Customer Reviews

All the Presidents' Pastries: Twenty-Five Years in the White House, A Memoir

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It combines a true rags to riches story with behind the scenes looks at our Presidents and their families, the organizational aspects of running White House entertainment, stories of the world leaders who visit there and what it takes to welcome them, and finally, for any foodie, great descriptions of the dessert creations. I enjoyed reading both about the very baroque elaborate creations made for state dinners and the much simpler family desserts. There are interesting comments on events that we all read about - Clinton's Lewinsky affair, Nancy Reagan's iron rule, the events of 9/11, etc. Final bonus - recipes. If you love french cuisine, autobiography and history, this combines them all.

When I checked this book out from the library, my intention was only to check out the recipes in the back. But I started reading Roland Mesnier's life story, and found myself totally engrossed in it. What an inspirational life story this is.... Mr. Mesnier grew up poor in France, and through talent, determination, and a lot of hard work, he became probably one of the best pastry chefs on the planet.

Several things stood out for me in this book. The first was how interesting his early life was.. how he grew up with basically nothing, became an apprentice, perfected his craft, and continually pushed himself to become better and better--even during his later days at the White House. He never once rested on his laurels, although he easily could have.

The second thing that stood out for me was how he regarded each of the "first families" he worked for. He clearly grew very attached to whoever he worked for, and through his eyes I was able to see the various Presidents and First Ladies as the normal human beings they are. That's an interesting perspective you don't usually see.

Thirdly, I could barely keep my mouth from watering while reading about all the amazing desserts that were prepared over Mr. Mesnier's 40-something year career! Note: don't read this if you are hungry.

One last note: One of the reviewers mentioned a left-leaning slant to Mr. Mesnier's politics. I simply did not see that. In fact, he seemed particularly attached to the family of Bush Sr. And when the Iraq war was looming, he was in full support of it, so much so that he couldn't believe that his home country of France was against it. There are many other examples, but the point is, Mr. Mesnier was very loyal to whomever he served, whether Democrat or Republican.

In All the Presidents' Pastries, Roland Mesnier provides a glimpse into a hidden world
of White House power through the eyes of its renowned former pastry chef. For those of
us outside the concrete street barriers of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and the cocktail
circuits of policy wonks, pundits, and political celebrity, his memoir makes
us feels privy to select secrets of the rich and famous even as he respectfully shrouds
prominent indiscretions and missteps. They were there, and no doubt they would offer
tantalizing fodder for curious gossip mongers. Instead Mesnier's enthusiastic recollections
of his White House adventures read as delectably as President's Reagan's favorite
chocolate mousse tastes rich, but without the bite and heat of the crystallized ginger
melded within the mix. For those seeking to recreate executives' favorites, there is a
small collection of recipes at the end of the book.

Similar to Mesnier's first successful book, Dessert University, one discovers within the pages of All the President's Pastries, a mind that thrives on continual challenge, creates success through extensive thought and preparation, and moves on when an occasional snag clutters his mindscape. In preparation for Tony Blair's White House visit in 1998, Mesnier envisioned London's parliamentary clock, Big Ben, as the dessert's stunning chocolate centerpiece. Unaware that logistics and time would become formidable obstacles to execution of the Big Ben replica, he "decided to take the bull by the horns and invent a new way of molding chocolate." In his characteristic humility, Mesnier shares that he and his staff "pulled off this minor tour de force thanks to a great deal of extremely fast work"; therefore, saving themselves from a metaphorical Go Straight to the Tower of London jail card.

I hope you all will enjoy reading Mesnier's Upstairs/Downstairs disclosure of White House anecdotes to discover the convivial yet complex Roland I know.

I enjoyed reading about the pastries that were prepared in the White House. It was very light hearted reading and I thought that Mesnier's life journey from a small village in France to the White House made for good reading. When I noticed that there were glossy colored pages in the middle of the book, I became very excited. All along he states that the desserts he prepares are photographed. Yet, most of the photographs in the center of the book were of the presidents and their wives. Every glossy page could have been a picture of a delectable delight. What a disappointment.

The first 100 pages of this book tell how Roland rises from a poor boy in rural France to be the pastry chef in the White House. They were really the best part of the book as it is quite a story. The book drags a bit when covering his time in the White House as he fills too much of it telling what dessert he made for this dinner or that one - and they all sound so good - but it doesn't add much too the book other than enphasizing Rolands use of fruit in almost every dessert. By the end of the book I was feeling uneasy about how much our goverment must pay in food bills for meals in the White House. The recipes in the back of the book look easy-I'm looking forward to trying some.

Roland did a perfect job detailing every event he baked for. Without favoring or dishing any real dirt the book was a winner. Roland would be a pefect employee for any company in the world. Integrity is the word I think of when I think of this book/

I just loved reading Roland's candid account of his climb in the culinary world. He has a very practical, down to earth perspective on a world that is immensely creative and imaginative. I've bought several copies for friends and family.

Roland Mesnier's book is on his career as a pastry chef, from his early years working in France, Germany, England and Bermuda and culminating as serving for 25 years as the White House pastry chef was a good read. He is a talented and driven man. I enjoyed the book for its historical context (the presidents and their families and significant events that took place during their presidencies) to detailed descriptions of his fantastic dessert creations.

Roland has written an inspiring and interesting book. He's a true American success story - hard work, dedication, discipline and effort took him from the life of a peasant in France to forty amazing years in the White House. I liked this part of the story very much, especially since I worked with Roland for all eight years of the Clinton administration. But I equally enjoyed reading about all the other First Families he served, always with the same discretion and devotion.

It's too bad color photos are so expensive to print - his descriptions of elaborate desserts make you long to see more. I can attest to several myself, though. Having attended the State Dinner for the President of Argentina, I know the whole table gave a gasp when the waiter presented the dulce de leche bombe with the chocolate tango dancers. And then there was that congressional picnic where he served a berry cobbler so good I had to go back THREE times, just for quality control purposes, you understand;-)

This book tells a good story and offers delicious recipes - a winning combination.

This was a fascinating story of a man that had nothing so to speak and rose to one of the highest honors bestowed upon a pasty chef. Very interesting incite to the behind the scenes of the White House kitchen. Plus some wonderful recipes for some of the favorite desserts of past Presidents. Very well written from a man with alot of integrity and grace with no malice toward any of the people that were truly difficult to deal with. Really enjoyed this book but make sure you have some sweets on hand because it really makes you hungry.