1 WASHINGTON - It was a White House gala with the razzle-dazzle of a real state dinner.
2 Amid the soothing strains of a harp, guests promenaded into the Executive Mansion, pausing before a clutch of media before making their way to a receiving line and into the East Room, where waiters in tuxedos regaled them with an eight-course meal served on gold-rimmed china.
3 But unlike at other White House feasts, the guests were encouraged to eat with their fingers.
4 First lady Michelle Obama's second annual Kids' State Dinner on Tuesday honored the young winners of a healthy-eating recipe contest that drew more than 1,300 entries.
5 Just like last year, President Barack Obama somehow was snubbed ('Usually at a state dinner, I get invited,' he told the kids), but made a surprise appearance anyway.
6 'I'm not a great cook, and I'm not bad, but I don't do it that much,' he confessed.
7 'It's hard to find the time'. He went on to say while in childhood, his family boiled down vegetables until they would get 'all soft and mushy, and nobody wanted to eat a pea or a Brussels sprout because they tasted horrible because they were all mush.
8 And now I actually like vegetables, because they're prepared right'.
9 Michelle Obama put the event on the White House calendar as part of her Let's Move initiative to fight childhood obesity.
10 After she invited the kids to eat with their fingers, the president quipped: 'Michelle never said to me I can just pick up something with my fingers at a state dinner.
11 So that's not fair'. 'And you can't,' the first lady told him.
12 About 140 people attended in all, including the 54 contest winners who represented every state, the District of Columbia and three territories, with recipes for culinary concoctions such as 'Wisconsin Solar Oven-Simmered Chili'.
13 Some of the kids got help, which was encouraged under the contest rules.
14 Consider Taddy Pettit, 10, from Illinois, whose stepfather graduated from the California Culinary Academy and cut his teeth as a waiter at the famed Chicago restaurant Alinea, which rates three stars from Michelin.
15 Pettit's winning entree? 'Black Bean Wrap with Jicama-Grilled Corn Salsa'..The boy, from Oakwood, Illinois, east of Champaign-Urbana, made his first-ever trip to Washington with stepfather Ryan Rogiers.
16 The stepfather is a culinary arts instructor at a community college.
17 Tieless in a pin-striped suit and white shirt, Pettit was impressed with White House ('Amazing'), the first lady ('Really nice') and the balloon artist brought in before the noon meal.
18 He singled out a balloon creation featuring an alien on a motorcycle.
19 'It was crazy,' the boy said. Each of the winners brought along a parent, most of them mothers, or grandparent.
20 Nine honorees had the privilege of seeing their creation grace the menu, immortalized on cards scripted in calligraphy.
21 Selections included 'Fun Mini Pizzas With Veggies' (from Kansas), 'Taste of the Tropics Fruit Bowl' (Hawaii), 'Kickin' Colorful Bell Peppers Stuffed With Quinoa' (Ohio) and 'Bodacious Banana Muffins' (Tennessee).
22 For dessert, there were two smoothies, one concocted with passion fruit and banana (U.S. Virgin Islands).
23 Tanya Steel, editor-in-chief of Epicurious, an online food publication that is part of the Conde Nast family, conceived of the contest a few years ago and presented the idea to the first lady's office.
24 According to Steel, the contest drew the most entries from California, whose winner, Rose Scott, 12, from Menlo Park, cooked up 'Pork and Tofu Lettuce Cups'..The ersatz state dinner, which featured the George W. Bush china, had fun and frivolous touches, including tablecloths featuring awning stripes in summery colors and centerpieces crafted with brightly colored peppers.
25 As for attire, girls favored summery floral dresses and boys mostly went for preppy styles such as slacks and shirts, sometimes with blazers and bow ties.
26 Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was among the administration officials who turned out.
27 Singer Rachel Crow was the featured performer.
28 After the meal, the children worked off some of the calories with a hands-on tour of Michelle Obama's garden on the South Lawn.
29 This year, Epicurious reached out for corporate sponsors, said Juliet Horn, an Epicurious spokeswoman.
30 Delta Air Lines provided air transportation for the young chefs and their adult companions, Westin Hotels &amp; Resorts contributed hotel accommodations, and Scotts Miracle-Gro put on a pizza party for the youngsters on Monday.

First lady Michelle Obama ' s second annual Kids ' State Dinner on Tuesday honored the young winners of a healthy - eating recipe contest that drew more than 1 , 300 entries .
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what was served?