Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the 32nd US President,
Cousin of Theodore
Roosevelt, and a graduate from Harvard. He earned a law degree at Columbia
University. He later became a democratic Senator for the state of New York. He
was elected Governor of New York twice, 1928 and 1930. Elected president in
1932, he is the only president to have served more than 2 terms (he served for
12 years, until his untimely death in 1945, just before the end of WWII).
A political genius, Roosevelt laid the groundwork for
American dominance in the post-war world. FDR steadily guided the country
through the Great Depression and the war. He was succeeded by Harry
S. Truman, whom he selected as vice-president.
I gerw up loving the Roosevelts because ours was a largely
supportive family of FDR. My Father, a
Navy Seabee during World War II, was honored to serve under this Commander and
Chief and his admiration of him remained until the end of Daddy’s life. He took us o a family vacation to the Little
White House on Warm Springs, Georgia … a trip we will never forget. And until the day he died, my Grandfather
kept a portrait of President Roosevelt hanging on his bedroom wall.
The
Roosevelts were the plainest sort of people, so far as eating habits went. And their dinner tables, both public and
private, reflected the fact that opposites attract. No one knew what they were
going to eat for dinner. Hot dogs served to the King
and Queen of England!
The
Roosevelts enjoyed hearty, typically American food, like creamed chipped beef,
bread puddings and fried cornmeal mush. Welsh rabbit was a family favorite for Sunday night
suppers, and cheeses of all types were always on hand for Roosevelt snacks or
desserts. The family liked doughnuts both at breakfast and teatime. The President took his breakfast on a tray in
his room. His choice of coffee was a dark French roast, prepared in the White
House kitchens from green coffee beans. A
coffee maker was placed on the President's breakfast tray so that he could
regulate the brewing to his satisfaction. Luncheon was not really a family meal
for the President. Very often he would lunch at his desk from a tray. Dinner
brought the Roosevelt family together. Sunday-night suppers at the White House
were intimate occasions. Supper
consisted of Mrs. Roosevelt's scrambled eggs, ham, bacon, or sausage, a dessert
and coffee. The President loved
scrambled eggs any time of the day.
There never
was such a family for soups as the Roosevelts. All the years they occupied the
White House big steel soup kettles were kept singing in the White House kitchen. Cream L'Amande soup was Mrs,. Roosevelt’s
favorite, while the President preferred clam chowder. And the soup was always served with something
called “Fairy Toast” (thinly sliced toasted bread, much like Melba toast). Toast fingers (toast cut in narrow strips), bread
sticks, whole-wheat crackers and saltines were also served with the soup.
Birthdays were
special White House occasions and great attention was given to the cakes. It was always angel food for Eleanor’s
birthday and fruitcake for the President's.
Candy was always brought on with the coffee. Nuts were always on the
table. Apple pie was the President's
preference among pies.
The
Roosevelts liked cheese as an appetizer, in salads, for snacks and as a main
course or a dessert, one of the
President's favorite desserts. He liked Camembert, Roquefort, Swiss, Gruyere,
and Liederkranz, along with sharp American cheese that was the mainstay of many
a meal and also had to be kept on hand for sandwiches, especially FDR’s
preferred food, a gooey6 grilled cheese sandwich. .
The
Roosevelts were unusually fond of fish...There was nothing the President liked
better than Lake Superior whitefish, boned and planked. Lobsters were great
favorites of his, and a blessing during the rationing period.
Here are some of Franklin and Eleanor’s favorite recipes:
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| The Little White House - Warm Springs, Georgia |
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| Val-Kil - The Home of Eleanor Roosevelt |
FDR’s
Favorite Fruitcake
Growing
up, we had many Holiday traditions, For
many years, one of these traditions was watching a TV movie of Truman Capote’s
lovely essay “A Christmas Memory”. The set-off line to this wonderful memoir is: “Oh my, it’s fruitcake
weather.” Capote recalls the seasonal rituals
of his eccentric Cousin Sook in rural Alabama, who would every year make her
fruitcakes for holiday delivery to her neighbors, always reserving one to send
to President Franklin Roosevelt. Thus begins the story of their annual
gathering of the ingredients.
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s cake of
choice actually was none other than the Christmas favorite — fruitcake.
The Roosevelt’s cook and housekeeper, Henrietta Nesbitt, wrote a cookbook
filled with recipes the family enjoyed called, The Presidential Cookbook
– Feeding the Roosevelts and Their Guests.
Henrietta
Nesbitt’s Fruitcake
1-1/2
pounds brown sugar
1-1/2 pounds butter
1-1/2 pounds flour (6 cups)
18 eggs
1-1/2 cups honey
2 lemon rinds, grated, and juice
1-2/ teaspoons mace
1 nutmeg, grated
2 teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons cloves
6 pounds dates
6
pounds raisins (seeded muscatel)
1-1/2 pounds almonds cut lengthwise
2-1/2 pounds mixed peel (1-1/2 citron, 1/2
lemon, 1/2 orange)
3/4 cup brandy, poured over fruit the
night before
3/4 cup sherry, poured over fruit the
night before
1 cup of above flour sifted over fruit before adding to batter
Cream butter and sugar together. Beat whole eggs light, then add some of the
creamed butter and beat very light; next the flour, and so on until all are
mixed. Add the fruit last. Set cake forms in pans of water and bake in slow
oven for 3 hours. All flour for cakes should be sifted twice before measuring.
Bake in bread tins in pans of water in 350 degree oven for 2 hours. Yield, 3
pounds in bread pan. Yield, 8 loaves.
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| FDR & Two of his grandcihildren in from of the White House Christmas Tree, 12/25/1939 |
BLUEBERRY PUDDING
1/3
cup plus 1/2 cup sugar
1/4
cup water
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1
teaspoon cornstarch
10
oz blueberries (2 cups)
1
cup all-purpose flour
1
3/4 tsp baking powder
1
teaspoon salt
1
large egg
1/2
cup whole milk
1
stick unsalted butter, melted & cooled slightly
1
teaspoon vanilla
Put oven
rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch square
baking pan.
Stir
together 1/3 cup sugar with water, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small
saucepan, then stir in blueberries. Bring to a simmer, then simmer, stirring
occasionally, 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Whisk
together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a medium
bowl.
Whisk
together egg, milk, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl, then add flour
mixture, whisking until just combined.
Spoon batter
into baking pan, spreading evenly, then pour blueberry mixture evenly over
batter (berries will sink). Bake until a knife inserted into center of cake
portion comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in pan on a rack 5
minutes. Makes 6 to 8 breakfast or
dessert servings
2
Tbsps. butter
1/2 cup cream or milk
5 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsps. minced chives or parsley
Melt the butter in the chafing dish pan over hot water; add the cream, mix,
pour in the eggs and cook slowly. Beat or stir till set; add the salt and
a little pepper. Serve at once, garnished with parsley or chives.
1 cup cake flour--sift before
measuring
1 1/4 cups egg whites (10 or 12)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond flavoring
Sift flour at least twice. Beat egg whites with hand beater until foamy; add
cream of tartar and 1 cup of sugar carefully, continuing beating until the
whites stand up in peaks. Add flavoring. Sift 1/2 cup sugar with salt and flour
and very carefully fold into whites. Bake in angelcake pan in 375 degree F.
oven 30 to 35 minutes.
Whipped Cream and Strawberries
(Pink Clouds)
1
pint strawberries cut in half
1/2
pint heavy cream, whipped
2
Tablespoons powdered sugar
Whip heavy cream and powdered
sugar. Fold berries into whipped
cream. Spoon on top of Angel Food cake.
Fala, a
cute, black Scottish terrier, was President Franklin D.
Roosevelt's
constant companion in the last years of his life.
Fala was born on April 7, 1940 and given as a present to
FDR by Mrs. Augustus G. Kellog of Westport, CT. After a short stay with FDR's
cousin, Margaret "Daisy" Suckley, for obedience training, Fala
arrived at the White House on November 10, 1940.
As a
puppy, Fala had been originally named "Big Boy," but FDR was soon to
change that. Using the name of his own 15th century Scottish ancestor (John
Murray), FDR renamed the dog "Murray the Outlaw of Falahill, which quickly
became shortened to "Fala."
Roosevelt doted on the little dog. Fala slept in a special bed near the
President's feet and was given a bone in the morning and dinner at night by the
President himself. He wore a leather collar with a silver plate that read,
"Fala, the White House."
Fala traveled everywhere with
Roosevelt, accompaning him in the car, on trains, in airplanes, and even on
ships. Since Fala had to be walked during long train rides, Fala's presence
often revealed that President Roosevelt was on board. This led the Secret
Service to codename Fala as "the informer."
While in the White House and while
traveling with Roosevelt, Fala met many dignitaries including British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill and Mexican President Manuel Camacho. Fala
entertained Roosevelt and his important visitors with tricks, including being
able to sit up, rolling over, jump up, and curl his lip into a smile.
Fala became a celebrity in his own
right. He had appeared in numerous photographs with the Roosevelts, was seen at
major events of the day, and even had a movie made about him in 1942. Fala had
become so popular that thousands of people wrote him letters, causing Fala to
need his own secretary to respond to them.
After being President Roosevelt's companion for five
years, Fala was devastated when Roosevelt passed away on April 12, 1945. Fala
rode on the President's funeral train from Warm Springs to Washington and then
attended President Roosevelt's funeral.
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| Fala listens to one of FDR's Fieside Chats |
Fala spent
his remaining years living with Eleanor Roosevelt at Val-Kill.
Although he had lots of room to run and play with his canine grandson, Tamas
McFala, Fala never quite got over the loss of his beloved master.
Fala passed
away on April 5, 1952 and was buried near President Roosevelt in the rose
garden at Hyde Park.
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| The FDR Memorial |
SWEET,
SAVORY SCRUMPTIOUS SCOTTIE SCONES
2
Cups White Flour
2
teaspoons Baking Powder
1
Tablespoon Honey
1/4
Cup Vegetable Oil
1
Egg
1/2
Cup Skim Milk.
Preheat oven to 350. Combine flour,
baking powder, and honey in a bowl. Add oil, egg, and milk, and then stir until
mixed thoroughly. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead.
Roll out to 1/2 –inch thick, cut
into 2-inch squares and place on a well-greased baking sheet. Bake for 15
minutes, allow to cool on a rack, then serve. Store in an airtight container.
Makes around 25 pet scones.
(Recipe from The Three Dog Bakery)
So for my New Years Return, I’m posting a wonderful cake
recipe that is so typical of Old Florida.
In fact, it‘s call an Old Florida Orange Cake. And is it ever scrumptious!!! Steve’s been picking oranges from the orange
trees in our back yard this week. Our
crop is very beautiful this year -- very large and extra juicy. Time to make an Old Florida Orange Cake!!!
