IN THE KITCHEN WITH BILL

IN THE KITCHEN... "I don't necessarily consider McDonald's junk food. You know, they have chicken sandwiches, they have salads."
--Bill Clinton

Some people have already dubbed it "Primary Calories." Here's a selected table of contents, and more:

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

Donuts Fit for the King
Hubcap Cinnamon Rolls
Easy Egg McClintons
3 Things to Do with Arkansas Bacon

FLIP-FLOPPING (BURGERS, THAT IS)

Whitewater Waffle Burger
Gates's Good-Time Chili
Sloppy State of the Union Joes
Chin-Up Chicken Fried Steak
Slick Willie's Wishbone Tenders
THE PORK BARREL

Southern-Style Barbecued Pork Ribs
Pentagon Stuffed Pork Chops
Panetta's Pigs in a Blanket

FRENCH FRIED NATION

Chelsea's Spicy Curly Fries
Filibusterin' French Fries
Hillary's Hushpuppies with Something Fishy
Crispy Newtie-O's
PLAYING CHICKEN

Bushwackin' Broccoli Cream Chicken
The Buck Stops Heroes
Forget Flowers Fried Chicken
Charity Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

WILLIE CON QUESO

Endorse-Me Enchiladas with Smooth-Melt Cheese
Hot Ticket Tamales
New Deal Nachos

SLICK SNEAKIN' FOOD

Socks's Tuna and Cheese Melt
Campaign Trail Mix
Tipper's Mayonnaise and Potato Chip Sandwiches
Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell-Ro-tel Snack
Pitfall Pizzas

HILLARY'S OBLIGATORY VEGETABLE CHAPTER

Virginia's Sweet Potato
Al's Organic Okra and Tangy Tomatoes
Trio's Spinach Dip with Peppery Pita Chips
Bush-League Broccoli Cheese Corn Bread
Hillary's Beijing Stir-Fry

MONKEY BUSINESS

Buttered-Up Brandy Banana Pudding
Grilled Elvises
Banana Cream Pie
Bill's Budget Pecan Banana Bread

LET THEM EAT CAKE

Chelsea's Birthday Carrot Cake
Hillary's Semisweet Revenge
Bubba's Blueberry Peach Crisp
Sweet-Tooth's Sweet Potato Pie
Laissez-Faire Lemon Chess Pie
Mello Jell-O Pineapple 7-Up Salad

INTRODUCTION

Coming all the way to Washington from Little Rock, Arkansas was a big adjustment for the Clinton family. Life inside the Beltway is a whole lot faster, and a whole lot meaner, and before you knew it, Bill was embroiled in controversies over everything from gays in the military to health care reform and whatever it was that happened in Whitewater. And to top it all off, there was unrest in the White House kitchen (the longtime chef was fired), and unease in the presidential stomach. Thousands of miles away from a decent barbecue joint, things started off so badly that the leader of the free world had to get up and jog all the way to McDonald's just to get himself a decent breakfast. And then to make things worse, people started saying Bill wasn't the real power in the White House--that he couldn't even pick his own menu.

But as time has proven, although he may change political positions now and then, in the kitchen with Bill there's no lack of resolution. Like the country he leads, Clinton is a man with big appetites. So it's only natural that sometimes, like the government itself, his desires don't necessarily fit his caloric budget. But we Americans like to have it all, and Clinton's position on the dishes of the day puts him squarely of the people, by the people, and for the people. In a time when rampant political correctness is curbing the rights of average Americans to think, say, and, more importantly, eat what they want, it's nice to know that the President stands firmly for choice. And this book offers up a hearty sampling of some of Bill's favorite choices for the whole nation to enjoy.

Whatever may come in the days ahead, one part of the Clinton legacy is already barbecued into the history books--we all feel a little freer now to chow down, and we have Bill to thank for that. When it comes to eating, he takes the cake.

Some of Bill's favorite foods:
Sliced pork barbecue
Baked beans
Sweet potatoes
Soft tacos
Enchiladas
Cream pies
Cinnamon rolls
Banana anything
Mango ice cream
Dunkin' Donuts
Bojangle's biscuits
Jell-O salad
McDonald's Egg McMuffins
Domino's pizza

SAMPLE RECIPES:

SLICK WILLIE'S WISHBONE TENDERS

The presidency naturally involves a lot of entertaining. When guests come calling, there's nothing that Bill hankers for more than some beef soaked in bottled dressing. During Clinton's days as governor of Arkansas, chef Liza Ashley had orders to start up this specialty whenever guests came by the Governor's Mansion. Try it out the next time you feel like entertaining presidentially.

Marinate meat in salad dressing for 4 to 5 hours, turning periodically.

Sprinkle with pepper.

Grill on barbecue to desired doneness. This will melt in your mouth.

HILLARY'S HUSHPUPPIES WITH SOMETHING FISHY

Ever since Bill and Hillary's dramatic live interview in the early days of the 1992 campaign, we've all known that the Clintons have worked hard at their marriage. In Hillary's book, It Takes a Village, she talks about the importance of staying married "till death do us part" instead of "until the going gets rough."

Apparently getting your love puppy to hush is a hallmark of Clinton marital strategy. "My strong feelings about divorce have caused me to bite my tongue more than a few times in my own marriage and to think instead about what I could do to be a better wife and partner. My husband has done the same," says Hil. What better than a plate of steaming hot hushpuppies to quiet an angry tongue and warm your loved one's heart?

Fish:

Hushpuppies:

In a large bowl combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper. In another bowl stir together beer, eggs, scallions, red pepper and chili pepper.

Combine wet and dry ingredients.

Pour oil into heavy skillet. Heat until sizzling. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls and cook until browned and puffy. Turn and cook on other side. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.

Mix cornmeal, salt and pepper together. Dredge fish in mixture. Sauté in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil for 3 minutes per side. Serve with hushpuppies.

CRISPY NEWTIE-O'S

The perfect rainy-day food, Crispy Newtie-O's are a great source of nutrition (tons of vitamin C in those onion rings) and they have a way of inspiring exercise. Like the Speaker himself, they're round and appealing on the outside, and just a touch slippery on the inside. They have great taste, but they're less filling, too. Serve these with Wild Bill Buffalo Burgers (page 22) or Gates's Good-Time Chili (page 18).

Slice onions into b-inch rounds.

In a large bowl mix flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, vegetable oil, egg yolks and Tabasco; gradually add beer.

Let rest 1 hour.

Add egg whites, mix and coat onions.

Heat oil in deep pot and fry until brown, drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.