The Guild 4-27-2005 Confections of a Beltway insider

Imagine spending almost 25 years in the White House pastry kitchen as the executive pastry chef for five presidents and first families, doing your work surrounded by pounds of butter, chocolate, cream, fresh fruits and sugar. While the job may sound like a dessert lover's dream, it's not always as sweet as it seems.

Just ask French-born patissier Roland R. Mesnier, who retired last July. Lately he's been traveling throughout the country promoting his first cookbook, "Dessert University" (Simon & Schuster; $40), which took four years to write with help from Lauren Chattman. The 545 pages are filled with all kinds of show-stopping desserts, many from his White House years.

During his time in the White House (1980-2004) he designed and created some 3,000 different desserts with the help of one full-time assistant.

"It was a great challenge. I didn't have much of a personal life for 25 years," Mesnier says.

He was in charge of ordering all the pastry ingredients and arranging for pickup. "There was no delivery at the White House - and all vendors were checked by the Secret Service."

Starting with Nancy Reagan, Mesnier presented dessert tastings to the first ladies for approval, prior to state dinners. After a lot of research, he always tried to include something in his desserts that reflected the invited leader's country. For instance, blown-sugar giraffes for Kenya, flower leis made of sugar for the Philippines, tiny chocolate replicas of Big Ben for England, and a white tiger out of white chocolate and a lotus flower out of sorbets for India.

"Mesnier never repeated the same dessert in all the state dinners," notes Francois Dionot, owner/founder/president of the culinary school L'Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, Md., who has known the pastry guru for 30 years. "To me, he is the king of sugar work - spun sugar, poured sugar, rock sugar, pulled sugar. Very few people know how to do this anymore. He makes roses that look real."

Mesnier was known for making cakes just so he could put them under a sugar piece. "He's very talented in everything in desserts," says Dionot.

Every first lady put her stamp on the White House - and Mesnier says he's enjoyed them all.

"Mrs. (Rosalynn) Carter spent less time worrying about what was served at a dinner party, but she loved desserts," he says. During Nancy Reagan's time, "the White House became a showcase of grand cuisine. She was determined to have new desserts for every dinner, and she was very demanding."

Mesnier recalled the time, two days before the arrival of the queen of the Netherlands for a state dinner for 150 people, that Nancy Reagan rejected four different desserts. She told him to make 14 sugar baskets decorated with half a dozen sugar tulips and filled with assorted sorbets and fresh fruit. She then said, " 'Don't forget you have two days and two nights,' " Mesnier remembers. The chef pulled it off without any help: "Mrs. Reagan made me a better pastry chef," he says.

With the witty and smart Barbara Bush, "the house took on a different dimension - with children laughing, dogs barking, etc. She didn't make waves with what was served.

"The Clintons, very charismatic people, were very casual - and the only family that ate in the kitchen. Mrs. (Hillary) Clinton was very political - it was like having a second president in the White House." During their eight years, the number of people invited to the White House increased dramatically, as did Mesnier's work load. Mrs. Clinton favored leaner cuisine and plated service for desserts.

"First lady Laura Bush is meticulous - and the house is sparkling," he says. "She has a great knowledge of food and how it should be prepared and (how it should) taste."

Over the years, Mesnier has focused on reducing calories in desserts but without sacrificing flavor. His strategies include reducing sugar, butter, cream and eggs, using low-fat or regular milk instead of cream and sometimes cornstarch to make a thicker base.

"There are at least 50 recipes (out of 300) in the book that would qualify as low-calorie desserts."

His penchant for desserts dates back to the summer fruit tarts of every color and flavor he enjoyed during his childhood. "My mother was a wonderful chef - an unbelievable home cook."

His five golden rules for making great desserts: "Learn the basics and then practice, practice, practice; respect the classics; value economy and simplicity; focus on flavor; and be an artist, develop your talent."

Age: 60.
Profession: Pastry chef.
Hometown: Bonnay, France.
Food background: Mesnier began a three-year apprenticeship in a pastry shop near his home at age 14. He went on to stints as a pastry cook/assistant in pastry shops and hotels in Paris, Germany (Hannover and Hamburg) and London. Eventually, he became head pastry chef at the Princess Hotel in Bermuda.

After a stint at The Homestead, a resort in Hot Springs, Va., he landed the ultimate pastry job: In December 1979, Rosalynn Carter hired him to be the White House pastry chef - and for almost 25 years his desserts were on view to the world - until he retired in July 2004. Kitchen secret: Work with all of your ingredients at room temperature (including eggs).

Three favorite foods: A good steak, a good apple pie a la mode, honey ice cream.

Favorite kitchen gadget: A homemade cherry pitter (made with a wine cork and a ladies' hairpin).

Pastimes: Fishing, gardening, cultivating roses, working on recipes for upcoming cookbooks (a cake volume is in the works).

Family: Wife, Martha, and a 35-year-old son, George. If he couldn't be a pastry chef, what would he be?: An actor.

Worst White House kitchen disaster: The time the eggs for the hot raspberry souffles for a state dinner wouldn't whip (guests were in the dining room). "I was sweating bullets (and could visualize this as my last day at the White House)." But fortunately, he started with new egg whites, adding sugar to them instead of an Italian meringue, to gain time, and the souffles came out beautifully. Worst part of being the White House pastry chef: "The inside politicking among the White House staff."

Poor Darnell.

Prince Harry is off to the military - we'll see if it helps him grow up:

Prince Harry is leaving civilian life with a bang. The 20-year-old royal, who starts military training tomorrow, went on an all-night boozefest capped off with a hit-and-run fender bender, a London newspaper reported. The hard-partying prince and a few pals spent Thursday evening at the hip London club Raffles, then piled into his chauffeur-driven Jaguar limousine around 4 a.m.

A few minutes later, as Harry giggled in the back seat, the limo hit a parked Citroen, took off the side mirror and kept going, witnesses said. "Harry was steaming drunk," one clubber told the Sun. "There was a large bang when their vehicle hit a parked car.

"The wing mirror flew off and they caused two dents. But instead of stopping, they sped away - which is illegal. They should have known better. Harry was laughing and his car stopped for a few seconds a little bit farther down the road but then just sped off again."

Harry, the younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, enters Sandhurst military academy tomorrow. He's been told to expect a hellish five weeks of boot camp that includes 20-hour days of training exercises, harsh discipline and hazing. There's no alcohol or sex allowed - even for heirs to the throne. "I view misbehaving very dimly," Maj. Gen. Andrew Ritchie told the London Mirror. "He is the same as anyone else." link

Good morning! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.

Mountaineer, your mom will really enjoy her mom's day lunch fixed by her loving children. She must be a special mom to have such special children, like yourself.

My kids enjoyed giving me little trinkets, some they made themselves and a quick Mom's Day breakfast. But for the first 16 years before MIL's passing we took off to grandmother's house, the Uber mom, to pay tribute to her. I always wanted her to have an entire day with her family, showering her with gifts and taking her out to her favorite restaurant, taking lots of pictures.

It's only been four years since she passed and I still miss her.

I have no idea what's in store for me today... (so far I did get a "Happy Mother's Day" AND a kiss from my half asleep son. I'm hoping for dinner out. :-)

Sorry to interrupt this Mothers' Day with news of the 'Beaste, but corruption is always news:

WASHINGTON - Hillary Clinton isn't on trial in Los Angeles on Tuesday - but as far as her political adversaries are concerned, she may as well be. Her ex-finance director David Rosen has been charged with concealing the real cost of a star-studded Hollywood fund-raiser for Clinton in August 2000 - and if he's convicted, her enemies plan to exploit it to the maximum.

"If it was any other senator, it might not be an issue, but with her past it will be," said Brian Nick, spokesman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "She clearly has her eyes set on the White House [in 2008] ... so it's going to be an issue between now and then."

Sensitive to whispers Rosen's prosecution may be politically motivated, the feds say Clinton has not been implicated in any wrongdoing and will not be an issue in the trial.

"We're certainly not calling her as a witness and it might be a mistake for the defense to do that - but that's up to them," said a Justice Department source.

Clinton is standing by Rosen and thinks he is innocent. "We believe that when all the facts are in, [Rosen] will be cleared," Clinton lawyer David Kendall said on behalf of the senator.

Still, if Rosen is convicted, Clinton (D-N.Y.) is certain to face repeated attack ads accusing her of running a corrupt campaign and reminding voters of the 1996 investigation into Lincoln Bedroom sleepovers and White House coffees to raise political cash, GOP operatives promised.

Even Democratic political operatives fear a Rosen conviction could lure a strong Republican candidate into Clinton's reelection race next year. "This could be an issue that has traction," said a top Democrat who works closely with the Clinton campaign.

If convicted, Rosen, 40, could get 15 years in prison on three counts of filing false campaign documents. He allegedly cooked the books to free up more money when he reported that the $1.2 million gala cost only $400,000.

In a truly bizarre twist, a member of the Kennedy clan is the government snitch. Ted Kennedy brother-in-law Ray Reggie wore an FBI wire and taped a conversation with Rosen at a state dinner in 2000.

The brother of Kennedy's wife, Victoria, and son of a prominent Louisiana judge, Reggie also raised money for Clinton and contributed to her Senate campaign. He allegedly discussed the Hollywood gala with Rosen while working for the FBI.

Among the potential witnesses is longtime Clinton political adviser Harold Ickes, who headed her campaign. The FBI's lead investigating agent, a Federal Elections Commission expert and others close to the campaign also are expected to testify, according to sources familiar with both the prosecution and defense.

"We don't have any surprises up our sleeves, but you never know what the defense is going to do," a government source said.

An unlikely witness is convicted felon Peter Paul, who claims he wrote checks to help pay for the Hollywood soiree that featured Paul Anka, Michael Bolton, Toni Braxton, Cher, Melissa Etheridge, Patti LaBelle, Brian McKnight, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Luther Vandross, among others.

Paul now is among the chorus of Hillary-bashers raising money to unseat her, and sources say the defense would have a field day knocking down his credibility if he takes the witness stand.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/307670p-263036c.html

What's weirder than O.J. Simpson and his new girlfriend walking into a bar? Usher throwing the gal out. It all went down early yesterday morning at a Kentucky Derby party in Louisville. When Mr. Entertainment spotted The Juice at the Stuff magazine bash, he invited him to join their VIP corner. "But then O.J.'s girlfriend kicked Usher in the leg," says a spy. "Usher didn't know she was with O.J., but when it happened, his security threw her out of the party."

As the Usher crew guzzled Grey Goose and Crown Royal, O.J. had to go outside and talk his gf back into the party. "Only when O.J. came out, they let her in again," says the snitch. source

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It's so nice to see O.J. having a good time. I hope his girlfriend doesn't ever tick him off, however.

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