Happy Presidents' Day

Don't buy a mattress, eat pretend turtle soup from a U.S. president

Today is the greatest holiday the world has ever known — that’s right, it’s Presidents’ Day, the one day every year where, finally, U.S. presidents have the power.

In truth, Presidents’ Day IS actually one of my favorite holidays precisely because it celebrates those socios who’ve run our country for a quarter millennium. There has always been something hilarious and fascinating and horrifying about U.S. presidents through time, and Presidents’ Day is their holiday. Sure, it technically celebrates George Washington first and foremost, but I took it upon myself when I was 6 years old to make sure I included all of them in my “celebration.”

Ever since I was a kid, I was obsessed with presidential history and as I’ve grown, that has clearly not changed. Through the years on Presidents’ Day (before Cookin’ with Congress), I’d share the three craziest facts I learned about U.S. presidents. As you can imagine, LBJ had a whole year to himself after I read the Caro books.

I thought I’d bring back that tradition here.

Three wild facts I learned in 2024, and two presidential recipes I haven’t yet made on CwC:

Wild Fact #1 - George H.W. Bush drank 10 cups of coffee every single day while in office. It wasn’t until he was diagnosed with a thyroid disorder that he decided to cut back.

Wild Fact #2 - Calvin and Grace Coolidge kept a pet raccoon named Rebecca at the White House. Learned this thanks to Plodding Through the Presidents, and an additional detail from historian Sarah Morgan — the raccoon was originally sent to the Coolidges for them to EAT.

Wild Fact #3 - Bill Clinton was put on a very strict diet in the White House to make him lose weight. The actual diet was not revealed until years later (thank you to Alex Prud’homme and his book Dinner with the President, a favorite of mine). Maybe I’l go on this diet for a week for fun??

Two recipes from U.S. presidents that I’ve not yet made; you can be the judge of which of the two is the more unhinged option.

Ronald Reagan’s Mac & Cheese

• 1⁄2 lb. macaroni

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 egg beaten

• 1 tbstp salt

• 1 tbsp dry mustard

• 3 cups sharp grated cheese

• 1 cup milk

Boil macaroni in water until tender and drain thoroughly. Stir in butter and egg. Mix mustard and salt with 1 tablespoon hot water and add to milk. Add cheese leaving enough to sprinkle on top. Pour into buttered casserole, add milk, sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes or until custard is set and top is crusty.

Bennett’s note: Looks like dry mustard is Ronald Reagan’s secret favorite ingredient. You’ll also find it in his cavity-causing cranberry sauce. Also…”custard?”

James Monroe’s Mock Turtle Soup

• 1 pint black beans

• 4 quarts cold water

• 1/2 pound of beef, plus 1 shinbone

• 1/2 pound salt pork

• 2 onions, chopped

• 2 carrots, grated

• 1 small red pepper pod

• 3 hard-cooked

• eggs, sliced

• 12 thin slices of lemon

• Salt

• Coarse black pepper

Pick over beans; add water and soak overnight. Add meat, vegetables, and seasonings; simmer 4 to 5 hours. Remove meat. When cool, dice the meat and return to the kettle. Puree soup through a colander; reheat. Serve with a slice of egg and a slice of lemon in each cup or bowl. Makes 12 servings.

Bennett’s Note: I’ve had snapping turtle soup before (remember, I’m from ruraburban Pennsylvania) and have no idea how beef and a shinbone get you close. Slice of lemon and hardboiled egg sure is fascinating as a soup garnish.

The Weekly Recap

• Ate like a data analyst from Michigan’s 6th district — I’m discovering I eat more fruit than most Americans…

• It was a big-time Abraham Lincoln week to celebrate his birthday, which meant eating just like ol’ Abe for a day. Man, that was kinda sad.

• Also made corn dodgers, a favorite of Lincoln…equally sad. The man was a titan, but you can smell the depressive episodes through the cornmeal here. He dealt with a lot.

• When you think cheesecake, you think of cheddar cheese, right?

• VERY fun interview with JJ and Amy on one of the largest radio stations in North Dakota. You can listen to it here as well!

Enjoy Presidents’ Day. Hopefully you have the day off at least. Pick a president you love/least-hate and go find the craziest thing about them or the best thing about them. Or drink an FDR martini. Or eat Ham Mousse. Do not do that. Let me know if you find any little known facts worth sharing.

Stay fun out there,

-Bennett