"Cooking to the President’s Taste" with Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang

Join us Wednesday, May 20 at 6 p.m., during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, when we will welcome two-time James Beard award winner and Clinton adminstration alumni Adrian Miller and culinary author Deborah Chang to discuss their book, "Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking to the President’s Taste." Their book is the first-ever history of the many Asian Heritage chefs who have prepared meals for U.S. presidents, paired with 60 recipes that can be made in a 21st-century home kitchen.

In “Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking to the President’s Taste,” Miller and Chang explore the untold and often overlooked stories and contributions of Asian chefs within the presidential realm, including the White House, State Dinners, Presidential yachts, and Camp David. For many years, these stories have been left off the menu. This book uncovers a hidden chapter in America’s culinary history by sharing the stories of Asian heritage chefs.

The program will be available on the Clinton Center’s YouTube channel the following day.

BOOK: Miller and Chang will sign copies of “Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking to the President’s Taste,” following the program. The book will be in stock soon at the Clinton Museum Store, available for pick up at the event or post-event delivery.

ASL interpretation is available during our events.

Clinton Presidential Center Presents is a partnership between the Clinton Foundation, Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, and Clinton Presidential Library.

More about the speakers

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. Miller is also the co-project director and lead curator for the “Proclaiming Colorado’s Black History” exhibit at the Museum of Boulder. A certified barbecue judge, Miller lives in Denver, Colorado.

Deborah Chang, a former attorney, graduated from the Napa Valley Culinary School, cooked at numerous Bay Area restaurants, and 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 parents’ 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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