Category: CH_Food

While we know gangsters for their criminal acts, we may not know that they can cook it up a bit in the kitchen. If they didn’t turn to a life of crime, a restaurant owner or cook might not have been a bad second career choice. Here are 4 favorite recipes of some famous gangsters. 

Secret Spaghetti Recipe

Apparently, Al Capone had a penchant and passion for Italian cooking. He kept a lot of his family recipes a secret. However, the secret spaghetti recipe has been passed down for years. The sauce had a few key elements, such as fresh parsley, walnut pieces, cup-grated parmesan cheese, and chopped/sliced tomatoes for texture. 

Sticky Ribs

Mickey Cohen loved the sticky ribs from Formosa Cafe in Los Angeles. Later, it started serving more Cantonese food, but they kept the previous sticky ribs recipe intact. The orange juice, cinnamon, sweet chili sauce, peanut oil, and black sesame seeds gave it that beautiful flavor.

Shrimp Scampi

Joseph Iannuzzi worked with the Gambino Family until they turned on him in 1981. He had a nickname called “Joe Dogs.” However, he was quite the chef and had an alternative name, “Joe Diner.” One of his favorites to whip up was some shrimp scampi. You can check out his other recipes and stories in his book called “The Mafia Cookbook.”

Penne Alla Vodka

Anthony Graziano was a pivotal guy in a family who served the Bonnano family. He was a loyal soldier for many years and got a reputation for his tight-lipped nature. His kids were on the show “Mob Wives” which ran for six seasons. They have a cookbook out that shares their penne alla vodka recipe.  

When we think of food, we just enjoy the taste part. However, there are foods out there for social and health reasons as well. Here are 5 historically important food items. 

Salt

Not only does it provide taste to your food, but it helps preserve it. When people would go on long voyages back in the day, they cured it in salt to help keep food items from spoiling. Salt also is a good antiseptic for wounds. Heck, it’s even been used as currency. Salt has tremendous value. 

Bread

A loaf of bread was so essential that apparently, the French Revolution started because of a bread shortage. In the 1700s, bread was so common to the French diet that people went up in arms when they couldn’t get it. 

Potatoes

While we think of french fries, baked potatoes, home fries, and mashed potatoes, certain parts of the world survived off of this one food. It was starchy, potassium-rich, and helped tide you over when you couldn’t get other stuff. Ireland was a hotbed for potatoes because it had the right climate to grow there. However, a famine happened, which resulted in over a million people dying from starvation. Crazy, right?! 

Wheat

Grain has been essential to just about every culture’s diet. Not to mention, grain led to the invention of beer. You best believe that millions of people are thankful for that brewing technique. 

Spam

This was a protein-rich meal that had a long shelf life. That’s why it was so popular during World War II. Soldiers had it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Of course, they got tired of it after a while. I mean, who wouldn’t? They probably wanted a nice steak dinner that didn’t look remotely pink. 

When it comes to food, some presidents went all out for their state dinners. They met with dignitaries, celebrities, and other important people. Here are some presidents that served interesting food at their dinners.

Harry S. Truman

Truman had more of a unique take on his formal menus. He had everything from watermelon pickles, strawberry shortcakes, baked ham, fried potatoes, and even Fritos. Queen Elizabeth II was certainly scarfing down some baked ham and potatoes in the White House in 1951.

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Eisenhower also had a soft spot for simple foods. Not to mention, he liked to cook just like his wife. He served green turtle soup to the prime minister of Canada and the president of Mexico in 1955. His wife Mamie and he also showed class with some down-home charm by serving King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece some shrimp cocktail, roasted lamb, and Boston brown bread sandwiches. 

John F. Kennedy

JFK believed in adding variety and culture to the menu. French chef Rene Verdon was a big part of this, especially when he added a herb garden on the roof of the East Wing. He had classic training to help bring in some French-inspired dishes, such as Tournedos Héloïse and roast sirloin vert-pre. JFK also had an impeccable meal on the menu, which consisted of whipped avocado and crabmeat mimosa, poulet chasseur (hunter-style chicken), and raspberries with whipped cream to serve President Mohammad Ayub Khan of Pakistan. 

Jimmy Carter

Carter kept the same motif by serving light things earlier in the evening and heavier items as it got later in the dinner hours. He brought more Southern-style food into the fold with gumbo, con sticks, Virginia ham, and green squash.

Bill Clinton 

The Clinton administration tried to keep the foods on the low-fat side. They eliminated cheese and put in more greens to help push a cleaner diet. However, they didn’t skimp when it came to desserts. They had everything from sugar balls, ice cream, sorbet, and other items. The only thing is they used 2% milk.

Barack Obama

Obama has a lot of influence with different cultures from American, Kenyan, and Hawaiian. You saw his background in how he served guests from different parts of the globe. He served dishes that complimented their nationality. For example, he and his wife, Michelle Obama, served Mexican President Felipe Calderon a dinner with Mexican, American, and Hawaiian food in 2010.