Cooking to the President's Taste: Asian Chef's in White White House History

More than a century of Asian American chefs have cooked for presidents and in White House kitchens, as documented here in detail for the first time.

This archive-rich history brings together White House records, photographs, and interviews to document the Asian heritage chefs who have served in presidential kitchens: from naval stewards on presidential yachts to guest chefs at state dinners and long-tenured residence staff.

The book traces a clear lineage across generations and communities—chefs with roots in China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. Early chapters focus on Lee Ping Quan, a Chinese-born chef who cooked for Presidents Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge aboard the USS Mayflower, then the lens widens to show the breadth of this culinary tradition.

Adrian Miller—two-time James Beard Award winner and author of The President's Kitchen Cabinet—builds the narrative and research frame. Deborah Chang, a trained cook and recipe developer, curates about sixty recipes and adapts them for today's home kitchen.

Recipes are credited to historical and contemporary figures, including Cristeta Comerford, Anita Lo, Edward Lee, and Ariel De Guzman. The book includes presentation photographs of finished dishes, linking the archival record to plates you can make at home.

For culinary historians, chefs, and readers of American food culture.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.