Video
You can enjoy this episode on President Trump’s golden egg, fave cookies, and chocolate https://youtu.be/euLnqYXP6wE?si=HNVYwZmWL7lUr9_I
Former White House Chef, Chef Martin Mongiello is a story weaver intoxicating his audiences by stage and television across the world. A mesmerizing speaker, he’s published nine books, 200+ papers and given over 100 speeches and keynotes in Europe, Asia, and America’s. Featured on CBS, PBS, ABC, NBC, CNN and FOX to almost three billion viewers is only eclipsed by articles in 160+ newspapers and magazines like the Washington Post, LA Times, Australian, The New Yorker, FOOD TV Network Magazine, The Times of London, and many more. His latest television series is Inside the Presidents’ Cabinet.
Today, he is the CEO at The US Presidential Service Center Foundation Trusts and US Presidential Culinary Museum
He spoke to IFEA editorial team about the museum.
IFEA: What were the challenges and exciting moments in setting up state banquets and dinners for visiting heads of state and dignitaries?
Martin: Doing these massive events is much like making a pie or any recipe correctly, step by step, and following science and procedures.
I must admit that I always use Julia Child’s pie crust recipe religiously. She likes to use butter and shortening mixed. This is not how I was taught in the Navy and Navy Cookery School, where only shortening is used.
As a White House Chef and the Executive Chef of the Camp David Resort and Conference Center, I studied Julia since I was a child, watching her shows even on black and white television. I updated her recipe with a trick 2nd Class Petty Officer Gauthier taught me of putting ice cubes into the water and then chilling the water in a bowl in the fridge to ensure it is ice cold. He had a strict warning ⚠️ to me that the massive mixer was never allowed to rotate its hook more than ten times. Pending operations undersea in our submarine, USS Sunfish SSN 649, we often called control for permission to turn the mixer on. Sound can be heard up to 100 miles away, and the last thing we needed was a Crazy Ivan at full speed right at us. I followed his lead like a deck traveler attached to my waist topside.
I taught this ice water trick to Barry Mongiello. Also, I explained that “I make my crust two times as thick because one thing that pissed me off from boot camp – to the high sea swells of the North Atlantic in the middle of a winter storm, was a thin crust that snaps off as soon as you touch it!” Therefore, I double the recipe and make a Man Mountain Dean (you can look up Man Mountain Dean) crust.
I also only use salted Kerry Gold Butter 🧈 from Ireland – the best in the world and therefore omit the salt 🧂 from her recipe. Although Chef Stormy Neal Mongiello wishes I would put a little salt in? Okay, next time, we will go with Hoppy’s Pumpkin 🎃 😋 Pies (her recipe has flour in the slurry). Lastly, I asked Barry, “Which would you prefer? Regular shorten ing or butter-flavored shortening in this pie dough?”
“I think butter-flavored shortening is a rather new product from Cisco, Dad, and sounds better.” Since the proliferation of these two products into actual market availability, we have mutated our recipe to use them.
I always found intricacy critical, following orders, assigning procedures, and executing commands like tracking and understanding a recipe for success. The intricacy and delivery challenges are exciting for setup when dealing with the top people running Earth.
IFEA: What inspired the idea of the presidential culinary museum?
Martin: Moving to a remote area of North Carolina, we asked ourselves why anyone would come to our dump of a B&B. We resolved to invent and create a reason for them to want to go by.
IFEA: Who are the key members of the team conceptualizing, designing and curating the museum?
Martin: They are right here with long, detailed histories and work philosophies. https://theinnofthepatriots.com/our-team-%26-local-history
IFEA: What kind of memorabilia, exhibits and information has been collected for the museum? Who are the contributors?
Martin: These are best seen here https://theinnofthepatriots.com/welcome-to-the-pcmand also here https://theinnofthepatriots.com/special-exhibitions with digital renditions and 365 videos.
IFEA: Are you using visual media and technology to create an impact at the museum?
Martin: Yes, we have video displays, QR code technologies employed, use VR to meet with others, host a film festival, have in-person events with live actors, built a small theater, conduct tours in third-person with lasers, and also have excellent social reach across streaming television with our magazine, newsletter, and television network – the PRESENTS Network.
IFEA : How will the museum contribute to tourism, the public understanding of US history, conservation of tangible and intangible heritage, and culinary diplomacy?
Martin: We have felt that measuring and reporting on our success is very important, and to document such herehttps://theinnofthepatriots.com/presidential-projects
IFEA: Are you developing souvenirs and merchandise for the museum?
Martin: Our three gift shops, two online and one in-person, do quite well! https://theinnofthepatriots.com/shop A number of these, about 300+, feature our various brands.
IFEA: Are there any revenue streams being developed for the museum to be self-sustaining or profitable? Who will profit from the museum?
Martin: The museum is a for-profit museum ordered from inception to make its own money. It has been open and profitable since 2008 and does not panhandle for money or mail out millions of flyers requesting donations. Salaries are not allowed, and as the founder, I have never tolerated being paid an hourly wage. We have put all of the money made back into the museum and donations to the world. Any human profiting from the museum is disallowed.
IFEA: Your tips for organisations and other countries who want to create such museums.
Martin: Start all plans as a for-profit museum and learn as a Doctor how to earn a profit, sustain operations using business models to be open, and begin to end grants, donation pumping, and “remaining open” – based on municipal, foundation, or state donations.
About the Author
Chef & Prof Martin CJ Mongiello, MBA, MA, MCFE – ICFAI University
Chair of the Board of Trustees at The United States Presidential Service Center and US Presidential Culinary Museum.
CEO Americas of Mongiello Associates Marketing Agency
GM of The Inn of the Patriots country inn www.TheInnofthePatriots.com
Past President of Rotary Club of Global Impact #224228 with Rotary International providing DEI initiatives and facilitation
Certified DEI facilitator and Merit Badge Counselor with Scouts BSA of America
