Fuelling the Presidency: African American Cooks in the White House
Listen now
Description
Zephyr Wright (left) & Laura Dollie Johnson (right) This week, we're exploring the unsung history of African American cooks in the White House with soul food scholar, Adrian E. Miller, author of "The President's Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas". Join us as we uncover the history of two formidable women who put their stamp on American history through their cooking. We'll look at the life of Laura Dollie Johnson, who cooked for not just one US president, but two! Learn how her food made newspaper headlines throughout the 1880s and 1890s. And we'll explore the career of the formidable Zephyr Wright, who may have been the only person who dared to tell President Lyndon Baines Johnson to stick to his diet. Learn how her recipe for Texas chili started a national crisis about beans!  Written and Produced by Laura CarlsonTechnical Direction by Mike PorttSpecial Guest: Adrian E. Miller, author of The President's Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans who have fed our First Families from the Washingtons to the ObamasDon't forget to fill out our listener rewards survey- available here until September 22nd!Learn more about Adrian Miller's work, this week's episode soundtrack as well as some iconic recipes by Laura Johnson and Zephyr Wright on our show notes.  Show Notes | Find on iTunes | Other Players Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More Episodes
Almost sixty years ago to the day, President John F Kennedy and his wife Jacqueline hosted the largest state dinner of the Kennedy Administration. Invited to the White House for a special "brains dinner" in April 1962 were 49 Nobel laureates, along with Pulitzer Prize winners, noted actors, and...
Published 04/28/20
Published 04/28/20
This week, the Feast is heading to Ohio to visit a brewery entirely dedicated to making beer like they did in the mid-19th century. Located in Dayton, Carillon Brewing Company is not your average craft brewery. Instead of wrestling with stainless steel tanks, you’re more likely to find these...
Published 03/03/20