Mexican State Dinner Dessert - 1984: Tequila Mousse with Kiwi and Coconut Sorbet

"In the 1970s, before I worked at the White House, I had the wonderful experience of helping to open the Acapulco Princess, at the time one of the world's most spectacular hotels. . . Years later at the White House, I was excited to draw on this experience when crafting a dessert for a State Dinner honoring Mexican President Miguel de la Madrid. A tequila mousse accompanied by kiwi and coconut sorbet would be just right, I thought . . . As for the presentation, I molded the sorbet into hollow cactus shapes (I had chosen the kiwi not only for its acidity, but because I thought its color would be great for this purpose), filled the cacti with the tequila mousse, and garnished them with pulled-sugar cactus flowers and pulled-sugar spines. Then each platter was decorated with some long-stemmed strawberries and shredded coconut." - Excerpt from "A Sweet World of White House Desserts" by Roland Mesnier.

Date of Work: 1984
Medium: Photo
Credit: Collection of Roland Mesnier

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