With both POTUS and AAPI Heritage Month top of mind, join us for a virtual conversation with Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang, both Stanford alumni from the Class of 1991, about their new history and recipe book:
Cooking to the President’s Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History
Their book reveals the forgotten stories of Asian heritage chefs who have cooked for First Families. At the turn of the twentieth century, immigrant chefs and stewards from China, Japan, and the Philippines first made their mark in presidential cuisine by enlisting in the U.S. Navy and serving on presidential yachts. Whether the president was at home in the White House, traveling away on official business, relaxing at a presidential retreat, or entertaining foreign dignitaries, Asian immigrants and Asian Americans consistently delighted the presidential palate.
Through archival research, historical accounts, and personal interviews, these presidential chefs share behind-the-scenes anecdotes, their personal journeys, and the recipes that made them beloved. Cooking to the President’s Taste also features 60 recipes that range from presidential favorites to complete state dinner meals. All of the recipes have been tested so that you can prepare them in your own kitchen.
The book is available for pre-order and purchase from the nonprofit, nonpartisan White House Historical Association. One copy will be raffled off to a lucky attendee.
The Zoom link for the event will be revealed at a later date; the event will also be recorded.
Adrian Miller, ’91, is a food writer, 2X James Beard Award winner, former attorney, and certified barbecue judge who lives in Denver, Colorado. From 1999 to 2001, Adrian served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with his Initiative for One America – the first free-standing office in the White House to address issues of racial, religious and ethnic reconciliation. Adrian went on to serve as a senior policy analyst for Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr. Adrian Miller has written three books on soul food, African American presidential chefs, and African American barbecue.
Deborah Chang, ’91, a former attorney, graduated from the Napa Valley Culinary School, cooked at numerous Bay Area restaurants, created award winning recipes for Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and the National Peanut Board. She was born and raised in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, where she wondered why almond chicken was the most popular dish at her parent’s restaurant, Dragon Inn. Her career has included being an attorney, a tech executive, and most recently a career counselor.
Moderator Katie Gee Salisbury ’07 is the author of Not Your China Doll, a new biography of Anna May Wong, the first Asian American movie star. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Vanity Fair, and The Believer, and she writes the Substack Half-Caste Woman. She is currently serving as SAPAAC's Board President.