Mexican pasta salad
food

Mexican Pasta Salad by Matt Wendel

Thursdays at the White House are known as Tex-Mex Thursdays, and there were (and still are) several good Tex-Mex specials on the menu on those days.  I thought it would be fun to have a little #TBT to the Tex-Mex Thursdays, and my friend Matthew Wendel has graciously agreed to supply a monthly recipe for these scrumptious occasions.  Today, his recipe for Mexican pasta salad is simple and so delicious! Here’s what he said: This pasta salad was a favorite […]

Jeremy Bernard Chicken with Rainbow Chard
food

Jeremy Bernard’s Chicken with Rainbow Chard

I’m thrilled to have a recipe today from my good friend Jeremy Bernard, who knows a lot about hospitality. His recipe for chicken with rainbow chard is beyond delicious; we were all scraping our plates. Jeremy left the White House, where he was Social Secretary to President and Mrs. Obama, and well – I’ll just let Jeremy tell his own story: Having left my position as White House Social Secretary, I arrived back in California to the cool mornings and […]

Luncheon with Deesha Dyer
formalities

Luncheon for Deesha

We social secretaries stick together, and whenever there’s a new White House Social Secretary, we all want to meet her, give lots of unasked-for advice, and offer our support. The newest White House Social Secretary, Deesha Dyer, is an extraordinary woman who won’t need help because she’s already accomplished so much in her young life. I recently threw a small luncheon in her honor to introduce her to other Washingtonians whose paths she is likely to cross in her work, […]

Tips for Silver
formalities

Tips for How to Enjoy (and Use!) Your Silver

I recently had the most educational and entertaining visit to Frank Milwee Antiques, one the hidden treasures of Georgetown. Mr. Milwee sells 17th-21st century silver, as well an astounding collection of vintage corkscrews and wine paraphernalia. When I worked at the White House and we needed place card holders, Frank Milwee Antiques produced them (see photo below), and I’ve been a fan for many years. People are sometimes reluctant to use or buy silver because they don’t want to clean […]

Mini Rhubarb Peach Pies
food

Mini Rhubarb Peach Pies

I had an unusual experience the other day: I had to bake a pie while being interviewed about my childhood. It’s no big deal for food bloggers to make videos and talk about how to make food, but when you’re concentrating on crimping a pie crust while answering a question about what kind of adolescent you were, it can get weird. This all came about because a very nice filmmaker is making a documentary about former White House social secretaries, […]