French president will entertain two leaders separately at the Elysée Palace because of tensions over the Ukraine crisis

The French president "eats everything" except caviar, truffles and lobster, and doesn't like cabbage, artichokes or asparagus much, according to a former chef who spent 40 years cooking for six French heads of state from Georges Pompidou to the incumbent, François Hollande. Which might make things a little easier when the current chef serves up two dinners on the same night for the visiting presidents of Russia and America.

Hollande will host President Barack Obama and President Vladimir Putin on Thursday after separate talks at the Elysée Palace before the 70th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings in Normandy the next day. But because of the tensions over Ukraine between the US and Russian leaders – who are not scheduled to hold talks – two consecutive dinners are to be held in order to keep the politically estranged leaders apart.

Hollande will first host Obama, then two hours later will welcome Putin to a separate dinner, the Associated Press reported. The Elysée Palace did not confirm the unusual arrangement on Tuesday.

It will not be the first time the Elysée Palace has served up a speedy meal, according to former chef Bernard Vaussion. Hollande's predecessor, Nicolas Sarkozy, spent only 12 minutes at one lunch with Obama, thought to be a record.

Vaussion, who publishes his memoirs this week after retiring from the palace kitchens, is particularly scathing about the "capricious" Socialist president, François Mitterrand, and his aides' taste for the high life. They were fond of lavish helpings of caviar, while Mitterrand would criticise the bread brought by Vaussion for not being soft enough, "even though it comes from the best bakery in Paris".

He also recounts that it was more complicated to look after the nutritional needs of President Jacques Chirac's dog, Sumo, than the head of state.