Quiz: White House Food
Test your knowledge of Presidential eating and drinking.
- 1.The food in the Roosevelt White House, which Lauren Shapiro writes about in this week’s magazine, was so dismal that the New York Times ran a headline in 1937 that read “Same Menu Four Days Palls on Roosevelt.” What was the menu that palled on him?
- A.
Turkey and stuffing
- B.
Liver and string beans
- C.
Beef and potatoes
- D.
Chicken and dumplings
- 2.In 1934, the Times declared a dish called Turkey Supreme “the ultimate in flavor.” Which is the proper description of this delicacy?
- A.
Diced turkey topped with a fried egg and light layer of tomato sauce
- B.
Diced turkey layered with refried beans, salsa, and American cheese, then baked
- C.
Diced turkey mixed with nuts, whipped cream, crushed pineapple, and mayonnaise, then frozen
- D.
Diced turkey served as a parfait with yogurt, potatoes, and grapes
- 3.Zingers, a Twinkie-like snack cake, are produced by a Hostess-owned company named after which First Lady known for feeding her guests well?
- A.
Lady Bird Johnson
- B.
Dolley Madison
- C.
Sarah Polk
- D.
Lucretia Garfield
- 4.Which President, known for keeping a steady diary, wrote that “five or six small crackers and a glass of water give me a sumptuous dinner”?
- A.
George Washington
- B.
John Quincy Adams
- C.
Zachary Taylor
- D.
Andrew Johnson
- 5.President Nixon said that during law school he ate what every day for breakfast?
- A.
A jelly donut
- B.
A hard-boiled egg
- C.
White bread with ketchup
- D.
A Milky Way bar
- 6.What does Nancy Pelosi, according to a piece on her in New York magazine, frequently eat for breakfast, as well as for snacks and to supplement “whatever an aide hands her for dinner”?
- A.
PowerBars
- B.
A bagel with cream cheese
- C.
Cold pizza
- D.
Chocolate ice cream
- 7.Which Presidential candidate, who popularized the slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler too," was said to run a “hard cider campaign”?
- A.
Andrew Jackson
- B.
James K. Polk
- C.
William Henry Harrison
- D.
Ulysses S. Grant
- 8.Match the President to his favorite dessert, according to “All the President's Pastries,” by Roland Mesnier, a pastry chef who spent twenty-five years in the White House. Chocolate mousse Yogurt tarts with fresh fruit Crème brûlée and hot soufflés Classic American cake with ice cream
- A.
George H. W. Bush; Ronald Reagan; George W. Bush; Jimmy Carter
- B.
Jimmy Carter; George H. W. Bush; Ronald Reagan; George W. Bush
- C.
Ronald Reagan; Jimmy Carter; George H. W. Bush; George W. Bush
- D.
George H. W. Bush; George W. Bush; Jimmy Carter; Ronald Reagan
- 9.According to Bill Clinton’s medical report that was released during the 1992 campaign, which of the following is the former President allergic to?
- A.
Wheat
- B.
Peanuts
- C.
Dairy
- D.
All of the above
- 10.Match the President to his drink of choice. Dirty martini Daiquiri Bourbon Nonalcoholic beer
- A.
Harry S. Truman; George W. Bush; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; John F. Kennedy
- B.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt; John F. Kennedy; Harry S. Truman; George W. Bush
- C.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt; Harry S. Truman; John F. Kennedy; George W. Bush
- D.
John F. Kennedy; Harry S. Truman; Franklin Delano Roosevelt; George W. Bush
- 11.Tests of the soil in Michelle Obama’s White House garden revealed which of the following in quantities high enough to get media attention but low enough to be harmless?
- A.
Asbestos
- B.
Lead
- C.
Bacteria
- D.
Anthrax
- 12.Calvin Coolidge kept chickens in a patch of the White House grounds that Teddy Roosevelt had used for what?
- A.
Playing bocce
- B.
Shooting game
- C.
Growing mint
- D.
Raising pigs
- 13.The first state dinner, as we use the term today, occurred in 1874, when Ulysses S. Grant invited the head of the Sandwich Islands to dine at the White House. What would we be more likely to call the Sandwich Islands today?
- A.
The Virgin Islands
- B.
The Marshall Islands
- C.
Indonesia
- D.
Hawaii
- 14.Which reality-television show did the couple that crashed a state dinner at the White House in 2009 later appear on?
- A.
“Top Chef”
- B.
“Dancing with the Stars”
- C.
“The Real Housewives of D.C.”
- D.
“Sarah Palin’s Alaska”
- 15.In the film “The American President,” the President, played by Michael Douglas, invites Annette Bening’s character to a state dinner in honor of whom?
- A.
The President of France
- B.
The President of Mexico
- C.
The Prime Minister of England
- D.
The Prime Minister of China
- 16.After this year’s state dinner, guests were treated to a performance by whom?
- A.
Bruce Springsteen
- B.
Beyoncé
- C.
Bob Dylan
- D.
Jay-Z
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