Forget steak, forget free range chicken. “Bison Wellington” is the main course when President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama sit down with British Prime Minister David Cameron and his spouse at the White House state Dinner Wednesday evening. The bison — actually buffalo tenderloin — will be served with a red wine reduction, french beans and cipollini onion, officially described as “a perfect pairing of U.S. and UK cultures.”
The White House garden has a starring role as well, with halibut served on a bed of baby kale, shaved Brussels sprouts and micro cabbage sprouts spruced up with locally cured bacon as the first course, Rounding out the meal: steamed lemon pudding, Idaho huckleberry sauce and Newton Pippin apples, a favorite of Queen Victoria back in the day.
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The night’s theme? It’s “America’s Backyard.” There’s a dining tent on the South Lawn with a 150-foot glass wall, and lots and lots of roses, the White House says, plus “amethyst” linens and a matching carpet. Fit for a king, maybe. But Britain’s former colony has always had its own style. Mr. Obama also will present Mr. Cameron and his wife with a custom-made barbecue, White House honey and two chef’s jackets. The prime minster, in return, gave Mr. Obama a custom-made ping pong table and books for his daughters Malia and Sasha.
