Here & Now Anytime Cottage cheese, possum, aspic: How to eat like a president
Feb 16, 2026
Bennett Ray, chef and food writer who recreates historical White House recipes; Catherine Brownell, historian of media, celebrity, and politics; Jim Walsh, security analyst on U.S.-Iran tensions. They discuss bizarre presidential recipes and culinary research. They explore how presidents became celebrities and how that reshapes politics. They break down recent U.S. military moves near Iran and what escalation might require.
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Research Recipes In Analog Sources
- Bennett Ray recommends sourcing old cookbooks, archival articles, and biographies to find historical recipes.
- He advises following curiosity and choosing unique or strange recipes for engaging storytelling.
Nixon's Ham Mousse Horror
- Bennett Ray describes Richard Nixon's ham mousse as an 'unholy' mix of ground ham, whipped cream, tomato juice, consomme, and gelatin.
- He ranks it among his bottom-five presidential recipes and finds it hard to enjoy.
Try Gilded Age Presidential Dishes
- Bennett Ray suggests trying Gilded Age presidential recipes like Taft's lobster stew and Harry Truman's 'Day of Eating.'
- He urges listeners to explore these for flavor and historical context and notes a cookbook is forthcoming.