The main course, a grilled cannon of Colorado lamb garnished with garlic fried milk, is shown during a preview in the State Dining Room of White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept 24, 2015, for the state dinner of the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. [Photo/IC]

白宮方面說，這一菜單由白宮主廚(White House Executive Chef)克里絲·科默福德和首席糕點(diǎn)師(White House Executive Pastry Chef )蘇珊·莫里森根據(jù)中美飲食傳統(tǒng)(Chinese and American culinary traditions)設(shè)計(jì)，還從紐約請來華裔名廚(Chinese-American chef)羅慕娟，擔(dān)任這次國宴的客座廚師。他們創(chuàng)作的靈感(inspired by)來自秋收(the harvest of the late summer)，使用的蔬菜食材大都為本地種植，一部分還直接來自白宮菜園(the White House garden)。

The dessert called "a stroll through the garden" composed of handmade chocolate pavilion and bridge, pulled sugar roses, and white lotus flowers, that symbolize good fortune, is shown during a preview in the State Dining Room of White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, for the state dinner of the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. It will be Colorado lamb on the menu and Grammy-winning R&B singer Ne-Yo as the entertainment, when President Barack Obama welcomes Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House for a state dinner on Friday. [Photo/Agencies]

據(jù)莫里森介紹，甜點(diǎn)“花園漫步”(a stroll through the garden)拼盤中有用巧克力制作的中式亭(Chinese-style chocolate pavilion)和小橋(bridge)，還有白蓮花(white lotus flowers)形狀的小甜點(diǎn)，這充分展現(xiàn)了國宴中的中國元素(Chinese elements)。

【聽什么？】

國宴這么高大上的場合，當(dāng)然不能沒有音樂助興。

根據(jù)白宮的消息，演奏佐餐音樂的是來自底特律的“斯芬克斯”(Sphinx Organization String Quarte)弦樂四重奏。甜點(diǎn)上完后，國宴還有文藝表演環(huán)節(jié)，獻(xiàn)藝的將是R&B歌手、三項(xiàng)格萊美獎(jiǎng)得主尼歐(Grammy award-winning singer Ne-Yo)。

A table setting is shown during a preview in the State Dining Room of White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept 24, 2015, for the state dinner of the visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping. [Photo/IC]

【看什么？】

據(jù)悉，為了這次國宴，白宮東廳(East Room of the White House)做了專門的布置和準(zhǔn)備。據(jù)介紹，東廳的布置參考了東西方的審美情趣(Chinese and Western aesthetics)，表達(dá)了對中美建筑和自然(Chinese and American architecture and landscapes)的敬意(deep respect)。

白宮為這次國宴挑選的徽記(emblem)是“玫瑰”。兩朵采用書法形式表現(xiàn)的玫瑰(calligraphic representation of the rose)，印在接近5米長的絲綢卷軸(scrolls)上，表現(xiàn)了心與心的溝通。