Anne Burrell Goes to the White House

By: Debra Puchalla

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Anne Burrell Easter Egg Roll White House

Food Network chef Anne Burrell got a thumb's up from First Lady Michelle Obama Monday at the White House's Easter Egg Roll, which drew 30,000 people to the South Lawn for fun that went far beyond eggs. "A little love in your food makes everything taste better," Anne told Mrs. Obama, prepping pasta with broccoli rabe pesto and sausage as a family-friendly all-in-one-meal idea for visitors. "Kids, you would eat this at home, right?" the First Lady asked, getting a big "yes" in reply. Mrs. Obama said the dish — a nourishing mix of protein, veggies, good fat from olive oil and pistachios — tasted cheesy enough to be kid-friendly but sophisticated enough for date night. Watch the video here and get the recipe over on the Let's Move blog.

"It's the perfect ratio of pasta to sauce," Anne said. "When you finish the pasta you should have just enough sauce left to take the last of your bread and get that little bit, wipe it up so your plate's clean. Then you can put your plate right back in the cupboard because you're part of the clean-plate club." Anne was on stage in the Play With Your Food area along with White House chef Cristeta Comerford, White House pastry chef Bill Yosses (pictured above) and other food-famous folks including Al Roker and Ina Garten; there, visitors followed up egg-rolling by peeking into the garden that supplies the First Family with fresh vegetables year-round, eating jelly beans and learning how long it takes to work them off (30 seconds each) and trying out tennis and basketball on the White House courts. The eat-well-move-more activities were in support of the First Lady's Let’s Move! initiative, which aims to reduce the rates of childhood obesity in the United States.

Food Network recently partnered with the First Lady's office and the Partnership for a Healthier America to encourage Americans to follow the USDA's MyPlate guidelines, sharing recipes on Pinterest. Check out the MyPlate Pinterest boards to find easy FoodNetwork.com recipes for chicken, slow-cooker favorites, pasta, vegetarian options, side dishes and more, then read more about Food Network’s venture with Partnership for a Healthier America and hear more from First Lady Michelle Obama.

(Photo above from left to right: Chef Bill Yosses, Chef Cristeta Comerford and Chef Anne Burrell)

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