"barack obama" news and stories

On Presidents Day this year, we fully expect a little bit of imbibing to take place at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Every U.S. president has had his vice -- James Buchanan would reportedly trek to a distillery each Sunday to purchase a gallon-sized jug of whiskey. It's also been reported that JFK did not serve lemonade, water, or even beer, aboard the presidential yacht -- instead, he turned to daiquiris.

And Barack Obama is no exception. On the heels of his "beer summit" in July 2009 where he chugged mugs of beer with two others on the Rose Garden patio, and following White House tradition, he and Michelle ensure that flutes of Domaine Chandon's sparkling wine (Blanc de Noirs, $22) are poured at all state dinners and other White House receptions.

It sounds like a setup for a joke: An American president (well, a look-alike) is in China, hawking a fish sandwich for a chicken chain.

But we're not kidding. An Obama doppelganger has been hired by China's KFC marking team to advertise the chain's new fish sandwich. Obama Foodorama, a blog dedicated to rounding up Obama-related food news (someone's gotta do it, we suppose), reports that KFC, the most popular fast-food chain in the country, is hoping the "Mmmm, change is good!" ad campaign will boost sales. Whether "Fauxbama" does the trick remains to be seen.

Read the story at Obama Foodorama.

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama may be doing their part to get Americans to eat healthy, but they -- like most of us -- still can't pass up a good piece of pie.

Bill Yosses, the pastry chef at the White House, makes pie-on-demand so good that the president has dubbed the chef the "Crustmaster."

"I'm the dark side," Yosses tells the Associated Press, invoking a "Star Wars" reference. "They love our pies."

But what's his pie secret? Find out after the jump.

Photo: John Paul Filo, CBS Broadcasting Inc./AP.

President Obama made his first appearance Monday night on the "Late Show with David Letterman" as President of the United States, but it was a potato that stole the show.

The commander-in-chief -- who made his sixth appearance on the talk show (his first as President) to discuss Afghanistan, the economy, unemployment and health care -- was upstaged by a heart-shaped potato, brought to the show's taping by Mary Apple of Independence, Mo.

"The main reason I'm here?" the President said. "I want to see that heart-shaped potato."

Former President Clinton and President Obama. Photo: Charles Dharapak/Getty Images.

Two presidents known for their shared love of greasy foods chose a healthier choice for a meeting in New York.

After giving a speech to Wall Street on Monday, President Obama met up with former President Clinton at Greenwich Village's upscale Il Mulino, whose cuisine from Italy's Abruzzi region features dishes like Scaloppini Capriccio (veal sauteed in wine with prosciutto, fontina and mushrooms) and Red Snapper Sauteed with Seafood Sauce.

While the White House would not give Slashfood any information on the presidential menu, Clinton told reporters gathered outside that the two had "fish, pasta and salad," the Christian Science Monitor reports.

"It was very healthy. Even I was healthy," said Clinton, whose notorious taste for fast food -- the defunct McDonald's McRib sandwich in particular -- was a target of "Saturday Night Live" humor during his presidency.