The Strictest (And Strangest) Stories From Working In The White House Kitchen

Everyone has their preference for what they like to see at the dinner table, and Presidents have the power to take their cravings to the next level. Thomas Jefferson was an avid wine lover, going so far as to order bottles directly from France even though it was much more common to order wine in casks in the early 1800s. 

Ronald Reagan loved Jelly Belly brand jelly beans, which he started eating to replace his smoking habit, and which he jokingly said kept the government running smoothly. Reagan even shipped three-and-a-half tons of red, white, and blue jelly beans to Washington for his inauguration. 

A lot of effort goes into keeping the president's digestive system safe. Anyone working at the White House, including in the kitchen, must go through an extensive background check. One common misconception is the President has someone tasting all their food to make sure it's not poisoned.

Former White House chef Walter Scheib debunked the rumor, saying the perception was "medieval" and pointing out sophisticated poisons could "take up to a couple of weeks to even have an effect."

Former White House chef Walter Scheib cooked for the Bush family through 2001 and said the events of September 11 prompted a temporary change. He noticed the menus shifted from a balanced and eclectic group of foods to more safe and familiar meals.

Scheib thought this might have to do with a need for psychological safety, saying "everyone wanted to grab onto an anchor, and in this case, that was food."

There's no need for taxpayers to scrutinize the President's grocery bills. It's up to the President to pay for all their personal food and drink, as well as a number of other necessities like toothpaste or dry-cleaning. However, state dinners are considered part of the government's operations and are paid for with federal funds. 

It isn't easy to become White House Executive Chef, and those who make the cut often grow sick of the job. The first Executive Chef, René Verdon, got along well enough with the Kennedys, but was infuriated by the down-to-Earth Texan tastes of the Johnsons.

Verdon was dismayed to learn the Johnsons brought frozen and canned vegetables to the White House pantry, and President LBJ requested barbecue so much that the chef later claimed he quit because he was sick of cooking it. Even under the Trump administration, award-winning chef David Burke was decidedly not interested in the position, saying "I don’t think the White House is a job for a chef of my creativity and caliber."

Whenever the White House kitchen serves a group with special dining needs, the meal involves a ton of preparation and foresight. It's particularly challenging to meet the requirements for Kosher cooking. 

While preparing for a Hanukkah dinner in 2011, the kitchen staff had to deep clean every cooking surface and cover them in plastic wrap, dip all their cooking implements in boiling water, and turn their ovens up to 500 degrees for at least an hour. The entire process was supervised by trained rabbis who approved every step.