A look at history in the White House through cooking by African American Chiefs. This book takes you through time and also a look at the changes of food and what we all would eat as well, A very good book.

Incredibly interesting. Loved every chapter. Provided great insight to what goes on behind the white doors of our Presidential house.

This book was both fascinating and sometimes a bit cringeworthy to read. It is a rearview look at almost all presidential administrations and the staff and operations of their kitchens.
The beginning of the book lists presidents and their kitchen staff, including whether the staff members were slaves or not. While that was an historical fact it still was difficult to read with today’s sensibilities.
Some presidents were gourmet eaters and others didn’t care much about food at all, Abraham Lincoln being one of the latter. Kind of explains his gaunt appearance, doesn’t it?
Having read a number of books and seen quite a few documentaries on the difficulties of working as a chef or any position in a professional kitchen, it came as no surprise that White House chefs were especially tasked with a difficult job.
It is an interesting book, although a bit tedious. Many fascinating and trivial facts were listed, not always in a way that made for interesting reading.
I recommend this book for those whose interests turn to history and the history of food.

This is one of those fascinating little curiosities that pop up every so often. It's, well it's exactly as the title suggests, the story of African-Americans who have served US Presidents. Except it's far more than that too.

Rather apt for a book that talks about food, it's a bit of an acquired taste. Although it has a number of light anecdotes it's a fairly dense read really. Personally I found it a nice book to dip into alongside other reading. I think the reason I fatigued on lengthy sessions with this book is it can be somewhat back and forth, at least in terms of Presidents.

It's worth persisting though. Aside from a few recipes I've not braved myself, there is an interesting chronicle of how Presidential dining has a wider impact. The attempts to impress foreign dignitaries while remaining an everyday American. The source of the budget for the kitchens. And for that matter the changing roles of the kitchens and the staff. The shifts between French and American wines. The evolution of Presidential transport.

Also, despite being slightly dense the book is oddly warm and comforting. Perhaps it's the familiar topic of food, or perhaps the humanity it gives these remotes historical figures. The wife enforcing a diet, the husband sneaking treats, the differing tastes. Sure, we all see the obligatory hamburger on the campaign trail, but there's nothing quite like the food people eat when not trying to impress for feeling part of their inner circle.

Different, and not for everyone, but if you like your food or your Presidential history - well worth picking up.

Very interesting book. People forget that the professional in the kitchen was likely a slave at some point in the White House. Only the well off had house servants and slaves and couldn't run for office if you were poor. The kitchen slaves were trained and schooled in the current mode of cooking and worked in kitchens that were not the best in equipment or sanitation in the White House. What is interesting is the recipes that remain of the cooks' career and the careers that the cooks and chefs conducted after their time in the White House.

The President’s Kitchen Cabinet is a history of African Americans who have worked in the White House kitchen from the time of George Washington through Barak Obama. Rather than being organized chronologically or by cook (the author uses cook and chef interchangeably), it’s organized by topic, like food, drink, etc. It seemed somewhat scattered and disorganized.

This book was not what I was expecting based on the title. I thought it would delve more deeply into the personal lives of the cooks and how being a cook in the White House affected it. It seemed like most of the information was either about the food itself or the president the cook worked for. While I enjoyed the book, I wanted more. Some of the people included in this book were also in The Residence: In the Private World of the White House. I wish I had a copy of that book to cross-reference with this one but unfortunately, I checked that book out of the library when I read it way back when.

Miller included recipes that were either directly from or inspired by the cooks in the book. It was interesting to read about the different cooking techniques that were used. Some were pretty complicated!

I did learn a few things from this book and if you are really interested in African American or presidential history, then it’s worth a read.

A very interesting read about the different people who have occupied the Presidential kitchen starting with George Washington and ending with President Barak Obama. It also gave a lot of personal food information from previous presidents that made it such an enjoyable read. I really enjoyed this story, and I am definitely going to have to re read this book. Great Job

This book gives great insight to the tastes of our presidents and gives us the opportunity to meet the African -American cooks who have fed those tastes throughout history. The small collection of recipes included in the book make it even more enjoyable.
I was granted the opportunity to view this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

One soon becomes thoroughly immersed in reading another part of history, brought to the fore, from behind all the folds. Food is one subject all of us can relate to and just reading about all the delicious foodstuffs that individual Presidents and their families requested made my mouth water. This story told by Adrian Miller, provides an in-depth glimpse into the relationships between African-American cooks and professionals and two centuries of First Families. How were ingredients and the foodstuff itself procured? How was staff selected and who were they? What did they cook? Find all of this out and more in this fascinating and well researched book.

I am the publisher of the book testing feedback. I will not post to the title page.

A fascinating look at history of the White House kitchen. I really enjoyed this book, part history part cookbook. I learned quite a bit and enjoyed reading this book

This book is full of interesting information about the history of the white house and the kitchens, staff and presidential family regarding food. There are many recipes included. I hope that the book was reorganized prior to release though, because I found the layout to be very confusing and jumping all over the place.. At about 57% I just started skimming because I got so bored, unfortunately. Otherwise, it was definitely a learning experience.

Fascinating inside look from someone who was on the inside. Not too deep, but definitely well-researched. Remains of the Day, Upstairs Downstairs. Curious what impact the current regime has on the staff...

The recipe selection was a nice touch. I might just try that eggnog...

The President's Kitchen Cabinet is an immensely interesting book -
not to be rushed through in one sitting, but enjoyed over time.
This is a story that has long waited to be told, has long deserved to be
told, & in Adrian Miller it has found the right voice. The author has a very
engaging style of writing, & a personal interest in the subject - this is not
just a 'set piece'.
It is good that it is not just historical, but brings the story right up to date.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, & learned a lot in the process!

I LOVED this book! I'm a huge history nerd and I found this book utterly fascinating. I like how it showed an inside look as to how the presidents' families ate, and the people behind the scenes who fed them. Most of the people who worked in the kitchens were African American, and I really enjoyed getting to read about their histories, which is sadly lacking in most school.

This book was informative, educational, but extremely fun and easy to read!

This was obviously a labor of love for the author, it shows in the details. Meticulously researched, it unearths the stories and the names of a forgotten group of hard working African Americans who cooked and fed our Presidents and their families since our first commander in chief, George Washington.

I enjoyed learning about these individuals, as well as reading about the kitchens in the White House, and getting a chance to read through some of their recipes.

This book was so interesting - an exploration of food, history and the dynamics of the first families and the employees who fed them and their guests across the course of our country's history. Plus, its a great book to read during Black History Month and around President's Day, while giving insight into a group of people who aren't really thought of when you think of the White House.

I received a free Kindle copy of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the University of North Carolina Press, the publisher. It was with the understanding that I would write and post a review on Net Galley, Goodreads, Amazon and my history book review blog. I also posted it to my Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google Plus pages.

I requested this book because I have an interest in American History and the White House. It is the first book by Adrian Miller that I have read.

The subtitle of the book "The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas" accurately describes the book. It is well researched and turned out to be a fascinating read. It is well researched and written in an engaging style. While each chapter focuses on a particular subject surrounding the theme, I would have preferred if the author has laid the whole book out in chronological order after an introductory chapter. Another enjoyable aspect of the book is that recipes from the White House kitchen are included at the end of each chapter.

I recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in the history of the White House and what happens behind the scenes with the kitchen area. I also recommend it to those who have an interest in food and the variety of different preferences represented by our Presidents.

I have been reading books about the White House since I was in high school. My very favorite was written in 1973:

Upstairs at the White House: My Life With the First Ladies written by longtime Chief Usher JB West. This book was similar in the behind the scenes settings and peek behind the kitchen doors at the White House. It focuses on the African Americans who served the presidents. The many people who worked in the kitchen going all the way back to the very first President George Washington have gone without having their stories told for too long. This is also a sort of old cookbook with recipes included in some cases. It must have taken a long time to research this book, as the amount of detail is staggering. My only complaint is that the timeline jumps around and I would have liked it more if it had gone in order from oldest to the present time.

I read a DRC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Must try recipes from President's white house kitchen .........