A White House Fiesta

W A S H I N G T O N, Sept. 5 -- The inaugural state dinner of George W. Bush's presidency was an elegant night of red meat, decadent desserts and fireworks in honor of Mexico's visiting first couple.

First lady Laura Bush said tonight's dinner for Mexican President Vicente Fox and his wife Martha, as it welcomes the leader of such a close neighbor to her native Texas, will be a "special" and "sentimental" one.

"In some ways it will be formal, and that honors our guest," Mrs. Bush said. "But it will also be very festive."

After the 130 guests had taken their seats in the White House, Bush stood to toast his friend and one of his closest gobal allies.

"On behalf of the American people Laura and I welcome you to the United States and to the Casa Blanca," Bush said.

Fox rose after Bush. "We will move with success into the 21st Century," Fox said.

Marriage of Flavors

Bush and the first lady are big fans of spicy Tex-Mex food, and the menu is what the Mrs. Bush called "a marriage of Mexican and American flavors."

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After inviting a few friends to an informal tasting of several red meats in July, Mrs. Bush settled on a main course of pumpkin seed-crusted bison, or as it is called on the Spanish-language side of the menu: bison con empanizado de pepitas.

"The entree was just picked by acclamation," Mrs. Bush told reporters today. "Everyone said it was so delicious."

Sticking to the Theme

From a White House staff and a president that have made a point of slimming down, even forming a Bush administration Weight Watchers group, bison is a low-fat, low-cholesterol alternative to steak that offers a slightly fuller flavor.

For a dinner looking to emphasize the closeness of Mexico and the United States, the bison is also, said White House chef Walter Scheib III, "an animal whose range was all throughout that area" where the two nations' borders meet.

In keeping with the theme, there's sauce sweetened with apples and spiced up with chipotle peppers to accompany the bison. Potatoes are whipped American style, but with poblano peppers added for kick.