Up until the moment it was presented last Thursday, the intimate details of what caterer Bob Sendall would serve at two of the biggest meals of his 25-year career -- President Barack Obama's G-20 summit dinner at Phipps Conservatory and Teresa Heinz's dinner for spouses at Rosemont Farm in Fox Chapel -- were as closely guarded, well, as the ingredients of his signature Toffee Taboo.

"They asked us to keep it under wraps," says Mr. Sendall, who also catered the lunch Michelle Obama hosted at The Andy Warhol Museum on Friday.

But now that everyone's left town? It's time to dish the juicy details.

Mr. Sendall didn't know he'd be cooking for G-20 spouses when Mrs. Heinz called in June and asked that he keep Sept. 24 open. Or that the White House would be so impressed with his farm-fresh menu that just 12 days before the event, it would ask him also to prepare the lunch at the Warhol. Or that two days later, they'd ask him to add the Phipps working dinner.

"We were pulling our hair out," says Mr. Sendall. "But it was like, 'Absolutely! I'm so honored.' "

Many of the recipes were culled from "The Fallingwater Cookbook" by former PG food editor Suzanne Martinson (Mr. Sendall was a contributor). Both dinners, which were identical, featured a salad made with mesclun, arugula, baby spinach and other delicate greens grown on Mrs. Heinz' Rosemont Farm; quinoa and brown rice sauteed with fresh chanterelle and porcini mushrooms from John Heineman Co. in Lawrenceville; and beets from Red Door Farm in the West End. A fragrant apple tarte tartin served for dessert was made with Crimson Crisp apples from Soergel Orchards in Franklin Park.

The leaders' spouses so loved the pumpkin soup Mr. Sendall served inside tiny hollowed-out pumpkins as a first course at the Warhol that every single shell came back scraped empty. Ditto with the lump crab cake main course and poached saffron pear served in a dollop of creme Anglaise for dessert. Normally, says the caterer, ladies leave a little of this and some of that. But Mrs. Obama?

"She cleaned her plate," says Mr. Sendall with a laugh. "It was so good to see."

She also noshed so much on his trademarked toffee that she joked her trainer was going to yell at her. (Mrs. Heinz gave everyone a 1-pound box as a gift.) The words, though, were followed with a hug and kisses on both cheeks.

The president was just as impressed with the roasted rack of Elysian Farms lamb Chef Nick Krug prepared at Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens. He also cleaned his plate -- well, very nearly -- says Terri Slobodian, the general manager of Mr. Sendall's All in Good Taste who served him and carried his plate back to the kitchen. But it wasn't just compliments to the chef: Gentleman that he is, Mr. Obama took the time before dinner started to thank the staff, shake their hands and suggest a photo, which helped put the nervous crew at ease.

"Then it was back to work," says Ms. Slobodian.

Equal care was taken with the clean and simple decor, which like the menu had to be approved by the White House. As befits a business dinner, the Phipps dining room was short on frill: the massive table John Metzler of Urban Tree Forge handcrafted from oak and sycamore (harvested from the city's Riverview Park) wore only a coffee-colored burlap runner and small pots of moss and herbs, ivy and ferns.

The Rosemont and Warhol affairs were more feminine. The former took place on Mrs. Heinz' patio and featured a long table covered in green silk and decorated with potted herbs, roses and candles.

In a nod to fall, centerpieces on the three tables for lunch in a fourth-floor gallery of the Warhol held tiny heads of green kale, coxcomb, thistle and astors. Electric-blue silk tablecloths contrasted bright-white plates and '50s art glass goblets. Not so romantic was the music from the "Warhol Live" exhibition. It proved so raucous, says museum director Tom Sokolowski, that they had to turn it down to allow for conservation and the whisper of translators.

"But I like to think we taught them a little something about Warhol," he says.

For the working lunch Friday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Levy Restaurants served heirloom tomato and spinach salad, organic herb-filled chicken roulade, and lavender-buttermilk panna cotta. It was washed down with sips of Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc, Sonoma 2008.

Of course, the Obamas weren't the only ones who got star culinary treatment during the G-20. At least one of the six delegations who set up camp at the Sheraton Station Square -- no one's saying who, but word is it was either South Korea or India or maybe both -- brought with them personal chefs and food. The same delegation(s), says food and beverage director Dean Matthews, told staff there was a good chance they'd also be bringing a food taster. No one is sure, though, if that happened.

It's not that executive chef Michael Fischetti wasn't talented enough to cook for them or that somebody would try to off the dignitary through poisoning; it's just that different countries have different palates and ways of preparing food, says Mr. Matthews. Maybe that explains why nothing "American" went up to the room.

The Westin Convention Center hotel catered to its foreign guests by providing chefs specifically trained in certain cuisines. Harry Bachri, who was born in Makassar, Indonesia, cooked four meals for the 100 members of the Indonesian delegation, including Friday's breakfast for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. (For the record, he likes his turkey bacon crispy, his fried eggs well done and his juice hand-squeezed.)

"I tried to make it as fresh as possible, because that's the way they do it," says Mr. Bachri, whose parents owned Bachri's restaurant in Castle Shannon.

Dishes served included fresh fish with Indonesian chili sauce, a spicy lamb curry, sweet soy chicken and a shrimp "bumbu."

The Chinese delegation, meanwhile, enjoyed the culinary talents of Mark Chiein Ma, a chef at the adjacent Original Fish Market. A licensed Chinese chef from mainland China (yes, there is such a thing), he got the prestigious gig by preparing a tasting menu for an advance delegation that came to Pittsburgh in late summer.

It might be tasty, but Chinese-American food is not authentic, Mr. Ma explains. Also, the personal chef who came with President Hu Jintao didn't speak English and needed a translator in the kitchen.

His 12-hour days resulted in a delectable array of appetizers, soups and main courses -- everything from watermelon soup and shredded beef with tofu skin to stuffed eggplant, big shrimp with their heads on and steamed buns with stir-fried beef. The only Western dish was crabcakes with chipotle sauce, an Original Fishmarket favorite.

Cooking for his fellow countrymen, says Mr. Ma, was the opportunity of a lifetime. "It is a big thing for my life."

This may be served warm or cold. It is best prepared when tomatoes are ripe on the vine, usually at the end of the season when tomatoes are plentiful. If you wish to make this when it's not tomato season, use the ripest and best looking tomatoes available. Bob Sendall says that plum, or Italian, tomatoes work best for him.

• Olive oil
• 3 pounds plum tomatoes, cored and halved
• 1/3 cup shallots, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped garlic
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 4 large Spanish onions, julienned
• 1 1/2 cups leeks, julienned
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups white wine
• 1/3 cup Cognac
• 3 cups canned Pomi brand tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cups chicken stock
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Chiffonade of basil (for garnish)

Pour 1/8 inch of olive oil into a baking casserole or baking tray. Place the plum tomatoes, cut side up, and top with minced shallots and chopped garlic. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, until the skins curl away from the tomatoes. (Be careful not to burn the garlic.) Cool; remove tomato skins. Reserve the tomato meat for soup.

In a heavy-bottomed saucepot over medium heat, melt the butter and caramelize the onions and leeks, about 25 to 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and Cognac.

Add the roasted tomato meat and Pomi tomatoes, and cook on low for 20 to 30 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cook over medium to low heat for 30 minutes.

In a blender puree the soup in batches until smooth. Pass the soup through a fine strainer pushing the soup through with a ladle. Discard the tomato pulp. (Pureeing this soup in a blender will turn the soup a shade of orange. If you wish to keep it more red, use a food mill to strain out the tomato seeds and pulp).

Transfer the soup to a soup pot to keep it hot and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper and a splash of lemon juice. Garnish with basil.

Serves 12.

-- "The Fallingwater Cookbook" by Suzanne Martinson with Jane Citron and Robert Sendall (University of Pittsburgh Press, $29.95)

• 1 bone-in chicken breast, skin removed, cut into 4 pieces
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• Salt and pepper

For Sweet Soy Sauce

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned into 1-inch strips
• 1-inch piece of galanga root, sliced (in the ginger family and available at Asian markets)
• 3/4 cup sweet soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Canola oil for frying

Rub chicken pieces with chopped garlic and salt and pepper, then allow to rest for at least 30 minutes.

To make the sauce: Heat 1/4 cup oil in a frying pan and saute garlic for about 3 minutes. Add pepper and galanga and saute until the flavor comes out, about 5 minutes, then lower the heat and add sweet soy sauce.

Deep-fry the chicken in canola oil until crispy outside, about 8 to 10 minutes. Coat with the sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste.

-- Chef Harry Bachri

These richly tinted pears are the perfect dessert for winter and the holidays. It's a regal sculptural dessert garnished with pomegranates.

• 6 firm ripe pears (Bartlett or Anjou)
• 5 cups white wine
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 whole allspice berries
• 10 threads saffron
• 6 tablespoons diced dried fruits (cherries, cranberries, apricots)
• 3 tablespoons chopped roasted pecans
• 6 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, for garnish
• Creme Anglaise(see below)

Peel the pears; core them from the bottom so as not to disturb the stem (leave the stem intact). Cut a thin slice off the bottom so the pear will stand tall. In a pot large enough to fit the pears, combine the wine and sugar and bring to a boil. Stir to make sure that all the sugar has dissolved. Add the spices and simmer for about 15 minutes to infuse the flavors into the poaching liquid. The saffron color will become intense. Poach the pears in the syrup, uncovered, until just tender, approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

Let the pears cool in the poaching liquid and refrigerate until needed.

Remove the pears from the poaching liquid and set on paper towels to drain. In a small mixing bowl combine the dried fruit and pecans.

Fill the core of the pears with approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of the fruit mixture and set aside for service. In a saucepot return the poaching liquid and boil until the liquid has reduced by half and has thickened to the consistency of syrup (a thicker syrup is always better for this presentation).

• 1/2 cup egg yolks (save whites for another use)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 fresh vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

In a bowl combine the egg yolks and sugar; beat until thick and light. In the top of a double boiler scald the milk with the vanilla bean. Slowly add the hot milk to the egg-sugar mixture, whisking constantly. Whisk until smooth.

Return the mixture to the double boiler and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean, and strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a cool glass bowl.

This procedure will strain out any lumps and will stop the sauce from cooking.

Cover and cool in the refrigerator.

Pour a small portion of the sauce on the serving plate and coat the plate with the sauce by tilting the plate until covered. Place a stuffed pear in the middle of each plate and garnish with the pomegranate seeds. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Serve the thickened syrup on the side for added sweetness if desired.

Serves 6.

-- "The Fallingwater Cookbook" by Suzanne Martinson with Jane Citron and Robert Sendall (University of Pittsburgh Press, $29.95)

• 8 ounces canola oil
• 4 onions, sliced
• 4 tomatoes, medium diced
• 6 shrimp bouillon cubes
• 4 teaspoons sambal oelek, a paste made from ground chili peppers (available in your grocer's Asian section)
• 1 package of galanga root (in the ginger family and available at Asian markets)
• 3 pieces of lemongrass
• 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
• 3 teaspoons turmeric
• 10 candle nuts (at Asian markets)
• 2 teaspoons chopped, fresh garlic
• 13 to 15 large shrimp with tails on
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil. Add onions and tomatoes and saute until translucent. Add bouillon cubes, spices, nuts and garlic and cook for 20 minutes. Mix in shrimp, stir up and cook for 30 minutes.

Makes about 15 servings.

-- Chef Harry Bachri

Each rack of lamb has 7 or 8 chops. Two pieces equal one whole rack. A high-quality rack of lamb makes this menu a premier meal.

• 2 whole racks of lamb, trimmed (4 pieces)

Sauce

• Meat and bone trimmings
• Butter as needed
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup Port wine
• 4 to 5 cups veal stock or good quality chicken stock, divided

Mustard coating

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 or 4 tablespoons olive oil

Crumb topping

• 1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs
• Enough olive oil to moisten crumbs (3 or 4 tablespoons)
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

For the lamb

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Trim the racks, removing almost all fat. Clean the meat trimmings of all fat and reserve.

For the sauce

Brown the meat and bone trimmings in a small amount of butter in a frying pan. Turn the meat frequently to brown well, being careful not to burn.

When the trimmings are brown and crisp, blot dry, then transfer to a 3-quart sauce pot. Discard any fat in the frying pan.

Return the pan to the heat and deglaze with red wine. Add the Port wine and deglaze again. Add 1 cup stock, reduce liquid to about one-third, and transfer to a sauce pot. Add 2 more cups of stock, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, and cook at a simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain the stock and remove as much surface fat as possible. Pour in a clean frying pan and cook over moderate heat, uncovered, until the stock has been reduced to a sauce-like consistency. At this point, a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold stock or water) may be gradually added to simmering sauce to thicken to desired consistency.

For the mustard coating

Mix salt, pepper, mustard, and olive oil. Paint the racks with mustard coating. Set the racks, meat side up, in a shallow roasting pan and in the upper middle level of the oven. Roast 10 minutes at 500 degrees.

For the crumb topping

Mix bread crumbs, oil, garlic, and parsley. Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees, pat the crumb topping evenly over top and roast 12 to 15 minutes longer.

For a brown topping, place the meat under a hot broiler for a few seconds. Allow to rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving.

Makes 8 servings.

-- "The Fallingwater Cookbook" by Suzanne Martinson with Jane Citron and Robert Sendall (University of Pittsburgh Press, $29.95)

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