Living
Eleanor Roosevelt purposely served crappy food to FDR
By Lauren Steussy
August 22, 2017 | 12:57pm
If you want to know what makes a woman of substance, consider the substances she consumes.
In her new book, “What She Ate” (Penguin Random House, out now), historian Laura Shapiro does just that, analyzing the dietary habits of half a dozen notable — and sometimes notorious — women. “Food talks,” Shapiro writes. “Cooking and eating are always ruled by a tangle of social and economic realities that define a woman’s place.”
But can a dinner plate define a woman? You might think so after reading Shapiro’ s fascinating takes.
Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
This first lady was known for Depression-era frugality, and her meals reflected that. While her husband Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in office, she insisted on putrid White House dinners such as chicken liver, cold mutton, gelatin-heavy “salads” and something called Seafood Surprise.
Many history buffs suspect the repulsive meals were less about scrimping and more about exacting revenge on FDR for having affairs. In any event, Mrs. Roosevelt refused to fire the chef who made them. The advice around Washington at the time: If you were invited to dine at the White House, eat before you went.
After FDR died, Eleanor transformed her palate, enjoying delicacies such as crab legs and baking biscuits, and applesauce cake for loved ones — a sign, Shapiro says, that she appreciated good food when not serving as “the president’s wife,” a job she never wanted.
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http://nypost.com/2017/08/22/eleanor-roosevelt-purposely-served-crappy-food-to-fdr/
