National Archives Releases Recipes From JFK, LBJ and Queen Elizabeth II

June 10, 2011— -- Ever taste a British monarch's scones, a Kennedy's chowder or President Lyndon B. Johnson's Texas chili? Well, now you can. Today the National Archives opens "What's Cooking Uncle Sam?" -- its first exhibit on the history of American food and the government's effect on the nation's diet.

The exhibit includes more than 100 original documents and images, as well as government videos, from antiquated food guidelines to a scones recipe Queen Elizabeth II sent to President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

"The concern was malnutrition and getting enough calories," exhibit curator Alice Kamps said. "The very earliest guides didn't emphasize fruits and vegetables, because vitamins hadn't been identified or their importance in a nutritious diet wasn't known."

Kamps believes this exhibit will add to the conversation as the country wrestles with problems of obesity and unhealthy eating.

Check out some royal and presidential recipes from the past below, and click the titles to see the original documents. Please post comments or photos of your culinary creations to the World News Facebook Page.

John F. Kennedy's New England Fish Chowder:(Serves 6)

Haddock – 2 pounds

Salt Pork (diced) – 2 ounces

Onions (sliced) – 2

Potatoes (diced) – 4

Celery (chopped) – 1 cup

Bay leaf (crumbled) – 1

Milk – 1 quart

Butter – 2 tablespoons

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Simmer haddock in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes, drain and reserve broth.

2. Remove bones from fish.

3. Saute diced pork until crisp, remove and set aside.

4. Saute onions in pork fat until golden brown.

5. Add fish, potatoes, celery, bay leaf, salt and pepper.

6. Pour in fish broth plus enough boiling water to make 3 cups of liquid.

7. Simmer for 30 minutes.

8. Add milk and butter nd simmer for 5 minutes.

9. Serve chowder srinkled over pork dice.

Queen Elizabeth II's Drop Scones:(Serves 16)

Flour – 4 teacups

Caster sugar – 4 tablespoons

Milk – 2 teacups

Eggs – 2

Bicarbonate soda – 2 teaspoons

Cream of tartar – 3 teaspoons

Melted butter – 2 tablespoons

1. Beat eggs, sugar and about half the milk together.

2. Add flour, and mix well together adding remainder of milk as required, also bicarbonate soda and cream of tartar.

3. Fold in the melted butter.

4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

5. Cook tablespoon-size lumps for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Claudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson's recipe for Pedernales River Chili:

Chili meat (coarsely-ground round steak or well-trimmed chuck) – 4 pounds

Onion (chopped) – 1

Garlic cloves – 2

Oregano (ground) – 1 teaspoon

Comino seed – 1 teaspoon

Chili powder – 6 teaspoons

Tomatoes (canned, whole) – 1.5 cups

Liquid hot sauce – 2 to 6 generous dashes

Hot water – 2 cups

Salt

1. Place meat, onion and garlic in large, heavy pan or dutch oven

2. Cook until light in color.

3. Add oregano, comino seed, chili powder, tomatoes, hot pepper sauce, salt and hot water.

4. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 1 hour.

5. Skim off fat during cooking.

Dwight D. Eisenhower's Vegetable Soup:(As published in The Marion Sentinel, Linn County, Iowa.)

"The best time to make vegetable soup is a day or so after you have fired chicken and out of which you have saved the necks, ribs, backs, uncooked. (The chicken is not essential, but does add something.)

Procure from the meat market a good beef soup bone – the bigger the better. It is a rather good idea to have it split down the middle so that all the marrow is exposed. I frequently buy, in addition, a couple pounds of ordinary soup meat, either beef or mutton, or both.