Vegetarian fare at White House save for the prawns

Save for an option of green curry prawns, President Barack Obama offered his guests an all-vegetarian fare at his first state dinner in honour of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who one newspaper had described as an "abstemious vegetarian."

Save for an option of green curry prawns, President Barack Obama offered his guests an all-vegetarian fare at his first state dinner in honour of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who one newspaper had described as an "abstemious vegetarian."

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Dubbed by some as Washington's most elite social event since his Jan 20 inauguration, the Tuesday dinner also featured fresh arugula from the White House garden and entertainment by Oscar winners AR Rahman and Jennifer Hudson.

The food and wines on the menu:

- Potato and eggplant salad

- White House arugula with onion seed vinaigrette

- 2008 sauvignon blanc, Modus Operandi, Napa Valley, Calif.

- Red lentil soup with fresh cheese

- 2006 Riesling, Brooks "Ara," Willamette Valley, Ore.

- 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 grenache, Beckmen Vineyards, Santa Ynez, Calif.

- Pumpkin pie tart, pear tatin, whipped cream and caramel sauce

- Sparkling chardonnay, Thibaut Janisson Brut, Monticello, Va.

- Petits fours and coffee

- Cashew brittle

- Pecan pralines

- Passion fruit and vanilla gelees

- Chocolate-dipped fruit