and stemware selected by White House residents throughout history. The cookbook section of more than 100 recipes opens with two menus Moeller created--one for a dinner prepared for Vladimir Putin's visit in 2001, the other for a Christmas celebration three years later--with the dishes scaled down to serve six.
John Moeller's reminiscences of the White House are distinctly apolitical, and he recalls each president and family with respect and affection. --Cheryl Krocker McKeon, bookseller, Book Passage, San Francisco