Hightower Lowdown

The First Lady is writing another book—a sequel to her earlier White House literary turns, including It Takes a Village and Dear Socks, Dear Buddy, which was a delightful collection of children's letters sent to the First Cat and First Dog, respectively.

This time, though, she tells us fascinating tales of her role as hostess, relating how the First Couple entertains the privileged and the powerful. The new book is entitled, An Invitation to the White House. Even if you're among the 99.99% of Americans who never get invited to the White House, you'll probably find much that's useful here, including a glimpse of what one would serve to the prime minister of China! You just never know when Zhu Rongji might stop by, and there you are without a box of Hamburger Helper or anything.

The volume will offer some 30 recipes that you can serve the next time two or three hundred dignitaries come for dinner at your place—assuming you have a chef and a full kitchen staff paid for by taxpayers.

The First Lady's new book brings to mind another First Lady's effort to cope with public curiosity about food issues. In 1981, Nancy Reagan received an inquiry from a single mother who was getting $27 a month in food stamps. How, the woman inquired, was she ever going to feed her family on such an allotment? Nancy sent back a delightful recipe for a crab and artichoke dish the Reagans had served at a White House dinner. The cost of the dish: $20 per serving.