Cottage cheese, possum, aspic: How to eat like a president

Here & Now Anytime

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4.1 • 953 Ratings

🗓️ 16 February 2026

⏱️ 28 minutes

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Summary

On Presidents’ Day, chef and author Bennett Rea teaches us how to eat like a president, from former President Barack Obama’s crustless coconut pie to former President Richard Nixon’s ham mousse.

And, the line between politician and celebrity can be fuzzy. Purdue University’s Kathryn Brownell explains the implications of presidents gaining celebrity status.

Then, the U.S. is reportedly preparing for the possibility of sustained military operations against Iran. Security analyst Jim Walsh breaks down what would be necessary to de-escalate mounting tensions.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for WBUR comes from Is Business Broken, a podcast from the Mayrotra Institute at Boston University that explores questions like,
0:09.3	why is innovation and health care so hard? Is ESG just greenwashing? And, of course, is business broken? Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.
0:20.4	WBUR Podcasts, Boston.
0:26.2	And the crown jewel of dinner, possum was sweet potatoes.
0:30.2	Yes, possum.
0:31.4	How to eat like an American president on this president's day?
0:36.8	Not that you'd actually want to most of the time.
0:40.2	It's Monday, February 16th, and this is here and now anytime from NPR and WVR. I'm Chris Bentley.
0:50.2	Today is President's Day, which was created initially to celebrate George Washington's birthday.
1:02.0	HBD.GW.
1:04.5	George Washington may have had a bit of cachet in his day, but it's safe to say presidents these days have an additional air of celebrity.
1:14.0	Jimmy, potus stands for president of the United States.
1:20.8	We'll look at how leaders past and present have used that star power, for better or worse.
1:29.7	But first, no amount of celebrity or power can buy good taste.
1:36.8	And we mean that literally with our first conversation today,
1:40.3	because we're talking about what the presidents ate in the White House.
1:45.4	Your server today will be Scott Tongue.
1:48.8	And a warning, this is going to get a little weird.
1:51.6	For instance, who began his day with grape juice mixed with two raw eggs?
1:57.0	Woodrow Wilson.
1:58.4	Name the president who ate eight hard-boiled eggs of breakfast, drank 12 cups of black
2:02.7	coffee a day. I guessed taft. Wrong. It's Teddy Roosevelt. And corn soup and corn on the cob in the same meal.
	...

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