 |
| Champagne Champagne was Jackie's favorite drink and something she brought to the White House. It represented her class and elegance that her legacy left behind. |
 |
| Oysters Rockefeller |
 |
| Soupe a l’oignon (French onion soup) Soupe a l'oignon is part of French cuisine and is appropriate food to serve at the dinner because onions are the main ingredient and onions have many layers that can be pulled back and "make one cry." Jackie had gone through lots of trauma including the death of two children and the assassination of her husband. On the outside, Jackie looked like a very strong and poised woman, but she was also very emotional. Jackie preferred to keep her personal questions for a priest. In the film, the director decided to show some of the intimate conversations she had where she would ask questions like, "Why God would allow her husband to die when he had so much more to offer to the world." |
 |
| Haricots vert aux amandes (green beans with almonds) I chose this meal because green represents growth and the Kennedy's brought a new beginning to the history of the White House. They refurbished the White House and challenged American citizens to think about what they could do for their country. |
 |
| Crème brûlée I chose this dessert because it is a classic French dessert. This dessert also is similar to Jackie as it looks elegant on the outside but one has to crack into the desert to get to the real "meat" of the desert. Jackie may have seemed beautiful on the outside, but she kept many things about her personal life private. She only allowed William Manchester, an author, to write a book about Jack right after the incident. The director even stated that his initial view of here was superficial and thought she only cared about style. |
 |
| Demi-tasse (espresso) Jackie was known for starting a tradition in the White House of inviting the men and women to have coffee together after the dinner. This was not common in the previous history, usually, men and women would "retire to separate rooms after the dinner" (Bobb) |
I decided to plan a dinner menu that would pay homage to
JFK, but also celebrate Jackie’s love of fine food and culture. Jackie was
known for being very smart. She studied French literature at George Washington
University and impressed people with her fluent French. She also commissioned
fashion pieces from French designers.
I found a collection of White
House dinner menus from January-April 1962, which are part of the
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis Personal Papers at the JFK Library. Jackie
was very intentional in planning the menus. She often chose to limit them to
three or four courses and tailored the dishes in order to reflect the cultural background
of dinner guests. I noticed that all of the menus had at least one French dish.
Based on her love of French culture, I chose to design an entirely French menu
for this dinner. This is a celebration for her and how she left a mark on the American people.
I felt that it was important to incorporate JFK’s identity
into the menu, because one of the
major themes in Jackie was JFK’s
legacy. In an interview after his assassination, Jackie says he didn’t have
enough time. In another scene, she and Bobby talk about how he could have
accomplished more with civil rights, the space program, and relations with
Vietnam. According to the JFK Library,
he loved seafood and he preferred chocolate desserts. Therefore, I decided to
serve oysters as an appetizer and chocolate mousse for dessert. The oysters
represent the entire Kennedy family, who grew up on the water in Cape Cod. This
was known as the Kennedy Compound and was a part of every Kennedy’s identity.
No comments:
Post a Comment