Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff spent the Thanksgiving weekend in the District uplifting local small businesses and serving families.
On Small Business Saturday, the pair stopped by Bold Forks Books, a culinary bookshop, in Northwest D.C. to browse. At one point, Harris picked up a copy of “Streamlined Cooking” by Irma S. Rombauer and posed with the collection of recipes published in 1939.
“Thank you to Clementine, Sam, and the whole team for showing us your amazing cookbook collection and for bringing joy and flavor to the community,” Harris posted online after the visit.
Days before the visit, Emhoff’s children, Ella and Cole spent Thanksgiving with the couple at DC Central Kitchen, where they helped the organization provide meals to over 69,000 residents. The second family was in charge of de-stemming the collard greens, which were declared a family specialty.
“This is not my first rodeo,” Ella Emhoff said while prepping the greens.
Throughout the campaign trail, the vice president often bragged about her cooking skills and ability to make a tasty pot of collards, which she seasons with garlic and brown sugar.
The vice president’s sister, brother-in-law, niece and great nieces Maya Harris, Tony West, Meena Harris and her two daughters were also present for the family affair.
“Everything in this family is a competition,” said Meena Harris, the vice president’s niece, while helping out.
Beyond the family’s competitive nature, Harris emphasized the reason behind her continued dedication to volunteering.
“Each time I visit DC Central Kitchen, I am inspired by the work they do to uplift this community. Thank you for giving our family the opportunity to give back on Thanksgiving,” Harris said after the visit.
After winning the 2020 election, then Vice President-elect Harris volunteered with DC Central Kitchen in the midst of COVID-19 relief efforts. This year, having just lost her bid to the presidency, she decided to return to help families in need and continue the post-election tradition.
“To have her come at the beginning of her time here in the White House and then bookend that with the end of her time here is incredibly special,” the organization’s CEO Mike Curtin told WUSA 9. “She made a point of saying that she wanted to be here at DC Central Kitchen with her family.”
