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Russian State Dinner Dessert - 1987: Honey Vanilla Ice Cream with Russian Tea Parfait

Russian State Dinner Dessert - 1987: Honey Vanilla Ice Cream with Russian Tea Parfait

"When Mikhail Gorbachev arrived in Washington, it was clear he was well liked . . . While referring to the nation's culture I was careful to avoid political or religious references for fear of giving offense or creating a misunderstanding. I designed the dessert to exhibit some Russian flair, starting with the chocolate base, which had a pattern borrowed from the parquet floor in the Kremlin. Two sugar baskets with white and green pulled-sugar ribbons held fresh raspberries, a delicacy in Russia . . . In the center of the platter was a sphere of honey vanilla ice cream filled with a tea parfait, honey and tea being two very popular flavors in Russia. I molded the small chocolate candies that you can see in front of the ice cream to resemble the onion domes of the Kremlin. Acorn-shaped meringue cookies filled with vodka jam completed the presentation." - Excerpt from "A Sweet World of White House Desserts" by Roland Mesnier.

Date of Work
1987
Medium
Photo
Credit
Collection of Roland Mesnier