Monday, February 01, 2021

What does our new President eat?

"I don't drink. I don't smoke. But I eat a lot of ice cream." -- Joe Biden, 2016.

For very good reason, most of what we read about President Biden is substantive information about his policies, his executive orders, and his appointments to cabinet and sub-cabinet posts. And it's all highly encouraging and wonderful, and it's the most important thing going on right now. I'm especially pleased because several executive orders have addressed key issues about hunger relief and food safety, as I wrote earlier.

But my hobby is to look at what famous people like President Biden eat. Therefore, I've read a few articles on this topic, mostly from several months ago during the campaign. I'm summarizing what I learned; I have also made some screen shots that illustrate our new President's food preferences.

-- Food and Wine Magazine
President Biden has very American tastes in food. Because he continued to live in Delaware while serving in the Senate from 1972 until becoming VP in 2009, he spent a lot of time on the commuter train to DC. Thus he didn't have as much time for eating out as some politicians do. 

Biden has several favorite restaurants in Wilmington, where he has lived for most of his life. From Food and Wine Magazine we learn that Biden is...

"A regular Joe with a simple palate. His order is chicken parmigiana at Café Verdi, an unassuming pizza joint in Trolley Square. At the hand-rolled pasta joint Piccolina Toscana, chef-owner Dan Butler told me, 'It’s cappellini al pomodoro. If he’s feeling racy, it’s penne al pomodoro. I’d rather he eat more adventurously, but he’s always effusive about how good the meal is, so I can’t complain.'"
Biden at DQ
Interviewed about Biden, former President Obama mentioned two Biden favorites, saying that for his former VP: "Ice cream is big. Pasta with red sauce, he can go deep on that." (Quoted in a tweet from The Hill.) According to the Washington Post, Biden also likes peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches and his wife's homemade chicken Parmesan and chicken tenders. In their pantry they keep healthy foods like "apples, red grapes, both Diet Coke and Coke Zero ..., Special K cereal and low-fat yogurt." (source)

Biden was reported to have spent $10,000 on ice cream for a campaign event, where it was given as gifts to supporters. His favorite brand of ice cream is Jeni's, and he once mentioned particularly the flavor Salted Peanut Butter with Chocolate Flecks. He seems to also like Dairy Queen, Häagen-Dazs, and probably others. (source)

As for the pasta -- Jill Biden's home cooking includes several Italian-American specialties that she learned from her family. She "grew up eating pasta with red sauce, braciole and Italian bread at her grandparents’ house, a family tradition full of recipes that will likely continue when America's first Italian-American first lady moves into the White House." (source)

Also in the news -- the Biden family take-out order for their first Sunday in the White House. The order included: “Three sesame bagels with cream cheese — one with tomato and one with jalapeño — and a plain bagel with butter.” After the Presidential motorcade stopped to pick up the bagels, the Georgetown bagel shop that the Bidens had patronized received an unusually large number of orders. "The expectation is that the new administration will continue to frequent local restaurants and other businesses." (source)

No Red Button!
When it comes to food and drink, though, the most commented act of the new President was removing the notorious Red Button that has been in the Oval Office for a number of administrations, but which his predecessor (he-who-must-not-be-named) would push to summon a liveried waiter with a silver tray on which was a glass of ice-cold Diet Coke. Thus would his predecessor stoke his own unspeakable and ever-expanding ego, intending to impress anyone that was fawningly in the Oval Office with him. 

Biden drinks both coffee and occasionally Diet Coke or Coke Zero, but he doesn't have to show off about it. What a great thing to have a modest man for President!

For a complete exploration of the topic of the previous occupant's Oval Office Diet Coke button see: "T____'s Diet Coke button is a reminder of the most laughable, hypocritical parts of his presidency" by Ashlie D. Stevens in Salon.com.

This blog post © 2021 mae sander; photos as credited
This post shared with Elizabeth's weekly blog event about a variety of drinks.

19 comments:

  1. There is still a lack of fresh vegetables and fish in this diet. And steam cooking.... :-)

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  2. I am thrilled with a modest man for president too. And although he has very American tastes, at least he is not stuffing his face with fast food like the last president enjoyed! Cool post Mae.

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  3. For someone who loves ice cream and pasta, he definitely looks very lean and trim.

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  4. It looks like I'd be happy eating at his table. You can never go wrong with pasta :) and pizza!

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  5. Sounds yummy! I like those choices.
    Happy Tea Day,
    Kate

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  6. Interesting info on the new Presidents palette ~ You inspired me last week and I referenced you in my blog post that I'll add here in the AM :) Enjoy your week!

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  7. I really enjoyed this post. Nicely done!
    Happy T day

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  8. everything in moderation:):):) Happy T day, and thanks for a fun post!

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  9. And I need to wish you a happy T day too!

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  10. Such a simple choice of food. And great ice cream flavour from the sounds of it. Something I would try. I thought the red coke button was ridiculous so I'm glad it's gone.

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  11. Humble man. Now I´m looking forward to see if there will be the winning football-team over (even here in Germany we get all American food stuff for the season) and if so if it will be stupid burgers for the players again! Really, that was... unbelievable!!! Like giving a donut-party to police officers.
    Maybe some fancy Italian meal? And apples?
    Great statement with the red button. And good thing to order openly so some places regain customers.

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  12. Whoopsie, I made a comment, then saw the clock and ran off so I´m early running errands. Did I click "publish?" If so delete this one.
    Just wanted to say, I think he´s humble and I really wonder if the Football players will come to the white house and if so, will it be burgers again? That was ... really. Like throwing a donuts-party for the police, unbelievable. As in ... we all just sat there and couldn´t believe the dumbness.

    Maybe some fancy Italian food this time? (We get all "American Food" offers here in Germany and the Super Bowl will be on TV for the first time, if I got that right! Sadly not in our time-zone, so.... hm...?)

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  13. So good to see a civilised president again. I like the thought of ice cream, too! Happy T Day, Valerie

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  14. What a total contrast to who-must-not-be-named! I think it's wonderful to have such a humble president. I'm glad he got rid of that red button. We live in the 21st century. We don't do liveried minions anymore.
    I look forward to seeing the first lady. So far I don't know what she looks like. I guess she keeps a low profile.
    Happy T-Day,
    Hugs,
    Lisca

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  15. Mae this is a wonderful post. So interesting to know what he likes to eat. Ice cream. Who doesn't like ice cream, right? I have really enjoyed this post. Thanks so much and have a great day.

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  16. Such an interesting read! Chicken Parmigiana is my friends favourite dish too, I'll have to let her know ...lol 😉. Happy February and T Day! Hugs, Jo x

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  17. I love his food choices with the exception of the peanut butter and peanut butter ice cream. Not a fan of peanut butter and not a fan of diet sodas. It's also refreshing not waking up each morning thinking Now, what did HE do. Happy T Day

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  18. I could happily eat with this president! Peanut butter ice-cream sounds yummy - hubby and I eat a lot of peanut butter...but we're fussy about the brand! Happy T day, Chrisx

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  19. It's great to read something about Biden that has nothing to do with politics. I would gladly join him for a meal. And ice cream, too. I remember when he bought all that ice cream and passed it out at the state fair. Thanks for sharing his food and drink favorites (you can never go wrong with coffee) for T this week, Mae.

    I also wanted to thank you for mentioning Hesperides and the golden apple tree Hera received when she married Zeus. I had created my art and photographed it, but hadn't written my blog post yet. It was about the time I was having trouble with my eye (swelling around it), so I omitted a lot, including Paris and the Trojan War, and Aphrodite, who helped Melanion win a race to be able to marry Atalanta. All of these were documented in Greek mythology.

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