They know how United States President George Bush likes his Thanksgiving turkey, how the Queen takes her toast and just how many puddings former US president Bill Clinton can get down.
These and other culinary secrets of some of the most powerful, or poshest, people in the world will be adding spice to the dinner table conversation at one of the most select and sybaritic of world summits as it meets this week.
The summiteers are a group of 20 chefs to heads of state, known as the Chefs de Chefs, who have arrived in the Czech capital of Prague. ”I had lots of contacts among the chefs in the world and I noticed that the chefs of the heads of state didn’t know each other,” founder of the Chefs de Chefs club, Gilles Bragard, said on Monday. ”So I organised the first meeting in 1977 and that’s how the club was born.”
Since then, members meet annually to swap recipes. This year’s participants include Mark Flanagan, a head cook for the Queen, as well as chefs from South Africa, India and China. Bragard said the power of food should never be underestimated. ”Politics may divide men but a good table reunites them.”
At their last meeting it emerged that Bill Clinton was one of the easiest world leaders to please. ”I made five desserts,” said Madhu Sudan Gupta, who prepares India’s official receptions. ”And Bill Clinton ate all of them.” – Guardian Unlimited Â