What eucalyptus, beetroot salad and cutlery reveal about the US-Australia alliance

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Washington: It was a meal three months in the making, inspired by the Australian landscape and forged in an alliance spanning more than a century.

But 24 hours before it was due to begin, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s state dinner at the White House was scaled back, ever so slightly, due to the escalating crisis in the Middle East.

US President Joe Biden greets Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as he arrived for a private dinner at the White House on Tuesday night.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“While we had initially planned for the legendary B52s to perform their iconic dance and party music, we are now in a time when so many are facing sorrow and pain, so we made a few adjustments to the entertainment portion of the evening,” First Lady Jill Biden revealed as she previewed the event.

“The band will attend the dinner as guests, and the president’s own marine band and the Army and Air Force Strolling Strings will provide instrumental music for the dinner.”

Albanese need not worry about the last-minute tweaks.

A preview of the place settings for the White House gala dinner.Credit: Farrah Tomazin

When US President Joe Biden and the first lady welcome the prime minister and his partner Jodie Haydon to tomorrow’s state dinner – along with about 325 guests – the couple will be treated to an impressive menu created by a team of all-female chefs.

The dinner program, including an exchange of toasts, will unfold in a temporary pavilion being built on the White House lawn.

The ceiling will be draped in sea foam green and deep blue, while the table – covered with a sequined floral design – will be lined with flowers from both countries: roses and eucalyptus; dahlias and delphiniums.

Next to them will be gold-brushed flatware with stone handles, in a partial nod to Australia’s rocky coastline.

And then, of course, there’s the meal itself: an entrée comprising butternut squash soup and roasted beet salad with farro cooked in apple cider and sorghum; a main of sarsaparilla braised short ribs with hints of licorice and herbs; and a dessert comprising a hazelnut and chocolate mousse cake.

“We wanted to welcome the guests from Australia with the warmth and bounty of fall [autumn] in the US,” said guest chef Katie Button, who honed her craft in the kitchens of some of the world’s best chefs.

An example of the chocolate and hazelnut mousse cake to be served at the White House gala dinner.Credit: Farrah Tomazin

(One of them was Spanish restaurateur José Andrés, who notably became a thorn in Donald Trump’s side when he refused to open an eatery inside the former president’s now defunct Trump Hotel in Washington.)

A US state visit is the highest diplomatic honour that the White House reserves for its closest allies, although this was something of a consolation prize after Biden abruptly cancelled a trip to Australia earlier this year.

Hundreds of politicians, business leaders and celebrities are generally invited, but the administration usually keeps the guest list under wraps until the last minute.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for example, was treated to an entirely vegetarian dinner in June, with attendees ranging from tennis legend Billie Jean King and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, to fashion designer Ralph Lauren and Hollywood director M. Night Shyamalan.

And unexpected moments can often take place, such as South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol doing an impressive, impromptu rendition of American Pie during his state dinner in May, after Biden suggested he should sing for the crowd.

Albanese is now the fourth world leader to be honoured with a state visit during Biden’s term, after Modi, Yoon and French President Emmanuel Macron.

And while his visit has not been without its hiccups – the war in the Middle East; the chaos on Capitol Hill forcing the cancellation of a planned joint sitting of Congress – it will nonetheless mark another high point in the US-Australia alliance.

“Nurturing our partnerships and relationships with our allies is critically important, especially in these tumultuous times,” said Dr Biden.

“Food is comforting, reassuring and healing. And we hope that this dinner provides a little of that as well.”

Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.

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