The first one is George Washington. He is often associated with cherries (cherry tree, cherry pie etc.). He did, indeed, love cherries. He also loved a wide variety of fruits, nuts, and fish. He preferred simple meals over fancy ones
Cherry Oat Scones
1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose white flour
1/4 cup dark brown sugar,
firmly packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened, dried
tart cherries
4 tablespoons cold, unsalted
butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons sugar, for
sprinkling, optional
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place first 8 ingredients (through baking powder) in food processor. Pulse to combine. Add fruit and butter. Pulse again 15-20 times to form a sandy texture. Stir in buttermilk; pulse just enough to combine.
Drop 8 spoonfuls (about 1/2 cup each) onto parchment-lined baking sheet. Dab cold water over surface of each scone to smooth. Sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp. sugar, if desired. Bake until scones are golden and sugar has melted (about 30 minutes). *****************
President Buchanan loved to entertain in grand European style. He was fond of French cuisine. He also delighted in Pennsylvania Dutch (German) fare.
Schnitz und Knepp (Ham with Dried Apples and Dumplings)
Schnitz und Knepp is an old Pennsylvania Dutch recipe meaning 'Apples and Buttons'. It is made with dried apples, the Schnitz, ham and dumplings, which are the Knepp or buttons. It is a 'sweet and sour' dish, the apples being tart and the brown sugar adding sweetness. Schnitz und Knepp takes some time to cook. The potatoes are not always added, so your choice.
3 pounds smoked ham with bone
4 cups dried tart apples
(see notes below)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, cut into
1/2-inch cubes (optional)
Dumplings
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons butter (I use
unsalted)
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 to 2/3 cup milk
In large pot, cover ham with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 2 hours or until ham is tender. Meanwhile, put apples in bowl and cover with water. Soak at least 2 hours. Remove ham from bone and cut into medium pieces. Return ham to pot. Add apples with most of apple liquid. Add brown sugar and onion. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add potatoes and simmer an additional 30 minutes.
For dumplings, sift or whisk together sifted flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in butter with two knives or pastry cutter. Stir in egg. Gradually add milk to make a moist, fairly stiff dough, gently stirring just enough to bring it together. Drop dough by tablespoons into simmering stew. Cover tightly and simmer for 12-15 minutes, or until dumplings are done. Notes: You can make dumplings using your favorite baking mix. Make certain to use tart, not sweet apples. Schnitz und Knepp is typically served with a PA Dutch salad with hot bacon dressing.
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Soup was a favorite dish of the Eisenhowers. The president himself sometimes cooked them. A cold weather favorite of President Eisenhower was...oxtail soup, a truly hearty military dish. Chicken noodle soup, cream of celery-clam soup and beef stew also.
Cream of Celery Soup
¼ cup butter
1 small yellow onion, finely
chopped (about 1 cup)
2 cups very finely chopped
(about 5 large stalks
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup all-purpose unbleached
flour
1½ cups good quality chicken
broth
1½ cups whole milk (or use ¾
cup milk and ¾ cup cream for
even tastier results)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and cook onions, celery and garlic until soft and translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the flour and cook for another minute. Add chicken broth and milk/cream and stir until mixture is smooth. Increase heat and bring it to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining ingredients, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.
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Ronald Reagan retained an appetite for simple, home-style meals. These included macaroni and cheese, meat loaf, hamburger soup and chicken or beef hash.
Traditional Roast Beef Hash
Cooked roast beef
Raw potatoes, peeled and quartered
Yellow onion, peeled/ quartered
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Ketchup
Take approximately equal proportions of beef, potatoes, and onions and put them through a meat grinder using a medium grinder attachment so that they are well mixed and ground.
Heat large frying pan, preferably a cast iron pan, on medium high to high heat. Add hash to frying pan so that a half an inch of hash covers the bottom of the pan. If you have more hash to cook, do so in separate batches.
Add several tablespoons of oil. Brown hash, stirring infrequently at first to make sure that the hash has an opportunity to brown well. As you cook the hash, add pinches of salt and fresh ground pepper. Do this a couple of times with each batch. Cook for at least 10 minutes, until hash is well browned.
Serve immediately with ketchup