Asian Heritage Chefs Who Cooked for U.S. Presidents

Summary

All Of It: Asian Heritage Chefs Who Cooked for U.S. Presidents

Episode Release Date: May 14, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart
Guests: Adrienne Miller and Deborah Chang
Podcast: All Of It by WNYC

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Introduction to the Episode

In this enlightening episode of All Of It, host Alison Stewart delves into the rich history of Asian heritage chefs who have served in the White House, preparing meals for U.S. presidents and their guests. In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Stewart welcomes co-authors Adrienne Miller and Deborah Chang to discuss their new book, Asian Heritage Chefs in the White House: Cooking to the President's Taste.

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Exploring the Book's Significance

Adrienne Miller introduces the book as a "unique window on the American presidency" through the lens of Asian heritage cooks, highlighting that such a comprehensive exploration had never been undertaken before. (02:17) She emphasizes the historical span of over a century covered in the book, revealing previously unknown facets of White House culinary history.

Deborah Chang adds that the book sheds light on Asian American contributions to U.S. history, perspectives that are often overlooked. (02:43) By focusing on chefs like Li Ping Quan, Anita Lo, Ariel De Guzman, and Edward Lee, the authors present a narrative that intertwines culinary excellence with cultural diplomacy.

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Research and Collaboration

Adrienne Miller shares her research journey, beginning at the University of Denver where she discovered Li Ping Quan's 1939 cookbook in the Special Collections. Initially researching African American presidential chefs, she pivoted to explore Asian heritage chefs after stumbling upon Quan's memoir. This discovery led her to delve into historical newspapers, presidential memoirs, and National Archives records, particularly those of the presidential yacht. (02:58)

Deborah Chang explains her role in the project, which involved bringing recipes to life. With a background in culinary school and professional cooking, Chang was instrumental in translating historical recipes into versions that could be prepared in modern kitchens. (04:03) Their collaboration underscores the blend of historical research and culinary expertise that brings the book to fruition.

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Behind the Scenes of Presidential Kitchens

Adrienne Miller recounts the story of Li Ping Quan, a Chinese immigrant trained as a chef who served presidents and later opened restaurants in New York City and Maine. She praises Quan's "moxie" and skill, particularly his ability to adapt and excel in various culinary settings. (04:52)

Miller discusses specific anecdotes, such as the favorite curry and rice dish of President Calvin Coolidge and the playful tension between Quan and President Herbert Hoover over the decommissioning of the presidential yacht, USS Mayflower. When Hoover decided to retire the yacht, Quan responded by refusing to bake a cake for Hoover's birthday, humorously stating, "no Mayflower, no cake." (05:39)

Deborah Chang highlights the originality of Quan's cookbook, noting that he prioritized Chinese recipes over traditional American state dinner dishes. This arrangement was unusual for the time and served as a significant entry point for Chang's involvement in the book. (06:32) She also praises Quan's versatility in preparing everything from elegant state dinners to everyday family meals, showcasing his exceptional culinary range.

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Becoming a White House Chef

Adrienne Miller outlines the pathways through which Asian heritage chefs entered White House kitchens. Historically, many enlisted in the Navy as a route to U.S. citizenship and eventual placement on the presidential yacht. In the 19th century, familial connections often played a role, with some chefs being family cooks of the president. Today, becoming a White House chef typically involves building a strong professional reputation and networking within the culinary and governmental communities. Positions are announced as civil service roles, with chefs undergoing rigorous evaluations to ensure they can cater to the diverse tastes of the First Family. (08:16)

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Culinary Diplomacy and U.S. Foreign Policy

The episode explores how Asian heritage chefs played a role in U.S. foreign policy through their culinary creations. Adrienne Miller shares an intriguing story involving Ireneo Esperancilla, a presidential yacht steward who served meals during President Roosevelt's meetings with Joseph Stalin. Despite Stalin's mistaken belief that Esperancilla was Japanese, Esperancilla adeptly managed the situation, showcasing grace under pressure. (13:41)

Miller emphasizes the delicate balance chefs must maintain in state dinners—highlighting American ingredients while catering to the tastes and dietary preferences of visiting dignitaries. This culinary diplomacy serves as a subtle yet significant aspect of international relations.

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Adapting Historical Recipes for Modern Kitchens

Deborah Chang discusses the challenges of translating historical recipes into formats accessible for today's home cooks. Using the example of Mrs. Coolidge's favorite chicken chow mein, Chang explains how she adapted ingredients to suit contemporary tastes and available produce. She faced decisions on substituting fresh ingredients for those that were likely used a century ago, ensuring historical accuracy while maintaining practicality. (11:19)

Chang reflects on the broader impact of including recipes in the book, stating that it allows readers to connect with history through cooking, offering a tangible link to the past. (15:02)

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Cultural Integration Through Cuisine

Deborah Chang underscores the role of food as a cultural connector, illustrating how Asian heritage chefs introduced dishes unfamiliar to American presidents, thereby fostering cross-cultural understanding. She notes that presidents like Harding and Coolidge were open to experimenting with Asian cuisine, appreciating dishes such as chicken chow mein and utilizing ingredients like water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. (09:55)

Chang believes that these culinary exchanges demonstrated a willingness to embrace diversity and served as early examples of globalization in the White House kitchen.

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Legacy and Further Exploration

Adrienne Miller reflects on the broader implications of their research, highlighting how Asian American chefs have significantly influenced White House culinary traditions. She points out the historical shift from African American to Asian American chefs in naval positions following the Spanish-American War, revealing underlying racial dynamics and prejudices of the time. (16:25) Miller views the book as an appetizer for further exploration into Asian American contributions to the American presidency, advocating for a deeper understanding and appreciation of this legacy.

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Final Thoughts and Takeaways

Deborah Chang expresses her hope that the book not only highlights Asian American leadership in the culinary field but also provides readers with an opportunity to engage with history in a meaningful way. By cooking the featured recipes, readers can forge a personal connection to the stories and contributions of these chefs. (15:02)

Adrienne Miller adds that the book serves as an educational tool, enriching the American historical narrative with stories of resilience, talent, and cultural exchange among Asian heritage chefs in the White House.

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Conclusion

This episode of All Of It offers a comprehensive look into the often-overlooked contributions of Asian heritage chefs in shaping the culinary landscape of the White House. Through meticulous research and passionate storytelling, Adrienne Miller and Deborah Chang illuminate the intertwined narratives of food, culture, and politics, inviting listeners to appreciate the profound impact these chefs have had on American history.

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Notable Quotes:

• Adrienne Miller: "This is a unique window on the American presidency told from the perspective of Asian heritage cooks." (02:17)

• Adrienne Miller: "His flavor profile towards President Hoover was salty." (05:35)

• Deborah Chang: "Asian American contributions are brought to the forefront and where Asians are in an important leadership role." (15:02)

• Adrienne Miller: "Our first families learn a little bit about what it was like to be an Asian American in our country." (16:25)

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This detailed summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting the key discussions, insights, and historical narratives shared by the guests. It provides a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened to the episode, offering valuable perspectives on the intersection of culinary arts and cultural history in the context of the American presidency.

Transcript

[Progressive Insurance]

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[Alison Stewart]

This is all of it on wnyc. Alison I'm Alison Stewart. Coming up in about a half an hour, poet and author Ocean Vuong. His new novel is titled the Emperor of Gladness. It's about a young man in a small Connecticut town who becomes a caregiver for an elderly woman with dementia. The Los Angeles Times calls it, quote, magnificent and melancholy. Ocean Vuong will be here in studio to discuss. Now let's get this hour started with Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History. In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a brand new book spotlights Asian heritage chefs who have prepared meals for presidents at the White House, at state dinners, on presidential yachts. Some of the names include Chinese American chefs like Li Ping Quan and Anita Lo, chef Ariel Du G, excuse me, Ariel De Guzman from the Philippines and Korean American chef Edward Lee. Alongside these in depth interviews and the accounts of these chefs preparing meals on these special trips and with peace negotiations, there are recipes. Who knew that President Coolidge had a favorite curry and rice dish? Asian Heritage Chefs in the White House, Cooking to the President's Taste is out now. Adrian Miller is known for his books on African American culinary history. Adrian, welcome to all of it.

[Adrienne Miller]

Good to be with you.

[Alison Stewart]

And Deborah Chang is a writer and a cook. Deborah, welcome as well.

[Deborah Chang]

Thank you.

[Alison Stewart]

So I want to read this quote about the book. It's from the introduction. And this question is for both of you. It says this book demonstrates that White House culinary history is not just about food. So, Adrienne, what's the book about?

[Adrienne Miller]

So, yeah, this is a unique window on the American presidency told from the perspective of Asian heritage cooks. So we've never had that before. There have been, you know, newspaper articles here and there, but it's never been put in one place. So I think it provides a unique window on the American presidency that goes back more than a century, which is something I didn't even know until I started the journey on this book.

[Alison Stewart]

How about for you, Deborah? What is the book about?

[Deborah Chang]

Asian American contributions to U.S. history in a way that many people today likely didn't know about.

[Alison Stewart]

Adrian, you had to do research for this book. Where did you start?

[Adrienne Miller]

So I started in the University of Denver. My hometown has a Special collections with a cookbook collection of thousands of volumes. So I was working on a book previously about African American presidential chef. So I just put in Presidential Cooking, Presidential Chef into the search engine for the catalog, and up popped this cookbook written by Li Ping Quan, who was a Chinese immigrant, and he wrote that book in 1939 and publish that. And previously, we had not had really in depth memoirs of people who had cooked for our president. So it's part memoir, part cookbook. So I said, okay, I'm working on black chefs, but I'm gonna just hold onto this and then come back to it. And I did revisit it. And so it was really looking at that book, also historical newspapers, and then presidential memoirs. And then I had to go to the National Archives and just dig into the records of the presidential yacht. And so the captains had to list everybody who served on the ship, their positions, and where they were from. And that was a gold medal.

[Alison Stewart]

Oh, I imagine. So, Deborah, how did you collaborate on the book with Adrienne?

[Deborah Chang]

So I was brought into the project because, well, Adrian and I know each other from college, and so we've known each other for a very long time. And it came to fruition because he needed someone to bring these recipes to life. And I've had many versions of my career, one of which was I went to culinary school and was a professional chef for a while. And so it was the crossing of many things and the right time, and that's how I got involved in the book.

[Alison Stewart]

Adrienne, you came across Li Penghuan's memoir. What struck you about his story, and then what struck you about his career?

[Adrienne Miller]

So one thing that struck me about his story is that this memoir was pretty good about talking about his early life. So this guy was trained as a chef at a very young age. So he arrives to the US Navy already having a lot of game when it came to cooking. So I was really impressed by his skill level, coming to that, and then his willingness to talk about his experiences cooking for presidents, what they loved. He was willing to dish on presidents. And so. And that's what people are curious about, that kind of stuff. So the skill level that he brought, his ambition, even after serving with the presidents, he opened up restaurants in New York City and in Maine and other places, leveraging his fame as a presidential cook. So I just like this guy's moxie.

[Alison Stewart]

All right, tell me some of the dish.

[Adrienne Miller]

Well, so we talked about kind of the favorite dishes of President and First Lady Coolidge, Calvin Coolidge and Grace Coolidge. So they loved the curry dishes, but she really loved his chop suey, and he actually taught her how to make the chop suey. And then one other funny story is Herbert Hoover wasn't feeling having a presidential yacht, so he was gonna decommission the USS Mayflower, which is the yacht that Li Ping Quan was on. And so it was about. It was time for Hoover's birthday, and Quan was known for making these cakes, but he was mad at Hoover for decommissioning the Mayflower. So when a journalist asked him about the cake he was gonna make for the president for his birthday, he just said, no Mayflower, no cake. So as I write in the book, his flavor profile towards President Hoover was salty.

[Alison Stewart]

Deborah, a lot of Li Peng Kuan's recipes are featured in the book. What's notable about them? What's notable about the way he cooked?

[Deborah Chang]

Many things. The first was, I was struck by the order of the recipes in the original cookbook, which he put the Chinese recipes first. He didn't put state dinner recipes or fancy entrees first or appetizers first, like we see today. He put Chinese. And I thought that was really interesting and a big hook for me to get involved, because that was a big surprise to me, that this was 100 years ago. And then his recipes with the rest of his recipes, his scope of ability and talent was amazing. So not only was he very skilled at Chinese cooking, he could do everything. I mean, and particularly he could. He could produce big state dinners with really elegant meats of the time, you know, like filet mignon and fancy meats. Meats for the time, like lamb, I imagine. But he also had to cook for the kids. He had to cook breakfast. And so you have all the scope of those kinds of recipes. And then he seemed to have a really talented pastry ability as well. A lot of. I mean, this is what Adrienne talked about. A lot of cookies, a lot of desserts, a lot of cakes were included in the original book as well.

[Alison Stewart]

Adrienne, what does one need to do to become a chef at the White House? What Deborah just listed was huge. A huge amount of responsibility.

[Adrienne Miller]

Yeah. So for a lot of these Asian heritage chefs, the military was the primary route towards presidential cooking. So they often enlisted in the Navy because they viewed it as a path to U.S. citizenship. And as they rose in the ranks in the Navy, then ultimately they were referred to to serve on the presidential yacht, which we no longer have because President Carter sold it off in the 1970s. So that's one route also, typically in the 19th century, people just happen to be the family cook of the person who became president. So was someone who already knew the president. These days, a lot of it is based on your professional reputation and also who you know. So when the White House chef opening is announced, it is a civil service position, so there is a formal announcement, but people get recruited, recommended, and then you have to try out by basically cooking all kinds of food to make sure that you can please the first family.

[Alison Stewart]

We are talking about Asian heritage chefs in White House Cooking to the President's Taste. It's a new book that spotlights Asian heritage chefs in White House history. Co authors Adrienne Miller and Deborah Chang join us to discuss. So, Deborah, you had the task of selecting recipes that can be made in a modern kitchen. How did these chefs introduce dishes to the President that weren't necessarily popular within their respective cultures?

[Deborah Chang]

I'm sorry, can you repeat the question?

[Alison Stewart]

How did these chefs introduce dishes to a president that have just maybe never heard of it before? They've never heard of a certain dish before?

[Deborah Chang]

Yeah, you know, I think that spoke a lot. I mean, it spoke a lot to the trust that the presidents had in the people that cooked for them. I mean, the fact that maybe not so much today in modern times, I mean, we have recipes from contemporary chefs, and I think Asian cooking and Asian ingredients are pretty prevalent in America today. But particularly Chef Kwan, I mean, it was eye opening that, like President Harding, President Coolidge, they were open to tasting, you know, to eating chicken chow mein and, you know, having ingredients like water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. And I don't know if that was my implicit, like, assumption that they wouldn't be open minded, but it was really cool to see that they. That they were open minded to different. To different food. I've always thought food was a connector, and you hear that a lot in food and food discussions. But this is where you really see, you know, two different cultures coming together and a way of learning about a certain culture in. Through food. Which. Which was always interesting. It's always interesting to see that being. Being brought to life.

[Alison Stewart]

Deborah, in the book, there's a recipe for chicken chow mein which is listed as one of Mrs. Coolidge's favorite meals. What's interesting about the original recipe?

[Deborah Chang]

So besides the fact that it existed 100 years ago, which I thought was interesting, and it exists in a version today. Right. I thought was like, oh, well, Chef Kwan must have been like an early influencer. Like an early influencer of Chinese food. Right. So I thought that was pretty. Pretty fun to think about. And then the original recipe with his. One of the overarching issues that I had with translating some of the. Translating the historical recipes to modern times was how many changes should I make, Because I wanted to be historically accurate, yet it has to fit with modern tastes and be able to cook in a modern kitchen by, like, a regular person. So with that particular recipe, how I adapted it was we have different sets of vegetables available today, So I made suggestions as to different kinds of vegetables that we could use. I suggested fresh, fresh bamboo shoots, fresh water chestnuts instead of the canned that we have today. That was likely what Chef Kwan was using. He wasn't using canned. Whatever brand in the supermarket aisle, he had fresh. So I had to make judgments a lot. I think. I think that recipe had. There's just stuff. I just don't know what he meant. Like, he said. I think he said beans, like 1 pound Chinese beans. It could be green beans, it could be bean sprouts. It could be fava beans. Um, and so I. I think if he meant bean sprouts, he would have said bean sprouts. I think if he said green beans, he would have said green beans. But I. I honestly, I don't know. So if he were alive, that is the question that I would ask him, is what he meant. But the general concept of noodles plus stir fry plus sauce. Right, like that, that concept was there. And it's just a matter of altering. Altering the vegetable, altering the noodle, and altering the sauce. And so to the extent that I could explain it, I did.

[Alison Stewart]

Adrian, what did you Learn about how U.S. foreign policy played out in these presidential kitchens and with these menus?

[Adrienne Miller]

Yeah, it's really interesting. So we have a number of examples of where these chefs were tasked with hospitality for dignitaries. One interesting story, I'm not going to give it away, because I want people to read the book is there was a guy named Ireneo Esperancilla who was a presidential yacht steward for Hoover, Roosevelt, Truman, and Eisenhower. And so he was actually serving a meal where President Roosevelt was meeting with Joseph Stalin. And Stalin, not familiar with Filipinos, thought he was Japanese. And so Esperancilla definitely showed grace under pressure coming up with that meal. But, you know, now contemporary menus, and we include two state dinners in our book, so you want to give a flavor profile to the visiting dignitary, but also celebrate American ingredients. And so it's a delicate collaboration between the State Department, the White House cooks, the presidential chef, and also the first family. And just Figuring out how to put America's food but, you know, best foot forward, but also make that dignitary feel welcome. So just navigating dislikes, tastes, food considerations, taboos, all of that stuff is pretty fascinating.

[Alison Stewart]

Deborah, what do you hope people take away from the book?

[Deborah Chang]

I really like being involved in projects where Asian Americans contributions are brought to the forefront and where Asians are in an important leadership role. And so this is one way that I had never thought about. I mean, today. Exactly. Executive chefs are elevated, you know, in status, they write books, they're in the media a lot. And I like how we're bringing Asian American chefs and their leadership and contributions to the forefront. And then I think, you know, cooking the recipes and including the recipes has allows people to have a connection to history in a different way. Instead of just, you know, flipping through, through an old book and saying, oh, that's interesting, you know, this recipe looks interesting to actually cook it. Like, I've learned a lot about each chef through the cooking, even the contemporary chefs, you know, particularly the Filipino recipes. Like, we have recipe for pancit in the cookbook. Learn something new and have a connection to White House history, American history that I wouldn't have had if not for this book.

[Alison Stewart]

Adrienne, what did you learn working on this book?

[Adrienne Miller]

Yeah, so I learned that this book is really an appetizer for further exploration of Asian American contributions to the American presidency. Because I just did not know that this legacy in terms of the culinary went back so far and how that people of Asian heritage were actually preferred by US Navy personnel after the Spanish American war, ultimately displacing the African Americans who had dominated these positions on ships. So just to see that transition and then also to see how these racist attitudes that were often visited upon African Americans got transferred to Asian Americans and thinking of them as a servile race and born cooks and all of that kind of stuff. So to see that play out was really, really fascinating. But I think the positive is that this is a window on the American presidency that went both ways. So I think our first families learn a little bit about what it was like to be an Asian American in our country. And those that delved a little deeper, I think our country is better for it.

[Alison Stewart]

I've been speaking with Adrienne Miller and Deborah Chang, the co authors of the new book titled Asian Heritage Chefs in the White House. Cooking to the President's Taste. It is out now. Thanks for your time today.

[Adrienne Miller]

Thank you.

[Deborah Chang]

Thank you.

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