Have Dinner at the White House — in Johnston

You might already know for the programs offered for local kids and teens — and this summer, the library staff have also put together a full slate of events and presentations for adults.

The first of this summer's events is scheduled for Wednesday night at 6:45 pm, when performer Judy Bernstein presents "Dinner at the White House," a look at the dishes that have become part of the American cookbook, thanks to their use by Presidents and First Ladies over the years.

"I'd always been a teacher, I'd been teaching oral communication at the college level and I always loved history, so I put the two together [and] this is what came out of it," Bernstein said. "I hope that perhaps through trying to present these Presidential programs and historic American programs will motivate people [and] inspire them to see that history really does continue to live, and my whole purpose is to really bring history to life."

Beyond simply acting the part of James West, who served as Chief Usher at the White House from 1957 to 1969 and wrote the book Upstairs at the White House, Bernstein also shares some of the recipes that Presidential families brought to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

That connection with food — the cultural statements, the intimacy of sharing a meal — adds another dimension to the "Dinner" presentation, Bernstein explained.

"The social style of the White House, and food in particular, really brings these historical people to life," said Bernstein. "My whole focus and my whole efforts are really into inspiring people to love and to respect and to appreciate our history — it's a form of patriotism that people will pick up on and feel good about America."

From West's perspective, Bernstein explained that she's also able to talk about how food evolved at the White House — and, by extension — in American households.

"I like to show how the changes in Washington are so reflective of the personality in the White House," she said. "There's a great change that happens with each Presidential family."

One visible example from fairly recent history was the impact of Jackie Kennedy on the image of the White House, Bernstein recalled.

"The whole country was swept up on the youthfulness that she and President Kennedy brought," she explained, "and Jackie did a lot of things in a very informal way — she did away with a lot of the old traditions, like separating the men and women into different drawing rooms."

And thanks to the talents of Reference Librarians Grayce Moorehead and Lori DeCesare, attendees at Wednesday night's gathering will be able to sample a few of those recipes from different Presidents.

Moorehead said she's planning to offer Teddy Roosevelt's "Poor Man's Shortbread," a concoction of toffee, chocolate, and shortbread — luckily, she's also going to have coffee on hand — while DeCesare is whipping up Laura Bush's "Cowboy Cookies" and Gerald Ford's "Banana Blueberry Bread" for the event.

"We are very excited to have Judy come — we did a lot of research and a lot of thinking; it's a good opportunity to kick start the whole idea of 'Behind the Covers,'" the national theme for this year, Moorehead explained. "We know that food is always a good attraction, and we thought 'Dinner at the White House' would be a good program, because they've had a lot of unusual habits and different things that they did throughout the years."

Moorehead said Bernstein's performance is open to adults with children, though she warned that very young kids — under 5, for example — might be too antsy to sit through the event.

To reserve a free ticket to Wednesday night's presentation, contact the library at (401) 231-4980, and to find out more about the adult summer reading program, visit the Mohr Library Adult Program web page.