State banquet menu.

[madaboutpurple]

After reading the menu they ate especially the starter I am glad I did not have to go .The starter they had sounds really odd. Also why is the vegetarian menu never mentioned. I wonder what alternatives were offered.

Prince Philip always drank beer with his meals, no matter where. He wasn’t keen on wine of any description.

Menu from his previous visit

During Trump's first state visit in 2019, the menu included steamed fillet of halibut to start, followed by Windsor lamb with herb stuffing, then strawberry sable and lemon verbena cream for dessert.

Article with this in is interesting - it seems to be strongly shaped by the monarch's preferences. Charles does this differently to Elizabeth II.

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/trump-state-dinner-banquet-king-charles-royal-054559001.html

I did a piece of work in Buckingham Palace for a couple of months, one thing that really jumped out to me was the rooms and rooms and rooms filled with crockery and cutlery and glassware ready to host these massive state banquets.

I think the courgette was the main error. Who wants anything wrapped in a flabby slice of courgette?!

As I was reading I was thinking you must watch TV cooking shows.

I'm hoping foams are on the way out. They always look to me like they are a bodily fluid.

Didn’t I see trump eating spaghetti or was that AI?!

To me, panna cotta is more creamy in texture than jelly like. It does have gelatin in it or a vegetarian equivalent but it should not be gelatinous if done in right proportions. It's a delicious yet refreshing and that sounds like the more interesting part of the menu I think. A savoury one with watercress would make it a bit peppery tasting which would work well with the eggs? I am not a chef though so can't imagine it that well.. Would have to taste it. I think you can be more adventurous with starters as the meal opener and smaller portion. The main sounds great too and likely to appeal to most people.

Trump is not going to like that at all!

I think it sounds boring, I'd of thought a banquet would be far more lavish than salad, chicken, ice cream. The pannacotta a bit of a curve ball, but watercress is fairly bland so I can't imagine that tasted of much

Watercress isn't bland. It has a strong peppery flavour and a beautiful green colour.

Also, as explained above, think about the logistics of getting out a decent meal, beautifully presented, for 160 people! You'd want something that could be mostly prepared well in advance and quickly plated with the finishing touches.

Trump didn’t like it apparently, he’d have preferred a bbq I expect. I actually think all the special alcoholic drinks served were a bit distasteful when their guest of honour doesn’t drink alcohol, a special mocktail or cordial from local ingredients would have been a nicer touch

@JadziaD

i thought the same, or rather I can cook that whole menu without difficulty and I’m not a professional chef, might be a faff doing the bombe thing but I have done it once before, and courgettes are a bit slimy to wrap around, I guess they were blasted under a grill. My hunch is the menu was proposed because chicken was preferred by some and there were guests who don’t eat pork (pancetta is a superior wrapping ingredient), I’d have preferred a mushroom, cream and mustard sauce myself with thyme as well. Though I think lamb is always better meat wise, or duck - duck with the plums would have been my choice !

Ttump is such a pig. What an outrageously rude guest. After all this expensive tax payer funded effort, absolutely no concessions made by him to his wrecking tariffs, for example after he happily accepts this level of extreme honour from a country’s monarch.

The bullying thing with him shouting at Zelensky in the Oval Office was super disgusting in its lack of respect, this behaviour is disgusting and disrespectful in a different way. There is a well understood quid pro quo in diplomacy. Otherwise you’re just taking advantage and insulting your host. The Royal family have done their utmost to try to help out the country considering how off the charts and authoritarian Trump is but everyone must have come out of this feeling used because he hasn’t changed anything. Pearls before swine, quite literally.

Maybe KC is having issues with his teeth - the whole menu sounds like soft food you would serve to someone with toothache!

I reckon the 2019 banquet sounds much better. I wonder how many of the starters were returned uneaten. I don't think savoury panna cotta was a good choice to show as an example of British catering. Scotch egg and salad might have been a better starter. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and veg followed by Gypsy tart would have been a great pudding to represent Kent. We are on holiday soon in Kent and I will be going to various bakers for Gypsy tart.

I was wondering if it's also about limiting chances of food dropping etc? you know - when you try to cut some really crunchy thing and it goes flying off and lands in your cleavage? Or is that just me!? +

It certainly sounds like it is a safe menu. It can be delicious and lss likely to experience screw ups. It can be served up easily to 160 people more or less simultaneously. Trump will eat it and you don't have to worry about him waving a steak knife in someone's face?

I have to say that I have thoroughly enjoyed this thread! This is the kind of thread I wish I could have on whatsapp with friends. Maybe I'll have to create one!

• Still bitter about the beautiful (and expensive) silk shirt I ruined on first outing by attempting to cut a tomato in a salad that then squirted tomato and olive oil all over me.....

It sounds plain to me as well but i assume it's Michelen level fare so probably does taste extremely excellent ?

@JadziaD

*Trump can eat it and you don't have to worry about him waving a steak knife around "

Hilarious !!
Wonder if they also thought about bibs and spillage etc a trump safe dinner

Has anyone mentioned the alleged kick off between staff and secret service in the kitchen with raised voices and scuffles

That sounds delicious.

Agree, why are the veggie/vegan options never mentioned?

To be fair, they don't mention any halal / gluten-free / kosher / dairy-free / nut free / every-allergy-under-the-sun options either.

The menu would be a bit unwieldy.

The setting, the flowers, would fascinate me. I would not be crazy for the menu but it would be beautifully cooked and well presented. I will never attend such an event as there would be no reason to invite me.

Sounds yummy!!

Sounds gorgeous to me