In the Kennedy Style

by Letitia Baldrige

"The atmosphere crackled with excitement as JFK and his beautiful lady presided over the receiving line. Jack and Jackie actually shimmered....They were truly the golden couple...." --William Styron



The Kennedy White House years are becoming ever-more recognized as a legendary time. This book re-creates the most memorable evenings of that storied era--from the outdoor dinner at Mount Vernon to the Pablo Casals gala--with guest lists, menus, recipes, china, table settings, anecdotes from those who attended, and more. Edited by Letitia Baldrige, Jacqueline Kennedy's Social Secretary during the White House years, In the Kennedy Style is an uniquely personal and intimate tribute.



The pages of this elegant gift book are strikingly designed to combine text, quotes, photographs, anecdotes, guest lists, recipes and menus in a highly evocative way. Featured are six of the most remarkable social occasions from the Kennedy the outdoor dinner at Mount Vernon, the Pablo Casals gala, the André Malraux dinner, the Nobel Prize winners evening, dinner for the Grand Duchess and Prince of Luxembourg, and dinner for the Shah of Iran. In addition to photographs, recollections, and memorabilia are menus with recipes, allowing readers to re-create some of the atmosphere of those unforgettable evenings.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Cookbooks

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 13, 1998

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. For a short time I felt like I was WITH the Kennedys in the White House. My goal is to become an entertainer/decorator of Jackie’s caliber. If you aspire to that and use Jackie’s style as a guide, you’re never going to go wrong. I think the book lost points for me because there were so many pages of recipes, but it could be fun to try them if cooking is your thing.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magical evenings in Camelot indeed! Pictures, menus, recipes, and lovely dresses, along with descriptive narrative and memories by Tish Baldridge. Marvelous table settings, china, decor, and florals complete the beautiful world of once-upon-a-time when writers and artists and heads of state came together to be entertained in incomparable style, all set in motion by Jackie Kennedy in a time and place that seems nearly mythical now.

[Tom Schulte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very nice behind-the-scenes look at entertaining in the Kennedy White House written by Jackie's social director Letitia Baldrige and René Verdon, chef for the White House during the administrations of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. Baldrige talks about the context and arrangements, such as the first event, an event at George Washington's Mt. Vernon, entertaining the Nobel laureates including a controversial Linus Pauling. Verdon delivers the details on each course of several events; not only recipes but also explicit directions and advice. This is all immersed in numerous full-color photographs in a large-sized hardcover.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic resource for anyone interested in the receptions and entertainments provided by the Kennedys during their time in the White House. Letitia Baldrige really gives us the inside scoop with lots of interesting tidbits and behind the scenes details.

I'm only sorry this book wasn't longer.

[Barb Innes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun & Fast read....menu's and recipes too! I love everything ....Jackie Kennedy!

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast, easy, elegant read.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

So the Kennedys were extremely well liked. Why did I not know that

[Louise Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an entertaining coffee table book about, well, entertaining at the White House during the Kennedy years. Written by Letitia Baldrige, social secretary to Jacqueline Kennedy, and filled with beautiful pictures, it gives a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and details that went into creating some of that era's most memorable White House evenings, among them an evening honoring Nobel Prize winners, an evening when renowned cellist Pablo Casals played, another when the French Minister of State for Cultural Affairs, Andre Malraux, was honored.(So successful was this evening that Malraux agreed to allow the Louvre's masterpiece, the Mona Lisa, to be exhibited in America). Of all the evenings, the one to which I wish I had been invited was a candlelit dinner held at Mount Vernon. Imagine entertaining 138 guests in a place that had virtually no electricity and heat and only limited kitchen and rest room facilities. Even getting the guests transported by boat from Washington D.C. up the Potomac to Mount Vernon would have been a logistical problem. In addition food (food that would travel well) would need to be prepared in the White House kitchen, then transported along with generators, tables, chairs, tents, china, linen, crystal, and portable toilets to the site. It took much planning and even dress rehearsals but all problems were solved and it all came together to make a magical evening for the guests and Mrs. Kennedy's desire to show off one of America's treasures was fulfilled.

A wonderful bonus in this book is that Rene Verdon, White House chef at the time, has included the menu for each dinner, plus the recipes. Although some are dishes that only an experienced cook would want to tackle, there are a number of recipes, particularly in a chapter "At Home With the Kennedys", that are not difficult at all. Three of them--a fettucine recipe, one for Cream of Tomato Soup, and a Boston Clam Chowder--have made my list of favorite recipes that I enjoy making in my own kitchen.

Letitia Baldrige says, "For all those who have heard about the grace and charm of the Kennedy White House and wondered was it really that extraordinary? The answer is "Yes." And, in addition to paying tribute to Jacqueline Kennedy and her elegance and good taste, Baldrige encourages all her readers to do more entertaining in their own homes. To do so, she says, is to give something special of ourselves. It is a kindness to our friends and loved ones.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the perks of buying a used book is that you occasionally come across one that has been autographed by the author. This book had an autograph by Letitia Baldrige, best known for her years as social secretary at the White House to Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy, but also known for the many high-profile jobs she held before and after that time period.

The book discusses many of the elaborate state dinners that were held during the Kennedy adminisration, with photos, programs and menus, as well as recipes for many of the dishes, courtesy of the French chef at the time, Rene Verdon.

Most enjoyable.

**#75 of 100 books pledged to read/review during 2015**

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely coffee table book with photos & recipes from the Kennedy White House. I loved the behind-the-scenes details regarding Jackie's approach to entertaining. As everyone knows, her taste was impeccable and showed up in the most minute of details. The party planner in me just loved it:)

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photos and firsthand account was very good. I would have liked less recipes since I do not cook, but they were interesting to read.

[Kelly Chester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it was very interesting love the stuff about the Kennedys

[David messner · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderfully written , lovely photos , great recipes

[Lillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice coffee table book. An easy read with great pictures and recipes.

[Keri Murcray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting details about the special events during the Kennedy years in the White House.

[Kerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite is the Mount Vernon dinner. A storied evening.