WASHINGTON (AP) — A little more than 24 hours before President Barack Obama hosts his final White House state dinner, for Italy's prime minister, guest and celebrity chef Mario Batali appeared as cool as the sweet potato puree that will be stuffed inside of hundreds of pasta pockets and turned into a ravioli appetizer.
After the ravioli course is served Tuesday, guests will dine on a roasted butternut squash salad before slicing into pinwheels of beef, a classic Italian dish that the White House is putting its spin on by using American Wagyu beef instead.
Batali, who sported his trademark ponytail and ever-present orange Crocs as White House officials previewed the menu and decor for Obama's 13th and final state dinner, said he collaborated on all four courses with executive chef Cristeta Comerford and pastry chef Susie Morrison and their teams.
Regarded as an expert on Italian cuisine, Batali said he wasn't as worried about serving Obama and his wife, Michelle, as he was about serving Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and his wife, Agnese Landini.
A restaurateur, cookbook author and a host of the ABC daytime, cooking show "The Chew," Batali isn't the first guest chef to apply his culinary know-how to a White House state dinner.
