Joe Biden Admits 'He Can't Do Much' In The Kitchen Besides These 2 Things
The White House is filled with multiple kitchens to ensure that everything from simpler suppers to lavish banquets can be prepared for the residing president. But what if the nation's top military commander also wanted to try his hand at being the "commander in chef?" In Joe Biden's case, that might not turn out so well.
By now you might know that the 46th president is an old pro at eating ice cream, but his culinary credentials probably don't extend far beyond that. During a recent appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" (via YouTube), Biden admitted that his culinary skills are quite limited. He recalled his daughter discussing this publicly when she was just a kid: "My daughter was being interviewed when she was about, I don't know, 9, 10 years old. And [the interviewer] said, 'Can your daddy cook for you?' She said, 'My daddy can't do much, he can boil water and make "sketti." But he can't do much else.' And guess what, she's right."
However, he and Jill Biden are uncomfortable with the idea of the kitchen teams waiting upon them at every moment. So, the POTUS explained, a compromise has been reached in which the Bidens take care of their own breakfasts. He can pour his own milk into his own cereal. When asked about cooking eggs, he admitted, "Well I don't, Jill does."
Joe Biden is the opposite of Eisenhower in the kitchen
In fairness to Joe Biden, U.S. presidents probably aren't elected for their cooking. Barack Obama, for example, has limited but apparently solid skills in the kitchen. As Wide Open Eats relates, Michelle Obama said her husband could cook "a mean chili, a good stir-fry, and great omelets. So, he had kind of his ... wheelhouse. He stayed in that lane, you know? But he could cook." While a step or two above "sketti," it's still not a dominant kitchen look.
One president who did seem to excel in the kitchen was Dwight Eisenhower. According to gourmet cook and Eisenhower biographer Ed Russoli, the president was a very capable cook, and the press ate it up (via AP News). As described in the book "Ike the Cook," ″Kids and pets in the White House were always good copy, but a cooking president was sensational.″ Eisenhower even had a cookbook that was shared on the Eisenhower Library's website.
Joe Biden probably won't be cooking chili or the vegetable soup that Ike would become famous for. But maybe one day he'll come out with a recipe for boiling water.