China State Dinner Menu: Lobster, Steak, Apple Pie & Ice Cream For Hu Jintao

After bringing in prominent guest chefs for their first two state dinners, the Obamas relied on in-house Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses this time around. They created a "quintissentially American" state dinner menu for Chinese president Hu Jintao at the request of his delegation, Obama Foodorama reported.

Accordingly, the menu featured American classics like poached maine lobster, dry-aged ribeye steak with onions, stuffed potatoes, apple pie with vanilla ice cream, and an all-American wine selection.

The full state dinner menu:

First
D'Anjou Pear with Farmstead Goat Cheese Fennel, Black Walnuts, and White Balsamic

Second
Poached Maine Lobster
Orange Glaze Carrots and Black Trumpet Mushrooms

Wine: DuMol Chardonnay "Russian River" 2008 (California)

Lemon Sorbet

Main
Dry Aged Rib Eye with Buttermilk Crisp Onions
Double Stuffed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach

Wine: Quilceda Creek Cabernet "Columbia Valley" 2005 (Washington State)

Dessert
Old Fashioned Apple Pie
with Vanilla Ice Cream

Wine: Poet's Leap Riesling "Botrytis" 2008 (Washington State)

Marcus Samuelsson was the guest chef for the Obamas' first White House state dinner, honoring Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, and Rick Bayless guest-cheffed their second state dinner for Mexican President Felipe Calderon. View Samuelsson's state dinner menu here and Bayless's menu here, and go here for a look at state dinner menus of eras past, featuring foods like aspic, hot dogs and boiled mutton.

Comments

[laucarlson]

10:20 AM on 01/24/2011

Who made the farmstead goat cheese? Why not highlight that, as American products -- hopefully it wasn't the imported stuff.

[ProudMilVet]

02:34 AM on 01/23/2011

It would have been funny if they had just ordered Chinese take-out for around 150 people !

[ProudMilVet]

02:30 AM on 01/23/2011

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches would have been the way to go. Mmmmmm !

[ontariogirl]

10:05 PM on 01/21/2011

Mmm that sounds good. I hope everyone wore their buffet pants.

[knitterpatter]

07:25 PM on 01/21/2011

What? This menu is BORING. I have no doubt that Bill Yosses made an amazing dessert of apple pie, but come on. What were the sauces? How do you even begin to prepare lobster and steak for a crowd this size without it losing all of its best features? Please tell me. I truly want to know. Meanwhile, I still found the menu, or at least the description, as BORING.

[Symphysodon]

05:19 PM on 01/20/2011

If it was truly American fare, they would have eaten corn dogs leaning over the sink, followed by American Idol.

[joyce628]

08:29 PM on 01/20/2011

what????

[Edward Standley]

11:18 PM on 01/20/2011

Now that's damned funny! faved.

[jesternhell]

05:10 PM on 01/20/2011

So many comments about the food but what about who the dinner is for, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a vocal critic of China on human-rights issues, is attending the state dinner

[jesternhell]

05:07 PM on 01/20/2011

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), a vocal critic of China on human-rights issues, is attending the state dinner.

[towny]

04:42 PM on 01/20/2011

now I'm hungry, LOL

[cardiaccare]

03:43 PM on 01/20/2011

I'll even come by and have leftovers!

[Freesia2]

03:07 PM on 01/20/2011

That sounded good. The salad sounded yummy (I love black walnuts on anything) and the stuffed potatoes and the touch of buttermilk in the crispy onions is totally American. (We  tend to love things like this.). And apple pie with vanilla ice cream - does it get more American?

Nice. Rich though. I bet everybody was reaaaally sleepy by the end. That sort of after Thanksgiving feeling. Which of course is part of the American experience. :-)

[afmarcom]

02:38 PM on 01/20/2011

Yeah, the menu sounds good to us, and it probably tasted good to everyone, but to the Chinese premiere and his staff, all that heavy, dairy-based food probably equaled a stomachache.

[tinkertoy]

02:20 PM on 01/20/2011

Classic American cuisine - steak and lobster with apple pie for dessert and the '05 Quilcida Creek Cab was an excellent choice. Boehner missed out big time; although it was probably a much better dinner party without him.

[Ainsaade]

02:54 PM on 01/20/2011

He was too busy keeping up that orange glow!

[cardiaccare]

03:44 PM on 01/20/2011

He cried when he turned down the invitation!

[onlyaquarterdelusional]

09:42 PM on 01/21/2011

It's good he didn't go considering it was after happy hour and he would have been fall down drunk by then.

[Luna Tick]

02:04 PM on 01/20/2011

I would eat the first meal. I would eat the 2nd meal, but won't eat the mushroom. I won't drink wine. I wonder if they have pepsi or sprite. I would eat the lemon sorbet. I might taste the ribeye, I might not like that. But I'll eat the rest. No wine, give me coke. I would eat the apple pie and ice cream, with milk.

[PunKinPai]

02:15 PM on 01/21/2011

First COURSE, not first meal. I'm sure most of us are unconcerned about your taste in food; this was about the White House state dinner and you probably weren't invited.

[Me atlast]

05:28 PM on 01/22/2011

I know I'm unconcerned

[mssreader]

01:51 PM on 01/20/2011

I guess there were no vegans on the guest list. I'd do ok because I don't eat much and am used to "eating around" a dinner however, this one is not healthy and loaded with fats and unhealthy fats as well. Like the wine list though I've never heard of Poet's Leap but love the name. Not much here from the White House garden!

[mrsfeild]

10:35 PM on 01/20/2011

i hear ya!

[mssreader]

11:34 PM on 01/20/2011

Then I must become your fan #4. Usually I get pretty snarky comments when I post something on vegans or veggies. Glad you agree with me and that's one really cute avatar!

[Kelli Neff]

07:32 PM on 01/21/2011

I'm vegetarian and I was thinking the same thing.