Christmas 1889

Thomas still loves the Presidents. When I told him I saw President Harrison's Christmas dinner menu, his first question was "Which Harrison? The grandpa or the grandson?" Given that it was 1889, it was definitely the grandson, Benjamin. He has two claims to fame - his grandfather was President (William Henry Harrison) and he served in between Grover Cleveland's two terms.

From Chicago Daily Tribune, December 22, 1889.

Bouches a la Reine "bite to the Queen" is a little puff pastry (about the size of a biscuit) filled with meat (specifically sweetbreads) and gravy.

Consomme royale is a savory shaped custard made with consomme (a rich clear broth), gelatin and egg.

Potatoes Duchesse are fancy mashed potatoes - piped from a bag in small portions with a frilly tip and baked to crispy perfection (hey I'd eat that!).

Terrapin a la Maryland is turtle meat in a sauce served traditionally in a turtle shell. 

We also had a chuckle about Mr. Morton being the Vice President. We love the School House Rock song, The Tale of Mr. Morton: "Mr. Morton is the subject of the sentence, and what the predicate says, he does."

Needlesstosay, our holiday menu will not be as extravagant as President Harrison's!