Presidential Palates Culinary Quiz

This blog post was originally published on November 7, 2016 as the first in a fifteen-part series related to the 2016 Presidential election. Beginning today we will be sharing these posts again in hopes that our readers will find some historical info regarding past presidents and their food preferences for use in the FACS classroom. A new Presidential Palates post will be shared each weekday between now and Election Day on November 3. Please note that the concluding post of this series is a quiz based on the Presidential Palates series of posts.

This is the official conclusion to our Presidential Palates blog series highlighting the food preferences of twenty-four American Presidents.  I thought it might be fun to provide a simple matching quiz to use with your students to measure what food facts they have retained from these posts.  Just a reminder that the entire Presidential Palates series will be available as a free download on our website www.freshfacs.com later this week.

Presidential Palates

Culinary Quiz

Directions:  Match the American Presidents on the left with their favorite foods.

             Part I (1789 – 1933)

1.               George Washington                         A.  Gingerbread cookies
2.              John Adams                                        B.  Roast turkey
3.              Thomas Jefferson                             C.  Milk fresh from the cow
4.              Andrew Jackson                                D.  Fried chicken with milk gravy
5.              Zachary Taylor                                  E.  Apple cider
6.              Abraham Lincoln                             F.  All types of cheese
7.              Andrew Johnson                              G.  Creole cooking
8.              Ulysses S. Grant                               H.  All types of nuts
9.               James Garfield                                   I.  Macaroni and cheese
10.              Theodore Roosevelt                         J.  Popcorn
11.               William H. Taft                                 K.  Squirrel soup
    

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    Part II (1933 – 2017)

12.               Franklin D. Roosevelt                    A.  Cheeseburger Pizza
13.               Harry S. Truman                              B.  Texas barbeque
14.               Dwight D. Eisenhower                   C.  Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
15.               John F. Kennedy                               D.  Pork Rinds and Tabasco Sauce
16.               Lyndon B. Johnson                          E.  Chili
17.               Richard M. Nixon                             F.  Chicken Enchiladas
18.               Gerald Ford                                        G.  Beef Stew
19.               Jimmy Carter                                     H.  Jelly Beans
20.               Ronald Reagan                                   I.  Rare beef steaks
21.               George H.W. Bush                            J.  New England Clam Chowder
22.               Bill Clinton                                         K.  English muffins
23.               George W. Bush                                L. Cheese Grits
24.               Barack Obama                                   M. Cottage cheese with ketchup

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Answers:  1. H, 2. E, 3. I, 4. F, 5. G, 6. A, 7. J, 8. B, 9. K, 10. D, 11. C, 12. C, 13. I, 14. G, 15. J, 16. B, 17. M, 18. K, 19. L, 20. H, 21. D, 22. F, 23. A, 24. E

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow!

For more ideas for bringing history and social studies into your FACS curriculum, check out our resource Historical FACS on our website at www.freshfacs.com.

 

 

Presidential Palates, Part 14

This blog post was originally published on November 4, 2016 as the first in a fifteen-part series related to the 2016 Presidential election. Beginning today we will be sharing these posts again in hopes that our readers will find some historical info regarding past presidents and their food preferences for use in the FACS classroom. A new Presidential Palates post will be shared each weekday between now and Election Day on November 3. Please note that the concluding post of this series is a quiz based on the Presidential Palates series of posts.

Today we wrap up the informational part of our Presidential Palates blog post series.  I hope you’ve found some interesting facts and recipes to share with your FACS students.  Connecting historical facts to food is such a great way to bring social studies into the FACS curriculum!  I encourage you to give it a try.  Next Monday I will post a fun quiz based on this series of blog posts and later next week, you will be able to download the entire series as a freebie from our website. www.freshfacs.com

Here are some final food facts about seven former American presidents, listed in descending chronological order.

John Adams (1797 – 1801) drank a tankard of hard cider as soon as he got out of bed every day.

Zachary Taylor (1849 – 1850) loved anything Southern, in particular Creole food.  His favorite was a treat called calas, which are essentially beignets made from rice.  Here’s a recipe for a shortcut version of this classic dish.

Beignets

Vegetable oil for deep frying

1 can (13.8 oz.) Pillsbury™ refrigerated classic pizza crust

Powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In deep fat fryer or heavy saucepan, heat 2 inches oil to 350° F.
2. Line a plate with paper towels; set aside.
3. On lightly floured work surface, roll dough into ball and pat into 8 x 6-inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
4. Cut into 9 equal pieces using pizza cutter or knife.
5. Fry 2 or 3 pieces of dough at a time in hot oil 2 to 3 minutes on each side, turning with slotted spoon, until deep golden brown.  Remove with slotted spoon.  Drain on paper towels.
6. Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar.  Serve warm.

Yield:  9 beignets

When Ulysses S. Grant (1869 – 1877) moved into the White House, he brought along his own personal chef:  the cook from his Army mess hall.  Rumor has it that this chef specialized in simple meals, serving turkey for formal meals and bigger turkeys for even fancier state dinners.

“The only way to serve fried chicken is with white gravy soaked into the meat.” Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt (1901 – 1909) was a very hearty eater, enjoying a rich and varied diet.  His passion for fried chicken smothered in white gravy came from his mother.  Historian Edmund Morris wrote “his mother had always said it was the only way to serve fried chicken, and that if the gravy was served separately, he never took it.”  According to the Theodore Roosevelt Association, the former President dined on a feast of Bluepoint Oysters, Green Turtle Soup, and more during his six course birthday dinner in 1900–and that’s not counting the dessert and coffee courses.

William H. Taft (1909 – 1913) liked milk so much, he brought his own cows, named, Mooly Wooly and Pauline Wayne, to the White House.  No president since has grazed cattle on the White House lawn.

“Only coyotes and predatory animals eat raw beef.”  Harry S. Truman

Harry S. Truman (1945 – 1953) was partial to a well-done beef steak.  When asked if there’s a special reason why Midwesterners like their beef well-done, Truman responded that “only coyotes and predatory animals eat raw beef.”  The President wrote on a food questionnaire that’s now in the archives of the Harry S. Truman Library, “Mrs. Truman’s chocolate caked and chicken and dumplings.  My mother’s custard pie and fried chicken.”

Gerald Ford (1974 – 1977) loved to eat waffles with strawberries and sour cream.  He was also very fond of English muffins.

That wraps up our look at the favorite foods of many of our past U.S. Presidents.  For more ideas for incorporating history into your FACS curriculum, check out our resource, Historical FACS. http://www.freshfacs.com/Historical-FACS-p/014.htm

Don’t forget to go out and vote for our next President on Tuesday, November 8!

 

Presidential Palates, Part 13

This blog post was originally published on November 3, 2016 as the first in a fifteen-part series related to the 2016 Presidential election. Beginning today we will be sharing these posts again in hopes that our readers will find some historical info regarding past presidents and their food preferences for use in the FACS classroom. A new Presidential Palates post will be shared each weekday between now and Election Day on November 3. Please note that the concluding post of this series is a quiz based on the Presidential Palates series of posts.

At an outdoor news conference, George H.W. Bush (1989 – 1993) revealed his distaste for broccoli stating that he wouldn’t eat it.  His distaste for broccoli raised quite a stir among parents and health professionals concerned that the public, and particularly children, would limit consumption of broccoli.  In March of 1988, when President Bush expressed his fondness for fried pork rinds dipped in Tabasco sauce in a TIME magazine profile, pork rind sales jumped 11 percent.  As a result, he was crowned “Skin Man of the Year” by pork-rind manufacturers.  These opposite reactions to a sitting president’s food preferences, demonstrates the interest that the American public has in what their leaders eat, even if their food choices are a little offbeat.

Andrew Johnson (1865 – 1869) became president following the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.  He assumed the office of the presidency at one of the darkest times in American history, the reconstruction era following the end of the Civil War.  As a result of the deep divides in the government, Johnson became the first US president to be impeached.  He survived the impeachment trial by just one vote.

In spite of the turmoil Johnson faced while in office, this native Tennessean enjoyed light-hearted entertaining in the White House.  It turns out that he was ahead of his time when it came to throwing a party because one of his favorite forms of entertaining was to throw a popcorn party for his guests.  These parties were much like the Popcorn Bars that are popular today.  Pretty cool, right?

While your students create their own version of a Popcorn Bar, you can share information about Andrew Johnson as well as the science explaining why popcorn pops.  If you need to refresh your memory on the science, this site can help. http://www.popcorn.org/Facts-Fun/Our-Story

Perfect Popcorn

3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil (high smoke point)

1/3 cup high quality popcorn kernels

Butter to taste (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a 3-quart, thick-bottomed saucepan, which has a tight-fitting cover.
2. Put 2 or 3 popcorn kernels in the oil.  Cover.
3. When the kernels pop, add the remaining 1/3 cup popcorn kernels in an even layer over the bottom of the pan.
4. Cover, remove from heat for 30 seconds. This method first heats the oil to the right temperature, then waiting 30 seconds brings all of the other kernels to a near-popping temperature so that when they are put back on the heat, they all pop at about the same time.
5. Return the pan to the heat.  The popcorn should begin popping soon, all at once.  Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan by moving it back and forth over the burner.
6. Try to keep the lid slightly ajar to let the steam from the popcorn release, producing drier and crisper popcorn.
7. Once the popping slows to several seconds between pops, remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and dump the popcorn immediately into a wide bowl.  With this technique, nearly all of the kernels pop, and nothing burns.
8. If you are adding butter, you can easily melt it by placing the butter in the now empty, but not hot pan.  Drizzle the melted butter over the popcorn and toss to distribute.
9. Salt to taste

Yield:  2 quarts popcorn

Suggested toppings for your Popcorn Bar:

• Gummy bears
• Skittles
• M & M’s
• Reese’s Pieces
• Cayenne pepper
• Powdered Cheese
• Cocoa powder
• Mini Chocolate chips
• Sprinkles
• Cinnamon and sugar
• Granulated sugar
• Crumbled cookies or cake

Organizing your Popcorn Bar

Display popcorn and toppings in attractive, see-through jars/containers or shakers.  Label each jar to make it easier for guests to make their choices.  Provide a serving scoop or spoon for each topping container.  Guests will also need bowls or bags to hold their popcorn concoctions.