With the celebration in the United States of Independence Day on the Fourth of July, my thoughts always turn to the fascinating lives of our Founding Fathers. They are all interesting in their own right. My favorite, however, is Thomas Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson, America’s third President, was a distinguished statesman, the founder of the University of Virginia, an architect, and an inventor. But as a man of varied talents and interests, he was also passionate about food.
His interests in horticulture and expertise in wine most likely fueled his interest in food. The time he spent in Paris only added to this enthusiasm.
Jefferson’s Personal Chef Trains in French Haute Cuisine
Thomas Jefferson arrived in France in 1784 with his family and several slaves from America. One of the slaves was Jefferson’s personal Chef, James Hemings.
Jefferson encouraged Hemings to pursue the finest instruction in French cuisine, arranging apprenticeships with local haute cuisine chefs. The training took place mainly in Paris. Further training occured in the prestigious kitchens of the Chateau de Chantilly, home of the Prince Louis-Joseph de Bourbon.
Hemings responded extremely well to the difficult professional and technical demands of haute cuisine. He rose quickly through the various kitchen ranks. His Parisian mentor then promoted him to “Chef de Cuisine,” allowing him to command a team of local cooks.
Hemings’ culinary talents served Jefferson well when the American statesman entertained lavishly during his time in Paris.
American dignitaries in France, such as Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, dined with Parisian high society guests at Jefferson’s residence near the Champs-Elysées. Dinners were often attended by 30 guests at a time.
See the 2022 film about James Hemings’ life and contribution to American cooking. He was the first African-American to be trained in classical French cuisine. The film is available here on Amazon: James Hemings: Ghost in America’s Kitchen
Recipe for ” Fritters à la Chantilly ”
Here’s an easy recipe James Hemings mastered during his apprenticeship at the Chateau de Chantilly. It was most likely a forerunner to the Apple Fritters served later on at Jefferson’s Monticello estate:
Ingredients:
1 lb of flour
3 eggs
Cream Cheese
White Wine
1 oz powdered sugar
Salt
Fat for boiling (lard was used at the time)
Instructions:
- Stir the flour, eggs and cream cheese together thoroughly
- Add a little bit of white wine, 1 oz of powdered sugar, and a pinch of salt
- Plunge a spoonful of this mixture into boiling fat, then drain
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Books about the Founding Fathers and food:
Take a look at these 5 books on Amazon. They give a fascinating account of the Founding Fathers’ passion for food and their influence on our American recipes today:
4.Dining at Monticello: In Good Taste and Abundance
5.The Original White House Cookbook.Cooking, Etiquette, Menus and more from the Executive Estate
Enchanting Southern France and a Dream Burial Site
Thomas Jefferson’s tour of the French countryside in 1787 was one of his favorite visits during his time in Europe.
He loved visiting the south of France. In a letter to his secretary in Paris, William Short, he called the region “the land of corn, vine, oil, and sunshine. “
He asked Short that in the event that he should die while in Paris, he be buried in the south of France, stating “I am sure it will bring me to life again.”
Jefferson’s love of olive trees
Thomas Jefferson was enthralled with the olive trees of the French Riviera. The statesman-horticulturist considered it one of the most valuable of plants. He stated that the olive tree “contributes the most to the happiness of mankind.”
He wrote the following comment in 1787 to the chair of the South Carolina Society for Promoting Agriculture :
“The olive is a tree the least known in America, and yet the most worthy of being known. Of all the gifts of heaven to man, it is next to the most precious, if it be not the most precious. Perhaps it may claim a preference even to bread, because there is such an infinitude of vegetables, which it renders a proper and comfortable nourishment.”
Yes, the great statesman was saying in his own way in the 18th century- that olive oil will make recipes so delicious you will eat your veggies!
Read this post for more on how to select the best olive oil.
In addition to enjoying vegetables with olive oil in southern France, he also discovered the regional dishes based on local mutton, poultry, pork, and rabbit. Much of this regional fare was served with heavily flavoured garlic sauces.
Thomas Jefferson became an advocate for growing olive trees in the U.S. and even discussed the idea with the Marquis de Lafayette. He was amazed at the tree’s resilience and that it could survive and be productive in rugged terrain.
During his visit he calculated that the oil the olive trees produced likely supported the livelihood of half the villages of Provence.
Jefferson’s Ambitions for Wine in America
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were both admirers of French wines during their travels in Europe. They would often spend more on wine than on food!
Jefferson became one of America’s foremost experts on wine and wine-making in his time. During his travels through England, France, Italy, Holland, and Germany from 1786 to 1788 he gathered information about various agricultural products he hoped to develop in America.
Jefferson’s visits to the wine regions in France and Italy were also information-gathering trips. He hoped to develop the wine production in the United States after his return.
He found the local table wine or “vin ordinaire” to be excellent.
However, he was offered an up-close view of the scale of the French wine industry in the 18th century during a dinner hosted by Henri Bergasse. Bergasse, based in Marseille, was one of France’s most important wine merchants at that time.
He showed Jefferson one of his wine cellars after dinner. It stored casks holding the equivalent of 1.5 million bottles of wine!
Conclusion
The French customs and culture he observed during his five years in Paris left a lasting impression on the third President of the United States.
As U.S. minister plenipotentiary to France, Jefferson delighted in the French “arts de la table.” He also appreciated the Gallic emphasis placed on beautifully presented, high-quality food.
Historian Damon Lee Fowler stated: “Jefferson’s years in Paris made a permanent imprint on his food habits.”
Read more about Jefferson’s approach to food and meals in Fowler’s book , cited above: Dining at Monticello: In Good Taste and Abundance.
If you’d like to improve the quality of your daily meals without moving to France as Thomas Jefferson did, then stock your pantry with the essentials French home cooks rely on. You can find them listed here in my French Pantry Checklist .
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All photos courtesy of Unsplash