STATE DINNER In Honor of HIS EXCELLENCY DR. MANMOHAN SINGH PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA and MRS. GURSHARAN KAUR THE WHITE HOUSE November 24, 2009 Overview Official Visit State Dinner The first State Dinner for a foreign head of state was held by President and Mrs. Ulysses S. Grant on December 12, 1874 for King David Kalakaua of Hawaii. Since that first dinner, many traditions have been added to State and Official Visits - yet the common theme of forging friendships, exchanging knowledge and building bridges that last for years to come remain unchanged. As the world's two largest democracies, India and the United States share common ideals and strengths, and the United States and India are working together to address a number of global challenges of the 21st Century--from security to the economy to climate change to the health and education of our people. Previous State Dinners at the White House in honor of India include those hosted by the following Presidents and First Ladies: o o o o o President George W. Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush in 2005 President William J. Clinton and Mrs. Hillary Clinton in 2000 President Ronald Reagan and Mrs. Nancy Reagan in 1985 and 1982 President Lyndon B. Johnson and Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson in 1966 President John F. Kennedy and Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy in 1963 The most recent State Dinner held at the White House was for the President and First Lady of Ghana hosted by President and Mrs. Bush on September 15, 2008. Tonight's State Dinner will be held under a tent on the South Lawn of the White House. The d?cor will reflect the Obamas' dedication to green and sustainable elements and will feature a garden theme. Through the tent, guests will have views of the South Lawn Fountain, the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Monument. The South Grounds of the White House were completed during the Grant Administration and it was President Grant who commissioned the building of the fountains on both the North and South Grounds of the White House. Settings and Arrangements Guests will sit at round tables for ten. Tables will be covered in apple green linens. Deep purple flower arrangements at each table will pay homage to the state bird of India, the Indian Peacock. The centerpiece bouquets are composed of flowers that are evocative of the classic American garden: hydrangea, garden roses, and sweet peas in a rich palette of deep plum, purple and fuchsia. Arrangements of magnolia branches will surround the walls of the tent. Magnolias are native to both India and the United States. The magnolia, ivy, and nandina foliage used for the occasion are locally grown and sustainably harvested. After the dinner, the bouquets will be recycled and re-used throughout the White House. Services and Place Settings The tables will be set with the following china from the White House's historic collection. Service Plates - Eisenhower Porcelain, 1955, New Castle, Pennsylvania, Castleton China, Inc. U.S. Government purchase, 1955. Service Plates - Clinton State China Service China, 2000, Trenton, New Jersey, Lenox, Inc. Gift of the White House Historical Association, 2000. Commissioned to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the White House. Dinner Plates - George W. Bush State China Service China, 2008-2009, Kinston, North Carolina, Lenox, Inc. Gift of the White House Acquisition Trust, 2009. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first American President to visit India after its independence. Dinner Menu Potato and Eggplant Salad White House Arugula With Onion Seed Vinaigrette 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Modus Operandi, Napa Valley, California ? Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Cheese 2006 Riesling, Brooks "Ara", Wilamette Valley, Oregon ? Roasted Potato Dumplings With Tomato Chutney Chick Peas and Okra or Green Curry Prawns Caramelized Salsify With Smoked Collard Greens and Coconut Aged Basmati 2007 Granache, Beckmen Vineyards, Santa Ynez, California ? Pumpkin Pie Tart Pear Tatin Whipped Cream and Caramel Sauce Sparkling Chardonnay, Thibaut Janisson Brut, Monticello, Virginia ? Petits Fours and Coffee Cashew Brittle Pecan Pralines Passion Fruit and Vanilla Gelees Chocolate-Dipped Fruit Menu Selection Mrs. Obama worked with Guest Chef Marcus Samuelsson and White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford and her team to create a menu that reflects the best of American cuisine, continues this White House's commitment to serving fresh, sustainable and regional food, and honors the culinary excellence and flavors that are present in Indian cuisine. Herbs and lettuces are harvested from the White House Kitchen Garden. White House Executive Pastry Chef William Yosses and his team created the desserts. The pears are poached in honey from the White House Beehive. Desserts will be garnished with mint and lemon verbena grown in the White House Kitchen Garden. Guest Chef Marcus Samuelsson At the age of 39, Marcus Samuelsson has received more accolades than many chefs receive in a lifetime. A graduate of the Culinary Institute in Gothenburg, Samuelsson apprenticed in Switzerland, Austria, France and the U.S. In 1995 he was hired as Aquavit's Executive Chef. Just 3 months later, Aquavit received a three-star review from The New York Times. Samuelsson was honored with the James Beard Foundation Award for 'Rising Star Chef' in 1999 and 'Best Chef, New York' in 2003. He was also celebrated as one of "The Great Chefs of America" by The Culinary Institute of America. Entertainment Performances by Kurt Elling Jennifer Hudson National Symphony Orchestra with Marvin Hamlisch Conductor A.R. Rahman United States Marine Band Kurt Elling - Eight-time Grammy nominee, Kurt Elling, is an American jazz vocalist and composer who has released nine albums to date. His quartet tours the world continually, performing to critical acclaim worldwide and at jazz festivals and concert halls across North America. He has won five Jazz Journalists Association Awards for Best Male Vocalist and the Prix Billie Holiday from the Academie du Jazz in Paris. Elling is a former National Trustee and National Vice Chairman of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and has been artist-in-residence for the Monterey Jazz and the Singapore Music Festivals. Jennifer Hudson - is an American recording artist and actress who rose to the national spotlight as one of the top finalists on the third season of the Fox reality television series American Idol. She made her film debut in the 2006 adaptation of the American musical, Dreamgirls. Her performance as "Effie" landed her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe Award, a BA FTA Award, an NAA CP Image Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award among many others. Hudson won a Grammy Award for her debut album, Jennifer Hudson, which was released in 2008 and was certified gold by the RIAA for more than 500,000 shipped copies. National Symphony Orchestra - Beginning its seventy-eighth season, the National Symphony Orchestra regularly participates in events of national and international importance, including performances for state occasions, presidential inaugurations and official holiday celebrations. The National Symphony Orchestra has toured four continents and performed for heads of state. Founded in 1931, the Orchestra has been committed to both artistic excellence and music education. In 1986, the National Symphony became the artistic affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts where it has presented a concert season annually since the Kennedy Center opened in 1971. The Orchestra itself numbers 100 musicians, presenting a 52-week season of approximately 175 concerts each year. Marvin Hamlisch - holds the position of principal pops conductor for the National Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony and San Diego Symphony. As composer, Hamlisch has won virtually every major award that exists: three Oscars, four Grammys, four Emmys, a Tony and three Golden Globe awards; his ground breaking show, A Chorus Line, received the Pulitzer Prize. He is the composer of more than forty motion picture scores including his Oscar-winning score and song for The Way We Were and his output of scores for films include original compositions and musical adaptations. A.R. Rahman - is an Indian film composer, record producer, musician and singer. With a career spanning over a decade, Rahman has sold more than 100 million records of his film scores and soundtracks worldwide. In 2009, Rahman received two Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song for Jai Ho and also became the first Indian artist to win a Golden Globe for Best Original Score. Rahman is also the recipient of the Critics Choice Award and a Los Angeles Film Critics Award for the Slumdog Millionaire score. The President's Own United States Marine Band - Founded in 1798 by an Act of Congress, "The President's Own" United States Marine Band is America's oldest continuously active professional musical organization. the band has performed for every U.S. President since John Adams. Known as "The President's Own" since the days of Thomas Jefferson, the Marine Band's primary mission is to provide music for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. Today, "The President's Own" is celebrated for its role at the White House and its dynamic public performances. "The President's Own" encompasses the United States Marine Band, Marine Chamber Orchestra, and Marine Chamber Ensembles, and performs regularly at the White House and for more than 500 public performances across the nationeach year.