A Presidential Meal

A while ago, my mom mentioned on the phone that she was doing some spring cleaning. “I’m getting rid of some things, like this Presidential Cookbook I’ve had for years.” I was intrigued by it and begged, “Don’t throw it out!”

On our recent visit, she gave it to me. It’s actually more like a small pamphlet than an actual book. But, it has all sorts of recipes that are supposedly the favorites of each listed president. And my mom wasn’t lying when she said she’s had it for years because the most “recent” president it features is President Reagan. I thought I’d give one of the recipes a try. If a recipe is good enough for a president, it must be pretty good, right? I decided to make JFK’s favorite seafood casserole. Here’s the recipe: New England Seafood Casserole 1 lb crab meat, canned, frozen, or fresh cooked (I used canned, and I used less than 1 lb) 1 lb shrimp, cooked and cleaned ½ cup chopped green pepper ¼ cup diced onion 1 ½ cups finely chopped celery ½ tsp salt 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce *1 cup mayonnaise 2 cups crushed potato chips 1 tsp paprika

“Combine all the ingredients except potato chips and paprika and spoon into buttered 2-quart casserole dish. Top with potato chips and sprinkle with paprika. Bake in 400 degree oven 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Makes 6 servings.” The recipe doesn’t include one important thing, which is to make sure you sprinkle “chowdah” or “lobstah” in your conversation while cooking it. It’ll make it much more authentic. Trust me. The recipe turned out pretty decent, and Husband really liked it. While my cooking wouldn’t be good enough for the White House, it’s good enough for our house. And remember, “Ask not what your dinner can do for you, but what you can do for your dinner…” *Edited to add: 1 cup mayonnaise. I forgot to include this the first time I posted it - sorry!