President Barack Obama marked the start of Passover Monday night with a Seder at the White House. It's a yearly tradition for the president that began on the campaign trail in 2008.

"This has been a very, very powerful event for the president," Deputy White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Monday, adding that Obama planned to use the Seder plate given to him by Sara Netanyahu last week during his trip to Israel.
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Coming up October 16, 2012: Second Presidential Debate @ 7pm ET

Presidential candidates Barack Obama and Mitt Romney may have been gobbling their way through the greasy spoon grub and deep-fried fare of the campaign trail, but today - it's crunch time. The two men need to be firing on all cerebral cylinders for tonight's presidential debate at the University of Denver, and can use every advantage they can get.

Voters will be hanging on every word that comes out of the candidates' mouths, so in these final hours, it's crucial what goes into them. We turned to David Solot, a Ph.D. student in organizational psychology at Walden University, with a Masters in clinical psychology to share his top tips for maximizing mental performance via food.
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After some pressure from the online home brewing community that included a petition on the White House website and a Freedom of Information Act request, the Obama administration gave in Saturday and released its homemade beer recipe.

In a post on the White House Blog, head chef Sam Kass posted the recipes for two beers brewed on the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House Honey Ale and Honey Porter. Both beers are made using honey harvested from the White House bee hive.

Read - White House releases much-anticipated beer recipe on CNN Political Ticker and see Sam Kass' full post on the White House blog

Previously - Inside the White House garden: a conversation with White House chef Sam Kass

If there's a presidential race afoot, there's bound to be some chowing-down around town. President Obama stopped by Atlanta's classic hot dog drive-in The Varsity, entourage in tow, and ordered five chili dogs, four regular dogs, and one hamburger - which he toted back to the parking lot in a paper bag.
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Though President Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel delved into classic Washington fare during their two hour meal Monday night at 1789 Restaurant in the historic Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, tonight's State Dinner, will celebrate all things fresh and new - with a sweet nod to the honored guest's homeland.

From the menu provided by the White House:

A Spring Harvest Dinner
The State Dinner for Germany will celebrate the first harvest of the spring. Many of the vegetables and herbs used to prepare this evening’s dinner came from the White House Kitchen Garden. This garden was created by Mrs. Obama in March of 2009 and has become a central hub for activities here at the White House. In the early spring of this year, students from Tubman Elementary and Bancroft Elementary Schools in Washington DC planted vegetables in the White House Kitchen Garden. On June 3rd, only four days shy of the State Dinner, American Indian children joined the First Lady to plant traditional Native American crops and also harvested these vegetables just in time for the dinner.

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Ray Isle is Food & Wine's executive wine editor. We trust his every cork pop and decant - and the man can sniff out a bargain to boot. Take it away, Ray.

Memorial Day is the start of grilling season, and while there are certainly other things you can grill than burgers, why? A burger is an excellent thing. To that end, here are three great burger wines:

NV Lini Labrusco Lambrusco ($14)
It’s purple, it’s fizzy, it comes from Italy, and it’s really good, the latter part being what separates it from most Lambruscos.
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As world leaders convene in France for the annual G8 Summit, Food & Wine's restaurant editor Kate Krader divulges some top dogs' favored noshes.

Barack Obama: Hamburgers
One of the many DC burger joints he frequents is Good Stuff Eatery, where Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn created the Prez Obama burger and the Michelle Melt for the president’s wife.
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President Barack Obama reconnected with his Irish roots Monday, visiting the village of Moneygall, believed to be the birthplace of one of his great-great-great-grandfathers.

During his visit to Moneygall, the president was greeted by enthusiastic crowds lining the streets despite occasional rain showers. He also briefly ducked into a local pub to sip a Guinness beer.

"It tastes so much better here than it does in the states," Obama joked. "You're keeping all the best stuff here."
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The Prez – not so much a fan of the salty yeast extract that's a staple on sandwiches down under. In fact, he called the Australian spread "horrible." We'd tsk his diplomatic dealings here if we didn't so wholeheartedly agree.

White House Producer Shawna Shepherd weighs in at The 1600 Report

If there's one area where President Obama and his Australian counterpart disagree, it is over the culinary merits of Vegemite.

Vege-what? That was on the mind of one 11th grade history student when she asked Prime Minister Julia Gillard to explain the Australian, um, delicacy, during a visit with Obama to Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia on Monday.

As Gillard described the sandwich spread as a “by-product of making beer” and “yeast paste,” she must have realized how unappetizing that sounded to American kids who grew up on PB&J.

“I’m making this sound really good, aren’t I?” Gillard quipped and then added the spread has a black hue and is “quite salty,” cringe-inducing adjectives when combined with yeast paste.

Read Obama not a Vegemite-terian

Larry Shaughnessy is CNN's Pentagon Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) - France's reputation for fine cuisine is well established. So when one of France's top government officials came to visit Washington, you'd think he'd be treated to dinner at one of Washington's most trendy, elite restaurants - the kind that get mentioned on food blogs or in glossy magazines.

Instead, Defense Secretary Robert Gates took his counterpart, the French Minister of Defense, Alain Juppe, to Gadsby's, an Arlington, Va tavern that serves down-to-earth fare like meatloaf and pork chops.

When Gates mentioned the dinner to reporters Tuesday, it wasn't Gadsby's food he mentioned; it was the restaurant's more than 225 years of history.

"Last evening, I had the pleasure of hosting Minister Juppé along with other French and U.S. officials for dinner at a tavern where Secretary of State John Quincy Adams played host to General Lafayette in 1824. Two centuries later, France remains our strong and valued partner on the global stage."

General Lafayette was one of the French generals who served in the American Continental Army under George Washington during the Revolutionary war. Being treated to dinner at a tavern that once played host to the French hero seemed to delight Minister Juppe.

"I appreciate very much, Mr. Secretary, our wonderful dinner yesterday evening in a very elegant place. And we served prestigious predecessors; I am here after Lafayette. And for me, it's a very great honor."
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