[C19fan]

To be totally honest I have no idea what argula even is but I know it is popular with the Whole Foods crowd, Hollyweird and Michelle Zero.

[jessduntno]

Fuzzy Zoeller has a menu suggestion...

[San Jacinto]

No pork chops or smoked ham?

[Seeking the truth]

What happened to the tent that I heard about?......only for cocktails?

[CholeraJoe]

Kinda looks like dandelion leaves:

[boxerblues]

To be totally honest I have no idea what argula even is

---

Green leafy, tasteless, pretty filler material for your salad

[jessduntno]

MKH

[Constitutions Grandchild]

Well, they are entertaining vegetarians. When I was a girl, I was forever bringing someone home to dinner. Believe me, it's a lot easier today to find food to serve Hindus than it was back in the early 60s. My mother was able to do an entire meal on vegetables and was it fabulous. I've never forgotten, Mr. Shah, wherever you are. It was a wonderful time for us. He even went to church with us and then home for dinner. Mother often told the story of how her knees almost went out from under her when I invited him home to dinner. Never even occurred to me (obtuse as I was) that it might be a problems, but she manned up and put out quite a spread. Thanks, Mom. Also, if the Hollywood crowd is coming, they should appreciate the menu. Perfect host and hostess, IMHO.

[dead]

"You don't make friends with salad! You don't make friends with salad!"
- Homer J. Simpson.

(well, maybe you do if your guest of honor is Indian, but still...)

[ladyjane]

Actually arugula is really good. Great on sandwiches or in salad. Italians eat a lot of it. I guess yuppies do too but in spite of that it’s still good.

[jessduntno]

Pumpling Pie tart
pear tatin

WTF? What are that?

[PDMiller]

I don’t know much about the price of arugula, but the 2008 Sav. Blanc served with it runs at $33.50 a bottle per the Modus Operandi website. What recession? /s

[Redbob]

Be easier to learn about it if spelled correctly...

[Conservative Vermont Vet]

To be totally honest I have no idea what argula even is

Well friend, you are not alone and what's more while I HATE fast foods and hardly ever eat them, if I was served this menu, I think I would excuse myself and head for the closest Mickey D's.

[antiRepublicrat]

Like a lettuce that actually has some flavor, great on a lot of things. It is kind of expensive, not not in the extreme.

[alice_in_bubbaland]

How many acres of Argula do they need to serve 400 guests? My guess is that the “home grown” angle is utter dim feelgood BS.

[mojito]

The entire menu:

Potato and Eggplant Salad
White House Argula with onion seed vinaigrette
2008 sauvignon blanc, Modus Oprendi, Napa Valley, California

Red lentil soup with fresh cheese
2008 Riesling Brooks “Ara” Wilamette Valley, Oregon

Roasted Potato Dumplings with tomato dumplings
chick peas and okra
or
green curry prawns
carmelized salsify with smoked collard greens and coconut aged basmati
2007 granache, Beckman Vineyars, Santa Ynez, California

Pumpling Pie tart
pear tatin
whipped cream and caramel sauce
Sparkling Chardonay, Thibaut Janisson Brut, Monticello, Virginia

Petits Fours and Coffee
Cashew Brittle
Pecan Pralines
Passion Fruit and Vanilla Gelees
Chocolate dipped fruit

Guest Chef: Marcus Samuelsson

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/11/obama_state_dinner_official_fo.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Sounds a bit twee for me.

[OCC]

Can't get any greener than this... It's 1978 all over again.

[colorado tanker]

I criticize Zero for a lot, but I think a formal state dinner should be first class. And he is entertaining a strict vegetarian. Looks like if you want a protein it's going to be prawns.

[PzLdr]

“Arugala. It’s a veg-et-able” [”My Blue Heaven”]

[Spunky]

I didn't know either so I had to look it up. Is there no meat in that dinner?

Arugula (Eruca vesicaria sativa) is a leafy green herb of the mustard family. Known also as rocket, Italian cress, roquette, and rucola, arugula has elongated dark green leaves that are lobed like the leaves of an oak. In the ground, the plant resembles a loose lettuce with long, slender leaves. Arugula is related to both the radish and watercress, and the flavor of the leaves is similarly hot and peppery.