A New Healthy White House Recipe: Executive Chef Cris Comerford's Garden Vegetable Pizza

Cook with your kids, the White House advises...
Known for his love of cheeseburgers earlier in his Administration, President Obama has now switched his comfort food affection to pizza. Last December, the Eater in Chief visited Del Ray Pizzeria and left with three large sausage and pepperoni pies from the locally beloved Virginia joint. In January, during a Las Vegas fundraising junket, the President ordered a dozen cheese, sausage and pepperoni pizzas from the world-famous Dom DeMarco's Pizzeria & Bar. A few weeks ago during another West Coast fundraising jaunt, Seattle's Tutta Bella Neapolitan Pizzeria delivered forty pies to Air Force One as it sat on the tarmac at Paine Field in Everett, Wash. Yes, those are the pizza chefs chillin' on the steps of the President's ride. (At top: The President with his Del Ray pizzas)

With all the Presidential focus on pizza, is it any wonder that the White House now has two vegetable pizza recipes for First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign? Executive Chef Cris Comerford created both, and they're inspired, of course, by Mrs. Obama's Kitchen Garden. The first, Grilled Garden Pizza, was unveiled during the 2011 Fall Harvest. Today's recipe, Garden Vegetable Pizza, is what Mrs. Obama served to Jay Leno during her debut as First Lady on the Tonight Show in January, according to the East Wing. The family-size recipe includes instructions for home-made whole wheat dough. The pies are savory, low fat, and healthy, with about 310 calories per slice.

Before her visit to the Tonight Show, Mrs. Obama challenged Leno on Twitter to break his decades-old personal embargo on eating fresh produce. Operating under the idea that vegetable pizza is the gateway drug to healthy eating, Mrs. Obama plied the veggie-hating comic with slices topped with eggplant, green peppers and zucchini. (Above: Mrs. Obama watches Leno with his pizza)

"This a good way for people of your ilk, who don't like vegetables, to incorporate them," Mrs. Obama told Leno.

Leno's tastes are more Presidential: "It would be better with sausage and pepperoni," he quipped, after taking a bite.

The First Lady is encouraging parents to cook with their kids, in order to boost their nutrition education, and Chef Comerford said the pizzas are a good project. The recipe is a large one, enough for three pies.

"Making dough is fun for kids, and creates great quality time with your family," Comerford said when she demo'd the new recipe on ABC chat show The Chew. “This could be a fun weekend project--make three pizzas and freeze the other two for the rest of the week."

A blender or food processor is called for to puree the sauce. The vegetables listed in the recipe below are mostly advisory, and can be swapped.

"You can use whatever is seasonal or your kids’ favorites," Comerford said. "Try taking your kids grocery shopping and letting them pick out any three veggies they want—they’ll be even more invested in the experience and may be open to trying new things.”

For those interested in making just one pizza for immediate eating, cut the vegetable portion to 1/3rd. There's a time-lag mid-cooking: The dough must rise for an hour. More tips are below.
Kids can now eat like the President! Or...like the President would eat if he didn't love his meat toppings so much.

White House Garden Vegetable Pizza

Dough Ingredients
1 packet (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast

1 tsp sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

½ cup semolina flour

1 2/3–2 cups whole wheat white flour

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Sauce Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 sprig thyme

1 can (28 oz) peeled whole tomatoes in puree

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 bay leaf

Vegetable Toppings
3/4 cup thinly sliced zucchini (about 1 small or 5 oz)

3/4 cup thinly sliced yellow squash (1 small or 5 oz)

1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper (1 small or 6 oz)

1 cup thinly sliced fennel (1/2 small bulb)

1 cup thinly sliced eggplant (about 6 oz)

½ cup thinly sliced small mushrooms (about 6)

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 tsp freshly grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

2 packages, 8 oz each, shredded part-skim mozzarella (4 cups)

1 cup sliced mixed cherry or grape tomatoes (about 12)

6 Tbsp shredded Parmesan

Method
1. Prepare dough: Mix yeast and sugar into 1 cup lukewarm water in small bowl. Let bloom for a few minutes.

2. Whisk together whole wheat flour, semolina flour, 1 2/3 cup of the whole wheat white flour, and 1 tsp sea salt. Put onto clean work surface and make a well in the center. Pour yeast mixture and oil into well. Using a fork or your fingers, gradually bring in the flour around the sides to the center well. Once it starts to combine, work the dough with your hands (using some of remaining 1/3 cup whole wheat white flour if dough becomes too sticky) and knead until it becomes smooth and springy, about 5 minutes.

3. Put dough in oiled bowl and cover with damp cloth or plastic wrap. Leave in a warmer area of your kitchen and let rise until dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. Punch dough in bowl to push some air out. Transfer dough to flour-dusted work surface. Divide into 3 balls. Roll out each ball into a crust about 1/8 to ¼”-thick (13″ diameter) and place between flour-dusted sheets of parchment on a tray until ready to use.

5. Make sauce: Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic, onion, and thyme and cook, stirring, until fragrant and onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add tomatoes (with puree), tomato paste, and bay leaf. Simmer, stirring occasionally and breaking up tomatoes with a spoon, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

6. Discard thyme sprig and bay leaf. Transfer sauce to blender and carefully puree until smooth. Set aside. Makes about 2 ½ cups.

7. Pre-heat oven to 450ºF.

8. Prepare toppings: Toss together vegetables (except cherry tomatoes), oil, lemon zest, garlic, and thyme in bowl. Season with sea salt and pepper.

9. Turn a heavy-duty half-sheet pan or a large baking sheet upside down and coat lightly coat with olive oil spray. Transfer pizza crust carefully to pan and roll up edges slightly.

10. Spread about 3/4 cup of the sauce onto one crust and sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella. Arrange one-third (about 2 cups) of the vegetables evenly on top of the cheese. Top with 1/3 cup each of the cherry tomatoes and the remaining mozzarella. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of the Parmesan.

11. Bake on bottom rack until crust is golden brown and crisp and vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. If making all 3 pizzas, repeat process with remaining dough, sauce, cheese, and vegetables.

Nutrition information per serving: 310 cal, 16 g protein, 35 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 12 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 529 mg sodium

Recipe tips...
*If baking a single pizza, prep only 1/3 of the toppings and wrap remaining 2 crusts separately in plastic wrap. Keep chilled in the refrigerator for one day. Or wrap tightly in foil (over plastic wrap) and freeze up to one month.

*Use a mandoline or sharp knife to slice the vegetables as thinly as possible.

*Be careful when blending the hot tomato sauce. Puree in batches, filling the blender no more than half full.

*If you have a pizza stone, use it for a crispier crust. Follow the manufacturer’s directions.

*Reheat any leftover slices on a baking sheet in a 350ºF oven until hot, about 10 minutes

Check the sidebar of the blog for more White House recipes.

*Top photo by AP; Air Force One photo courtesy Nation's Restaurant News; Leno photo courtesy NBC; pizza photo courtesy Evette Rios/The Chew. /Updated.

Video: Saturday Night Live Spoofs First Lady And Let's Move! TV Appearances

The Obama Show: The President "vetoes" rice cakes, and gets in trouble for eating a hoagie...
In a sketch that aired Saturday night, NBC's Saturday Night Live took note of First Lady Michelle Obama's many recent TV outings promoting the Let's Move! campaign. The spoof posits that Mrs. Obama's next media project to spread the word about healthy eating and fitness will be "The Obama Show," a Cosby-esque sticom starring the First Family, set at the White House. Host Maya Rudolph, as Mrs. Obama, calls it "an educational yet laugh-filled half-hour comedy starring my family." Fred Armisen plays the beleagured President Obama, who has to sneak his unhealthy treats. He's caught by Mrs. Obama trying to eat a salami and potato chip hoagie after he's announced that he's "vetoing" rice cakes (above).

"In the past few weeks I've made several TV appearances in order to bring attention to my childhood obesity campaign," Mrs. Obama says in the sketch. "...I've tried to teach kids and parents about fitness in a fun and entertaining way. But the work is not done."

In an apparent nod to another 80s sitcom, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, SNL cast member Jason Sudekis plays Joe Jamal-Biden, the Obamas' adopted son.



The action is as goofy as any Cosby show storyline: Mrs. Obama discovers the President with his hoagy, and the President claims that "the kids" have left it around. Jamal-Biden enters, and takes the blame for the hoagie, in exchange for "Dad's" car keys. The sketch closes with the President and Mrs. Obama enjoying their rice cakes, snuggling on the couch.

First lady as TV star...
In the past month, Mrs. Obama has become a TV regular. To celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign, Mrs. Obama invited NBC talk show host Jimmy Fallon to the White House for a fitness challenge that aired on Late Night. She appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and beat DeGeneres in a push-up challenge. During her debut as First Lady on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Mrs. Obama got the veggie-hating Leno to dine on a buffet of healthy fare. On the Rachael Ray show, Mrs. Obama discussed healthy school lunches and the Super Bowl. During her Feb. 9-11 tour for Let's Move!, Mrs. Obama filmed a special segment for Bravo's Top Chef. (Above: The President hands his hoagy to Jamal-Biden as Mrs. Obama looks on)

In January, Mrs. Obama actually made her sitcom debut, appearing on Nickelodeon's hit show iCarly to promote the Joining Forces campaign. All of that is in addition to other TV appearances for Let's Move!, such as outings on NBC's Today show.

*NBC video & photos

First Lady Michelle Obama & Jimmy Fallon: Let's Move! Late Night

The talk show host engages in a fitness challenge with the famously fit First Lady...
Expect some hilarious Let's Move! hijinks on Tuesday night when First Lady Michelle Obama cameos in a video segment on NBC talk show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The comic visited Mrs. Obama last week at the White House to film the outing, which will air as part of this week's celebration of the second anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign. During a fitness challenge, the First Lady had Fallon running up and down the historic White House stairs, hula hooping, and engaging in a tug-of-war in the Diplomatic Reception Room (above).

"I said to her, this is really amazing, and she said 'well, it is the White House,'" Fallon said about his time with Mrs. Obama, while chatting on NBC's Super Bowl pre-game show.

Mrs. Obama announced in 2010 that she'd given up riding the White House elevator in favor of using the stairs in order to keep fit. The White House has six stories, and it will be revealed on Tuesday how many Fallon and Mrs. Obama ran through. The segment is "really fun," Fallon said.

The comic has previously cracked cute about Let's Move! on his show.

"A year ago Michelle Obama started her campaign to end childhood obesity called “Let’s Move.” I think Americans have been very clear in their answer: 'No,'" Fallon quipped during last February's anniversary celebration.

It's Mrs. Obama's fourth TV appearance to promote the anniversary of Let's Move!. She also did a fitness challenge during an appearance last week on The Ellen DeGeneres Show; DeGeneres lost a push-up contest to the First Lady, who did 25 push ups to the host's 14 during the show.

Fallon has visited the White House before...
Fallon is familiar with White House stairs: In 2009, he emceed a USO concert at the White House during President Obama and Mrs. Obama's huge Independence Day barbecue for military families. Foo Fighters and singer Michelle Branch performed. (Above: Fallon pauses on a White House staircase in 2009, on his way to meet the President)

First Lady of TV...
Last week, Mrs. Obama made her debut as First Lady on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. An interview filmed earlier this month was aired on the Rachael Ray show. Leno, who claims to have gone decades without eating fruits and vegetables, dined on a buffet of healthy fare with Mrs. Obama, while Ray discussed healthy school lunches and the Super Bowl.

"You are such a role model for millions," Mrs. Obama told Leno as she encouraged him to eat an apple, sweet potato fries, and vegetable-topped pizza.

Mrs. Obama embarks on a three-day anniversary tour on Thursday, and will visit four states with eight events.

In addition to being familiar with the White House, Fallon is a supporter of President Obama's re-election campaign: Last August, he serenaded the President and celebrity guests with his guitar and comedic songs during a $35,800/plate fundraiser at the New York home of film mogul Harvey Weinstein, co-hosted by Anna Wintour. The event helped raise $2 million for the President's re-election effort.

*Fallon photos by the White House; second photo courtesy of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Video: First Lady Wins Push-Up Contest With Ellen DeGeneres

First Lady Michelle Obama showed off her famous fitness on Wednesday in Los Angles as she taped an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, engaging in a push-up contest with Ellen DeGeneres as she discussed the Let's Move! campaign, which will have a renewed focus on fitness initiatives for children in 2012.

Mrs. Obama works out "every day," she told DeGeneres, which includes cardio, weights, "biometric kind of stuff," and pushups. She runs about three miles, and also plays tennis and does kickboxing, Mrs. Obama told Jay Leno during a Tuesday appearance on The Tonight Show.

De Generes challenged the First Lady to a push-up contest, and Mrs. Obama did 25 as the audience counted down. DeGeneres did 14.

"That was amazing!" DeGeneres said.

"I just stopped," the First Lady said after, hinting that she could have done many more push ups.



DeGeneres said she was going easy on Mrs. Obama. "I thought it wouldn't be good to show up the First Lady, so I stopped," she said.

"Because I thought, this looks bad that I'm going to beat her. I'm 54, and you're 48."

Mrs. Obama's second anniversary celebration for Let's Move! will be a four-state tour, through Iowa, Texas, Arkansas, and Florida. It begins on Februrary 9.

*Photo and video from The Ellen DeGeneres Show; updated

Let's Move! Success: Michelle Obama Gets Jay Leno To Eat Veggies On "Tonight Show"

First Lady talks about her new book, her childhood obesity campaign, and gifts Leno with a jar of White House honey...Video
On Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama achieved her goal of getting Jay Leno to eat some vegetables during an appearance on The Tonight Show to promote her Let's Move! campaign--and to talk Campaign 2012. During the taping of the NBC show in Burbank, Leno's desk was turned into a buffet, complete with slices of veggie-topped pizza, a cone-shaped basket of baked sweet potato fries, and apples. The First Lady had run a mini campaign on Twitter to encourage Leno to try some veggies, and she sweetened the deal by bringing along a big jar of White House Honey, from the beehive that sits beside her Kitchen Garden. (Above: Mrs. Obama with Leno and his buffet)

Leno told Parade magazine in a 2006 interview that he hadn't eaten a vegetable since 1969.

"I admit my diet is not good," Leno said during his monologue. "My idea of fruit salad is a bowl of Skittles. The only fiber I get is when I eat a slice of pizza and the cardboard from the box gets stuck in the cheese."

Mrs. Obama was all smiles as she encouraged Leno to try the healthy feast: "You are such a role model for millions, it would be wonderful," she said. He started with the veggie pizza, which was topped with eggplant, green peppers and zucchini, and made with a whole-wheat crust.

"This a good way for people of your ilk, who don't like vegetables, to incorporate them," Mrs. Obama said.

"That does smell very good. I assume this is sausage-pepperoni,” Leno joked, and added "it's not bad," after taking a few bites. "It would be better with sausage and pepperoni."

He hailed the sweet potato fries as "quite good."

"I heard you haven't had an apple in a decade," Mrs. Obama said, as she offered a plate of apples to Leno. "And with some of our White House honey, if you dip it, it will help it go down just a little easier."

“’White House honey.’ That sounds bad," Leno quipped. "You know, with a different president that could mean a whole different thing, ‘a little White House honey.’”

Leno dipped his apple in the honey, and took a bite. He got a big round of applause.

Mrs. Obama also discussed her forthcoming book, American Grown, which will be published in May. The book cover was flashed onscreen.

"It's about the Kitchen Garden," she said. Asked if the White House will ever have a cattle herd to go along with the beehive and the garden, Mrs. Obama said no, and credited First Dog Bo.

Asked by Leno if she has any veggies she doesn't like, Mrs. Obama said beets.

"I am not a beet lover," Mrs. Obama said. "I believe there is a beet gene, and I don't have it." It's a theory the First Lady first posited during a Ladies' Home Journal cover story in 2010.

Leno had a surprise for Mrs. Obama: He took out a plate of beets, and offered her some.

"Tricky, tricky," Mrs. Obama said.

"All I ask is that you try ," Leno said.

The First Lady took a bite, wrinkling her nose, and got cheers. Mrs. Obama may not like beets, but they were in the salad she served during her luncheon for the APEC Leaders Spouses last November in Hawaii.

"She ate every bite," Chef Ed Kenney, who cooked the meal, told Obama Foodorama.

Mrs. Obama also discussed President Obama's new career as a singer--thanks to Al Green--daughters Malia and Sasha, and the re-election campaign.

Leno eats an apple and White House honey in this clip:



Leno's White House gift...
The First Lady's beehive is the first to ever be on White House grounds, and was installed when she first planted her Kitchen Garden in 2009. Overseen by beekeeper Charlie Brandts, it produced 243 pounds of honey in 2011. The honey is used for everything from First Family meals to State Dinners, and jars of it have been included in Mrs. Obama's diplomatic gifts, including a garden-centric gift for His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, during President Obama's State Visit to the UK in 2011. White House honey is also used to make White House homebrewed beer. (Above: A jar of White House honey; the lid reads "from the South Lawn")

Mrs. Obama, on a two-day swing through Los Angeles, spoke at a DNC reception on Tuesday evening, and will tape The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Wednesday. She'll also attend a Let's Move! event on Wednesday morning, before heading to a DNC luncheon.

The President last appeared on The Tonight Show in October of 2011, and after joking to Leno that the White House was in danger of getting egged on Halloween thanks to his wife's insistence on including dried fruit in treat bags handed out to costumed school kids, more candy was actually added to the treat bags.

*NBC photo & video; honey photo by Obama Foodorama

Michelle Obama Launches Twitter Campaign To Get Jay Leno To Eat His Veggies

Tonight Show host doesn't like the First Lady's favorite food group: "We'll see about that!" Mrs. Obama tweets...
UPDATE: The First Lady gets Leno to eat his veggies
"I don't think I've had a vegetable since 1969," comic Jay Leno told Parade magazine in 2006.

"My mother gave up on trying to make me eat them."

Six years later, First Lady Michelle Obama is stepping in as Mom in Chief: She's launched a Twitter campaign to get Leno to eat some vegetables onscreen when she joins him on Tuesday, Jan. 31 in his Burbank studio to film The Tonight Show. (At top: Mrs. Obama with Leno during a 2008 appearance)

".@JayLeno says he never eats vegetables…we'll see about that! #LetsMove to get Jay to eat some veggies on #TheTonightShow on 1/31! -mo," the First Lady tweeted on the Let's Move! account.

Mrs. Obama will promote the upcoming second anniversary of her campaign when she visits Leno, ahead of a three-day tour which kicks off on Feb. 9 with a visit to Des Moines, Iowa. Leno has not yet responded to Mrs. Obama's tweet, but he's been vocal about his love of unhealthy food, and jokes about it on his show. He's never actually eaten a salad, he said. (Update: Leno retweeted Mrs. Obama late today)

"I eat a lot of junk food like pizza hamburgers and hot dogs. When I have a soda, I have a soda — not a diet soda," he told Parade.

Leno has also joked about Let's Move!. Last October, he aired a doctored video clip of Mrs. Obama punching out NBC's Al Roker during an interview when they were discussing her efforts to get kids physically fit.

Mrs. Obama's veggie challenge to Leno is her first personal tweet on the @LetsMove account--distinguished from staffers' tweets by the "mo" signature--though the account debuted in February of 2011. The First Lady's own @MichelleObama account launched on Jan. 12 this year. She will be taking questions from followers of that account this week, according to a tweet from a staffer. (Above: Mrs. Obama's Leno tweet)

The visit to The Tonight Show is her first appearance as First Lady, though Mrs. Obama appeared via satellite from the White House in March of 2010 to do Leno's segment 10 @ Ten, responding to questions about President Obama's habits. Mrs. Obama also joined Leno for a studio visit in October of 2008, weeks before Mr. Obama's election victory. NBC says Tuesday's outing is the first appearance from a First Lady on a late-night TV chat show.

The President last appeared on The Tonight Show in October of 2011, and after joking to Leno that the White House was in danger of getting egged on Halloween thanks to his wife's insistence on including dried fruit in treat bags handed out to costumed school kids, more candy was actually added to the treat bags. (Above: The President and Leno backstage during the visit)

More TV, and a Let's Move! event in Los Angeles...
Mrs. Obama will be in Los Angeles from Jan. 31-Feb. 1, and she will also tape The Ellen DeGeneres Show to promote Let's Move!; that interview will air on Thursday, Feb. 2. Mrs. Obama has one Let's Move! event scheduled during her LA trip. On Wednesday morning, she will attend an event with Inglewood Mayor James T. Butts and Robert Ross, CEO of The California Endowment, to highlight efforts to eliminate food deserts. She will also speak at a DNC fundraising reception on Tuesday night, and at a fundraising lunch on Wednesday.

Mrs. Obama knocks out Al Roker in this Leno clip:



Related: There has been one White House Tweetup for the Let's Move! campaign, held in October of 2011, as Mrs. Obama hosted the Fall Harvest of her Kitchen Garden. Check the sidebar of the blog for White House vegetable recipes.

*Top photo courtesy of Warner Bros./Michael Rozman/AP; the President with Leno by Pete Souza/White House; video from The Tonight Show

Michelle Obama's TV Schedule For Let's Move!: Rachael Ray, Jay Leno, Ellen DeGeneres

Two day Los Angeles trip: Celebrating the second anniversary of Let's Move! & DNC fundraisers...
First Lady Michelle Obama will have three network television outings ahead of the second anniversary of her Let's Move! campaign in February. All will air next week: Mrs. Obama will be on the Rachael Ray Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Mrs. Obama marks the second anniversary of her campaign on Feb. 9 with an event in Des Moines, Iowa. (Above: Mrs. Obama joined DeGeneres in October of 2010, for an appearance to discuss military family issues)

Mrs. Obama filmed her interview with Ray on Wednesday when the celebrity chef joined the First Lady at Parklawn Elementary School to unveil USDA's new school lunch standards. The interview will air on Feb. 1. Ray told Obama Foodorama that she talked about the Super Bowl, exercise and "how excited Mrs. Obama is" about the second anniversary of the Let’s Move campaign.

In Los Angeles next week, Mrs. Obama will join Leno in his Burbank studio on Tuesday, Jan. 31, to tape The Tonight Show. The interview will air in the evening. Mrs. Obama will deliver remarks at a Democratic National Committee reception in Los Angeles at 7:00 PM.

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, Mrs. Obama will tape her show with DeGeneres. The interview will air on Thursday, Feb. 2. Before the show, Mrs. Obama will deliver remarks at a Democratic National Committee luncheon, and in the morning she will participate in a Let's Move! event focused on food deserts.

*Photo courtesy of Warner Bros./Michael Rozman/AP

First Lady's "Tonight Show" Appearance Begins Promotional Efforts For New Gardening Book

First Lady Michelle Obama will kick off a national media campaign to promote her forthcoming book about the White House Kitchen Garden with a visit to NBC's Tonight Show With Jay Leno on Jan. 31. "American Grown," Mrs. Obama's first outing as an author, will be published in April. NBC said when announcing Mrs. Obama's appearance that she will discuss the book and the Let's Move! campaign; Mrs. Obama will embark on a three-day national tour to celebrate the second anniversary of her childhood obesity initiative starting on Feb. 9, with a visit to Des Moines, Iowa.

Mrs. Obama will also discuss life in the White House, according to the network, for her first appearance on The Tonight Show as First Lady. Mrs. Obama previously joined Leno in October of 2008 to discuss her husband's election campaign. NBC said Mrs. Obama's upcoming visit is the first for any First Lady on any late-night TV talk show, adding to her growing list of "firsts," including the gardening book.

Other promotional activities for Mrs. Obama's 256-page, $30 book, which will be released by Crown Publishing Group, will include a "Major national television campaign" and a "National and regional NPR [National Public Radio] campaign," as well as "National review and feature attention," according to the publisher. The advertising campaign will include announcement ads in the New York Times and Washington Post, and banner ads on major dot coms such as USAToday.com, as well as a social media campaign. Mrs. Obama joined Twitter on January 12. Her book deal was announced in March of 2011, after the Spring Planting of the now internationally famous Kitchen Garden.

Author Lyric Winik, known for helping craft bestselling memoirs for former First Lady Laura Bush and Sen. Scott Brown, has helped Mrs. Obama tell her story in "American Grown," and food/lifestyle photographer Quentin Bacon is responsible for the photos.

The President last visited Jay Leno right before Halloween, and his joking about the too-healthy contents of White House treat bags led to more candy being included in the bags doled out to kids for 2011's annual ghoulish celebration under the North Portico. In March of 2009 when he appeared on The Tonight Show, Mr. Obama became the first sitting US president to appear on any late night talk show. (Above: Mrs. Obama with Leno in 2008)

Mrs. Obama this month made her TV sitcom debut, appearing as herself on the popular Nickelodeon teen comedy "iCarly" in an episode created to honor military families. She's also cameo'd on a special White House edition of Iron Chef America, and appeared on Sesame Street in 2009 and, with her husband, she appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in May of 2011. Mrs. Obama is something of a regular on NBC's Today show.

*Cover photo by Crown; other courtesy of NBC