This document summarizes banqueting customs and cuisine from ancient civilizations through modern times. It describes Egyptian tombs containing foodstuffs and murals depicting meals. Greeks and Romans featured banqueting scenes with food presentations and recipes. Records from ancient Rome list specific recipes. Greek banquets included hors d'oeuvres like seafood and nuts. The document then outlines the evolution of banqueting styles and menus in Europe and America, culminating with descriptions of presidential banquets in the White House from George Washington to the Kennedys.

1. *BANQUETING: CIVILIZED CUSTOMS IN ANCIENT
CIVILIZATIONS*
EGYPTIAN = FILLED THEIR TOMBS WITH
FOODSTUFFS AND COOKWARE TO SUPPLY THEM
IN THE NEXT WORLD AND SIMULTANEOUSLY
COVERING THE WALLS WITH MURALS DESIGNED
TO RECORD FOOD PREPARATION STYLES AND
TABLE SETTING.
GREEKS AND ROMANS = DEPICTIONS OF
BANQUETING SCENES FILLED WITH FOOD
PRESENTATIONS, TABLE CUSTOMS, DECORATIVE
ARTS, AND RECIPES DETAILING A RANGE OF
FOODSTUFFS IN ITS VARIETY.
= THEY FOCUS ON THE TYPES OF FOOD
EATEN RATHER THAN MENUS FOR ENTIRE MEALS.

2. COOKERY AND DINING IN INCIENT ROME = A
COLLECTION OF RECIPES DATING
APPROXIMATELY 42 B.C – A.D. 37 WHICH
INCLUDES:
a. SOLE IN WHITE WINE AND ASPARAGUS
b. SEA SCORPION WITH TURNIPS AND DASHEENS(root
vegetable).
c. BAIAN SEAFOOD STEW
c.1 minced poached oysters,
c.2. mussels
c.3 scallops
c.4 sea nettles
combined with:
toasted nuts, rue, celery, pepper, coriander, cumin,
raisin wine broth and oil.

3. GREEK BANQUETING = FEATURED THE HORS D’
OEUVRES TROLLEY AS SMALL PORTION OF
GARLIC (broiled and roasted) SEA URCHINS,
COCKLES, STURGEON AND SWEET WINE.
STURGEON = LARGE FRESHWATER BONY FISHES
IN THE NORTH TEMPERATE ZONE AND ROE IS
MADE INTO CAVIAR.
COCKLE = A MARINE BIVALVE MOLLUSKS HAVING
A SHELL WITH CONVEX RADIALLY RIBBED
VALVES.
RUE = A EUROPEAN STRONG-SCENTED
PERENNIAL WOODY HERB THAT HAS BITTER
LEAVES.
SOLE = ANY OF VARIOUS FLATFISHES HAVING A
SMALL MOUTH, SMALL FINS AND SMALL EYES
PLACE CLOSE TOGETHER.

4. THIRTEENTH CENTURY (MEDIEVAL PERIOD) –
BARTHOLOMAEUS ANGLICUS
A. FOOD PREPARATION METHOD – ROASTING AND
BOILING OR STEWING.
B. ELABORATE PREPARATIONS AND RITUALS.
C. 1387 FEAST IN HONOR OF ENGLAND’S RICHARD II.
D. THE HEAD TABLE WAS PLACED ON A RAISED
PLATFORM AND LONG TABLE SET PARALLEL TO IT.
E. THE KING WAS PROVIDED WITH AN ARMCHAIR
F. OTHER GUESTS SAT ON BACKLESS BENCHES OR
BANQUETTE.
G. THE USE OF BANQUETTE FOR SEATING WAS THE
ORIGIN OF THE TERM BANQUET.
H. THREE-COURSE MENU OUTLINE WHICH
CONTAINED 25 DISHES.

5. RENNAISSANCE EUROPEAN BANQUETING
1403 = MARRIAGE OF HENRY VI TO JOAN
NAVARRE FEATURED A SOTELTE WITH EACH
COURSE.
SOTELTES = FOOD SCULPTURES AND
SHOWPIECES MOLDED OR SCULPTURED INTO
ANIMALS, FIGURED, OR REPRESENTATIVES OF
CLOWNS AND COAT OF ARMS.
1529 = THE ARCHBISHOP OF MILAN GAVE A
SIXTEEN-COURSE THAT INCLUDED CAVIAR AND
ORANGES FRIED WITH SUGAR AND CINNAMON,
BRILL AND SARDINES WITH SLICES OF ORANGE
ANG LEMON ETC.

6. EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
1727 = THE BANQUET MENU HAD BEEN ABRIDGE
TO TWO MAIN-COURSE SETTING, THE THIRD
COURSE REDUCED TO FRUITS, NUTS, AND
CHEESE SERVED WITH APPROPRAITE PORTS.
18TH CENTURY MENU UNDERWENT A
METAMORPHOSIS TO BECOME THE
FOUNDATION OF THE 20TH CENTURY BANQUET
MENU. TWO COURSES SERVED TO THE
HANOVARIAN COURT BY DUKE DE RICHELIEU. IT
WAS LIMITED ONLY TO SERVE MEAT-BASED
MENU ITEMS. DUE TO SHORTAGE OF HIS FOOD
SUPPLIES.

7. 1867 = THE MENU FORMAT CONTAINED A SHARP
REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF MENU ITEMS
OFFERED AND A SEPARATION OF ITEMS INTO
DISTINCT MENU CATEGORIES AND IT WAS
SERVED AT THE CAFE ANGLAIS IN PARIS.

8. NATIVE AMERICAN FEASTS
FEASTING = IS AN AMERICAN TRADITION DATING TO
THE SOCIAL CEREMONIES OF MANY NATIVE
AMERCAN TRIBES.
JOHN BARTRAM AND GEORGE CATLIN = NATURALIST
AND EXPLORERS WHO HAD AN EARLY RECORDS OF
FASCINATING GLIMPSE OF THE USE OF FOOD
CEREMONIES NATIVE AMERICAN SOCIETIES.
POTLATCH = A CEREMONIAL FEAST HELD IN THE
AMERICAN NORTHWEST FEAST TO MARK
IMPORTANT OCCASIONS SUCH AS: MARRIAGE OR
SUCCESSION OF CHIEFTAINSHIP.
= THE RULES THAT THE POTLATCH
REQUIRED THE HOST TO PROVIDE THE BEST
QUALITY OF FOODS AVAILABLE IN QUANTITIES TO
BE EATEN BY THE NUMBER OF INVITED GUESTS.

9. AMERICAN PRESIDENTIAL BANQUETING
*PRES. GEORGE WASHINGTON*
= IT WAS AMERICA’S OPPORTUNITY TO ENTERTAIN
THE WORLD STAGE. MEALS FOLLOWED THE THREE-
COURSE MENU PATTERN POPULAR AT THE TIME IN
EUROPE.
PRES. THOMAS JEFFERSON*
= HE HAD GREATLY INFLUENCED THE
DEVELOPMENT OF BANQUETING STYLES IN
AMERICA. HE ESTABLISHED A PATTERN OF ELEGANT
BANQUETS FEATURING: FRENCH CUISINE AND THE
BEST AVAILABLE WINES.
= HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE AMERICAN CUISINE
ARE: ICE CREAM, VANILLA PASTA AND TOMATOES.

10. VANILLA FLAVORING = WAS A NEW INGREDIENT FOR
AMERICAN COOKERY, APPEARING IN THE RECIPE OF
VANILLA ICE CREAM.
PASTA = JEFFERSON NOTES AS MACARONI, KNOWN AS
TUBULAR PASTA. BUT FUTHER INVISTIGATION
SHOWS THAT HE WAS ACTUALLY REFERRING TO THE
PASTA CUT KNOWN AS SPAGHETTI.
= HIS FASCINATION WITH FRENCH CUISINE
EXTENDED TO THE EQUIPMENT USED TO PREPARE
AND SERVE IT. HE PURCHASED IN PARIS A LARGE
QUANTITY OF COOKWARE AD BAKEWARE:
a. Silver service e. Saucers
b. Pewterware f. plates
c. Dishes for hors d’ oeuvres g. Soup tureens and bowls
d. Porcelain cups

11. h. Serving platter ad casseroles
i. Cystal goblets
J. Wine tumblers
k. Decanters
l. Tea pot
For the kitchen
a. 28 rounds saucepans g. Pie pans
b. 19 saucepan covers h. Spoons, ladles
c. Frying pans i. Cleavers, knives
d. Food warmers j. Pair of kitchen scales
e. Chocolate molds
f. Ice molds

12. *PRES. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS*
1825 = WHEN THE JOHN QUINCY ADAMS FAMILY
OCCUPIED THE WHITE HOUSE. A RECPETION HELD
IN 1829.
A. COFFEE,
B. TEA
C. VARIETY OF CAKES
D. JELLIES
E. ICE CREAM
F. WHITE AND RED WINE
G. LIQUORS
H. WEST INDIAN FRUIT

13. *PRES. JOHN TYLER*
1845 = WHEN GALA BALL HELD IN THE WHITE HOUSE,
NEAR THE END OF TYLER’S PRESIDENCY.
A. ENORMOUS BOUQUETS OF FLOWERS FILLING
THE ROOMS AND SIDE TABLES LOADED WITH
IMAGINABLE DELICACY.
B. ROAST HAM
C. ROAST WILD DUCK AND OTHER POULTRY.
D. HOME MADE CAKES AND PUDDINGS
E. PUNCH
F. CHAMPAGNE

14. *PRES. JAMES BUCHANAN*
= HE BROUGHT THE FORMAL ELEGANCE OF
EUROPEAN SOCIETY BACK TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
GAUTUER = A FRENCH CATERER WHO REIGN OVER
THE WHITE HOUSE KITCHEN.
5,000 = TOTAL NUMBER GUESTS INVITED ON MARCH
4, 1857 DURING THE INAUGURAL BALL.

15. *PRES. ABRAHAM LINCOLN*
1865 = WAS THE SECOND INAUGURAL BALL OF PRES.
LINCOLN BUT IT WAS NOT TO OVERSHADOWED BY
THE ONGOING CIVIL WAR.
= THE FORMAL SEVEN-COURSE FRENCH MENU WAS
SERVED ON THE OCCASION OF A STATE DINNER AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
*PRES. ULYSSES S. GRANT*
1877 = DIVERSE INFLUENCES IN THE MENU PLANNING
CREATED CHANGES IN THE WHITE HOUSE KITCHEN.
= A COMBINATION OF AMERICAN FOODS SERVED
IN A CLASSICAL FRENCH DINNER FORMAT.

16. *PRES. FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT*
1944 = HE SERVED THE INFORMAL AMERICAN CUISINE
MENU TO GEN. CHARLES DE GAULLE FOR A
WORKING LUCNH.
*THE KENNEDY PERIOD*
JACQUELINE KENNEDY = SHE IS NEXT TO THOMAS
JEFFERSON, MOST SIGNIFICANTLY INFLUENCED THE
STYLE OF BANQUETING IN THE WHITE HOUSE.
= SHE DRAMATICALLY CHANGED THE MENU
FORMAT BY REDUCING THE NUMBER COURSES
FROM SEVEN TO FOUR OR A MAXIMUM OF FIVE
COURSES.