What’s cooking. Marinated millet, stuffed mushrooms and risotto on White House State dinner menu for PM Modi

Marinated millet, corn kernel salad, and stuffed mushrooms are on the menu for 400 guests invited to the State dinner being hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House's South Lawn on Thursday.

First Lady Jill Biden on Wednesday said she has asked Chef Nina Curtis - who specialises in plant-based cuisine - to work with the White House staff and create a stunning vegetarian menu for Prime Minister Modi, who is a devout vegetarian.

A menu is pictured as U.S. first lady Jill Biden hosts a media preview in advance of Thursday's State Dinner as part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official visit to the United States, in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein | Photo Credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN

Guests will have the option to add fish to their main course as well, she said during the media preview for the State dinner.

Modi arrived here from New York where he led a historic event at the UN Headquarters earlier in the day to commemorate the 9th International Day of Yoga, attended by UN officials, diplomats and prominent personalities. He is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the First Lady.

More than 400 guests have been invited for the dinner at the specially decorated pavilion on the South Lawn of the White House, the Frist Lady said.

White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and Guest Chef Nina Curtis pose as they present dishes from the menu during a media preview | Photo Credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN

The first course on the State dinner will include marinated millet, grilled corn kernel salad, compressed watermelon and a tangy avocado sauce. The main course includes stuffed portobello mushrooms and creamy saffron-infused risotto.

Upon request, guests would be served sumac-roasted sea bass, lemon-dill yoghurt sauce, crisped Millet cakes and summer squashes, according to the menu.

For dessert is rose and cardamom-infused strawberry shortcake. Wines on the list are Stone Tower Chardonnay "Kristi" 2021, PATEL Red Blend 2019 and Domain Carneros Brut Rose.

California-based chef Curtis said, "It is truly a pleasure to be able to work with the First Lady and help her to bring her culinary vision to life... we have curated a menu that really showcases the best in American cuisine and also then seasoned with Indian elements and flavours," she said.

"We are also very excited that India is leading efforts to celebrate the International Year of the Millets. We have incorporated marinated millets into our menu and the Indian cuisine elements throughout the menu," the chef said.

Design and decor

White House Social Secretary Carlos Elizondo, previewing the dinner, said the First Lady has been involved in this event at every step.

Every element of the dinner and decor has been chosen to make each guest's experience personal and warm, Elizondo said.

The decor of the venue features elements that honour the tradition and cultures of the US and India, including the Indian flag, he said.

"The inspiration for our design really began with the peacock, India's national bird. From the invitations to the programmes to the pavilion, we wanted to evoke that breathtaking feeling when it extends its tail, unveiling its colourful beauty, majesty, and strength," the social secretary said.

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"Green draping will flow from the ceiling, giving way to tables cloaked in the saturated blues and greens of Indian silks, falling onto a carpet of navy blue. The hues, not only a nod to our guests, but also to our host, as blue and green are also two of Dr (Jill) Biden's favourite colours," Elizondo said.

Each table will feature an arrangement of blooms in vases large and small, and the colour of the flowers mirrors the saffron of India's flag and the heritage it represents, he said.

The social secretary said as leaders have done at State dinners for decades, the president and the prime minister will give their toasts from an eagle lectern.

"For this dinner, embossed on the rich forest green backdrop behind them, we have replicated that iconic eagle and a peacock in the same style, framing the leaders with their national birds. In the peacock's talons, stalks of millets, a nod to India's successful campaign to declare 2023 the International Year of Millets," he said.

Elizondo said around them are lotus flowers which are important symbols in India.

"Their gleaming petals reminding us, that each day, our nations bloom stronger and more radiant, together. Throughout the space, you will see more images of lotuses, their design inspired by the mandala illustrations found in traditional Indian art," he added.

Entertainment acts

American violinist and conductor Joshua Bell, along with South Asian Penn Masala, has been invited to the entertainment portion of the State dinner for Prime Minister Modi.

Bell is a Grammy award-winning violinist, soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and conductor, and currently the Music Director of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields.

Bell’s highlights in the 2023-24 season include an international tour of his newly-commissioned project, The Elements, featuring works by renowned living composers.

Bell, who has been nominated for six Grammy awards, was named 'Instrumentalist of the Year' by Musical America, deemed a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, and received the Avery Fisher Prize for outstanding achievement in classical music.

Penn Masala is a South Asian Cappella group founded by students at the University of Pennsylvania. They are known for original compositions and harmonies that traverse traditions and capture the experience of growing up with both Eastern and Western cultures.

Penn Masala has performed around the world, including at the Indian International Film Academy (IIFA) Awards, and in the Hollywood feature film and soundtrack for Pitch Perfect 2, which received an American Music Award for Best Soundtrack in 2015.

'The President’s Own' United States Marine Band Chamber Orchestra will also be performing. For more than two centuries, the United States Marine Band has been part of the events that have shaped the nation. Established by an Act of Congress in 1798, the Marine Band is America’s oldest continuously active professional music organisation and made its White House debut on New Year’s Day in 1801.

Its primary mission is unique — to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. In its third century, the Marine Band continues a tradition of excellence that earned it the title, 'The President’s Own'.

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