Join us on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 @ 7 PM, via Zoom

Come join us to hear about the virtually unknown history of the many Asian heritage chefs who have prepared meals for U.S. presidents extending back more than a century and continuing to the present day. Yet many of their names are largely unknown.

Our speakers, Adrian Miller, a two-time James Beard Award-winning author, and culinary authority Deborah Chang, will present stories from their just-published book, Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking  to the President’s Taste.

Their book uncovers the stories of these chefs who hailed from China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand; they were instrumental in preparing meals at state dinners, on presidential yachts, and at Camp David.

During the presentation, Adrian and Deborah will spotlight five chefs they featured in their book, Their discussion will begin with the early immigrants who served on presidential yachts, and then delve into the life of Lee Ping Quan, the chef who served Presidents Harding and Coolidge. Their story will continue with the experiences of chefs at presidential retreats, rounding out with profiles of current and former White House chefs.

Deborah, who adapted sixty recipes for today’s home kitchen, will also share insights on how these chefs have influenced fusion cuisine and American classics.

Author Bios

Adrian Miller is a food writer and attorney. A two-time James Beard Award winner, his books include Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine, One Plate at a Time, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of the African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, From the Washingtons to the Obamas, and Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue. He received his A.B. in International Relations from Stanford University in 1991, and a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center in 1995. In 2022, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Denver Institute for Urban Studies and Adult College. From 1999 to 2001, Adrian served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton with his Initiative for One America and went on to serve as a senior policy analyst for Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr. Since 2013, Adrian has been the executive director of the Colorado Council of Churches. A certified barbecue judge, Adrian lives in Denver, Colorado.

Deborah Chang, a former attorney, graduated from the Napa Valley Culinary School, cooked at numerous Bay Area restaurants, created award winning recipes for Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and the National Peanut Board. She was born and raised in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan, where she wondered why almond chicken was the most popular dish at her parent’s restaurant, Dragon Inn. She is a graduate of Stanford University and the Michigan Law School. Her career has included being an attorney, a tech executive, and most recently a career counselor.

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Wednesday, May 21, 2025

7 PM Central Time via Zoom

If you have any questions or wish for a link,

please e-mail: Culinary.Historians@gmail.com