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A Filipina-American became the first woman executive chef at the White HouseUSA - August 29, 2005 The new Executive Chef at the White House is a Filipina-American, Cristeta Comerford, who was chosen by First Lady Laura Bush among a long list of candidates using a long selection process. Ms. Comerford, the first woman to serve in the position, will be responsible for designing and executing menus for state dinners, social events, holiday functions, receptions and official luncheons hosted by President and Mrs. Bush.
The key White House post has been vacant since March when Walter Scheib left after 11 years as executive chef. According to the US media, Scheib could not adapt to the culinary demands of the Texan first lady. Comerford, 41, had been one of Scheib's two assistants in the White House kitchen since 1995. Her specialty has been "ethnic and American cuisine," according to a White House statement. Now a naturalized American, Comerford studied for a degree in Food Technology at the University of the Philippines and then gained experience serving as a chef tournant at Le Ciel restaurant in Vienna. She had also worked at the top Washington hotels, the "Grand Bistrot" and "La Colonnade".
The menu included chilled asparagus soup, pan-roasted halibut with ginger-carrot butter, basmati rice with pistachios and currants, and herbed summer vegetables. Comerford's duties are to design and carry out menus for state dinners, social events, holiday functions, receptions and official luncheons. Her official salary is between 80,000 and 100,000 dollars a year. But the presidential couple are not known for the frequency of their official dinners. There were only four during the first term from 2001-2004 and only one so far in the second term, for the Indian leader. Ronald Reagan held 50 official dinners during his eight years at the White House. "Mrs Bush has said she wants someone who cooks American food but also someone who can make a mean enchilada as well as the more complex interior Mexican food that she prefers," said the New York Times. "And the chef had better know how to make the president's favorite cheeseburgers," it added. "Plenty of chefs were interviewed, with only a few asked to cook for the Bushes," ccording to the New York Times. Hillary Clinton also cleaned out the kitchens when President Bill Clinton took over. French executive chef, Pierre Chambrin, went and Scheib took over. RELATED ARTICLES: Hail to the Chef
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Comerford prepared the menu for the White House dinner in honor of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2003 and this year for India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
