The American Chef

THE PILLARS AT NEW RIVER SOUND

2010-04-22T00:20:00.000-07:00

The Pillars at New River Sound is an exceptional getaway located in the heart of the Ft. Lauderdale, known to some as the 'Venice of America'. I have worked at two phenomenal 5 star properties, and have been to a myriad of hotels that range from grand to modest all over the U.S. The Pillars is a hotel that is just about perfect for my taste.

The staff did everything to make my stay comfortable; the food was terrific and the service was highly personable. This little piece of paradise touts an incredible scenic waterfront view in a lush atmosphere. I can't imagine getting tired of resting here. Should you want to get out a bit while staying here, you can easily hop on the private WaterBus; there is also a private kayaking excursion that takes you through the Las Olas isles.

The Pilars belongs to the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group - a membership not easily earned. Besides meeting exemplary standards of service, each hotel is required to undergo visits from mystery inspectors. Now there is a mystery shopper job that might be worth applying for.

OPENING DAY AT FENWAY PARK

2010-04-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

All photograph by Elsa/Getty Images

Spring announces itself in different ways to different people. For gardeners, flowers blooms, the weather warms and nature awakes. But to a sports fan, Spring blares out the advent of baseball - specifically the first game of the season at Fenwick Park. Lucky me, I just happen to be in Boston right now and I can't think of a better way to spend the evening.

The sky is clear and slightly breezy. Fireworks and F-16's flying over Fenwick enhance the mood for pure excitement. The crowd is roaring. The outskirts of the park look like a giant street fair with thousands of people enjoying the open air bars, various baseball paraphernalia and food stands. It seems impossible to order up a more perfect night.

However, I didn't hold up much hope in nabbing stadium tickets; everything was sold out. I did find a great screen side view at the Cask and Flagon - the unofficial meeting place for hardcore Red Sox fans. There is a sea of Red Sox jerseys throughout this famous Boston sports bar to confirm its status.

The icing on the cake for tonight is that the Red Sox are playing the Yankees; a historic rivalry. It's been 25 years since the Red Sox have hosted an opening game against the Yankees. Thankfully, the game has ended up being everything it promised. The home team had a bit of a rough go at the start (behind 5 -1), but they made a magnificent come back for a 9 to 7 win. Red Sox fans everywhere have good reason to rejoice.

BLOGGER TO BLOGGER

2010-03-22T23:01:00.000-07:00

I received a very thoughtful email today from Brandi Evans, a fellow food blogger. Brandi is part of a unique food blog community called FoodBuzz. She and her husband Nick took some time out to attend a benefit dinner I cooked for the James Beard Foundation this last weekend. I had a fabulous time and apparently so did Nick and Brandi. She gave me the highest compliment by taking the time to write about this event that took place at the Palisades Restaurant in Eggleston, VA.

I'm grateful that the James Beard legacy clearly carries on through these benefit dinners. He understood that, "Food is our common ground, a universal experience."

Brandi pens here at Bran Apetit!

CHEF TO CHEF

2010-03-13T18:13:00.000-08:00

The biggest news to hit the Palm Beach Post last weekend was that Blockbuster was bringing back its late fees. And, while Palm Beach does get its fair share of celebrity gossip headliners and Spring Break mayhem stories, I was happy to spend a somewhat serene weekend there for the Chef to Chef Conference. I had the pleasure of being the key note speaker for a distinct group of chefs from around the nation - they all work for private clubs and hotels.

The climate of private clubs and hotels has changed dramatically. Many banquet chefs are seeing smaller gatherings and cost conscious clientele who opt for pasta, chicken, and house wine menus. With this in mind, I set out to address the chefs with with a strong measure of common sense and hope for the future in a presentation called, "The Next Big Opporutnities for Club Cuisine." It was encouraging to see other presenters catch the same wave. Topics at the conference included, "Innovations in Club Dining", "New Spins on Old Classics", "Buy Vs. Make", and "Revving Up Takeout-Fast Casual Revenues". The Chef to Chef Conference is an exceptional gathering place for chefs to get connected with one another and share inspiration for their work.

The food at the conference was pleasing enough. When you're feeding a large group of trained chefs, you simply make sure the food is fresh and plentiful. Even with this in mind though, I took the opportunity to venture out one morning in search of something really hearty. I found it at an popular restaurant named John G's on the Beach. It wasn't hard to spot, I simply followed the line. John G's serves great breakfast. The "Original Cinnamon-Nut French Toast" is not to be missed. If you are happen to be in South Florida, make sure you make a breakfast date at John G's On the Beach.

SOUND ADVICE

2010-03-01T14:31:00.000-08:00

During the 14 months that Desiree Rogers held office as the Obama's Social Secretary, she oversaw at least 330 White House events. Most White House staffers have upheld a tradition of carrying a low profile status. However, Ms. Rogers appeared very comfortable being in the limelight. She didn't seem to think twice about sitting in the front row of a haute couture fashion runway show or being the covergirl for Vanity Fair, Vogue, and WSJ magazine. Rogers was once quoted as saying, "We have the best brand on the Earth: the Obama brand......Our possibilities are endless."

I'm quite certain Ms. Rogers had no idea that her tenure at the White House would cease this week when she made that statement last year. Her position came under intense internal scrutiny when the Salahie couple crashed the First Obama State Dinner. Before the Obama administration, the Social Secretary was expected to coordinate operations behind the scenes. Desiree Rogers may not be the first Social Secretary to sit at a state dinner, but she is the first one in memory to overlook the detail seeing guest properly checked into the White House.

When I was hired as Executive Chef at the White House, Ann Stock (former Social Secretary) informed me,"Don't define yourself by how close you stand to the President in pictures, just try to do your best to make the President look good by doing your job perfectly." She's right. I hope the new Social Secetary understands the importance of what Ann conveyed to me. There is a lot to be said of traditional worker bees who are not distracted by immediate personal gain for the sake of helping others achieve success.

BLIZZARD, TRUCK STOP, GOOD FOOD

2010-02-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

Photograph by Steve Apps-AP
The Mid-Atlantic is currently being pelted by what the President dubbed, "Snowmageddon." The storm has been powerful enough to topple power lines, crush an airport hangar, cause several car crashes, and send in 400 National Guard troops to help with snow removal.

Of course I just happened to be on the road for a 600 mile trip during the start of the storm. There weren't very many places to take cover, but I did manage to find an interesting truck stop off of I-81 (exit 205) in Raphine, Virginia, called White's Truck Stop.

Amongst insiders White's Truck Stop is also known as “Whitey's Motorcycle Shop”. This stop has an array of vintage cycles on display, as well as a substantial gun and knife collection, wildlife head mountings, and a big stuffed alligator.

Photograph by Janet Galore

White’s also has a 24-hour restaurant teeming with comfort food. Depending on the night of the week, you can nab a $9.99 “all you can eat” special such as spaghetti, liver'n onions, roast sirloin, “cat fish”, country ham, or roast chicken; dinners often include a trip to the “sallet bar”. They have a room reserved just for truckers - although, I manged to make my way in! Other dining options include a cafeteria, convenience food, and fast food. Even if you're not a trucker, White's truck stop is worth the detour especially if you're craving comfort food and you can't get home.

COOKING, FRAN & WALLY - January 2010

2010-01-20T06:36:00.000-08:00

While you are resolving to read more books, lose 20 pounds, volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, here is our suggestion: Promise yourself you are going to do something differently about food. To start, listen to the words of former White House Executive Chef Walter Scheib, now the “American Chef”.

Wally: Good food means good ingredients. Get fresh products and use them in your diet and eat more nutritiously. Patronize farm market vendors so they profit and can expand - it benefits everybody. Even though it’s winter now, you may find gardeners who have a winter garden. Follow Michelle Obama’s lead and start a garden yourself, even window boxes or pots on your deck. Get to know a farmer or join a CSA (Community Sponsored Agriculture). You help fund a farmer and get fresh produce or meats in return. You also might help save a family farm, build the community economy and, of course, you will eat great food. Supermarkets don’t have to be impersonal megaliths with the employees as shrink-wrapped as the chicken. One thing you can do right now is get to know the butcher, the produce manager, the deli people. They would welcome your friendship and it would make them feel that their expertise is valued. For example, if the produce department doesn’t have something you want, ask the manager to order it for you and promise to come in and get it. Begin to build your pantries—stock up on a selection of oils, mustards, vinegars, chutneys and the like. You can call up your foodie friends and have a tasting party. Set out complimentary hors d’oeuvres for the category you are featuring, provide drinks and you’ve got a good party. If that would be a bit expensive for you, ask your friends to bring their favorite mustard, chutney or whatever you’re tasting; you provide the hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and the conversation will flow with the wine. You could make it a contest and let the guests decide which condiment they liked best. You may be surprised what successful entertaining that can be.

Fran: Wally’s comments give us an excellent insight into the mind of a man passionate and joyful about both the complexity and simplicity of good food. No detail or nuance is unimportant in creating or making a recipe. Finding as much fresh stuff as you can shouldn’t be a chore but a delight and nothing wrong with its being fun. Obviously winter is not the time for the large number of farmers’ markets here, but last month a vendor from Purcellville was selling greens at the Del Ray Market site. The Old Town Market in Market Square is open year round. Both are worth checking out. Incidentally, Chef counts anything within 300 miles “local”. Keep this column on your desk to remind you to go even fresher when spring comes. Tell your friends. The more people who patronize market gardeners, the more there will be. We will also try to list CSAs in this area closer to springtime. I found one in The Plains listed on the Internet, but there may be others.

Many restaurateurs pride themselves on their own gardens or relationships with carefully chosen local vendors. You could certainly ask about this when you dine out. Again, the more we ask for fresh, the sooner restaurants will comply. Bon Appetit!

You will find the rest of the article under the "print" section here.

SUPER IRON CHEF AMERICA - Comerford and Flay

2010-01-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

When I was asked to participate in the Iron Chef, I knew it would be hard work, but a lot of fun. Now I have the pleasure of congratulating White House Chef Cristeta Comerford and Bobby Flay for taking the Super Iron Chef America title. Cris and Bobby battled Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali. Every Iron Chef episode is infused with a secret ingredient. For this show, First Lady Michelle Obama opened up the White House garden for the chefs to harvest.

The winning dishes for Comerford and Flay included a fennel and apple sald with oysters, fried lobster and squid with a garden salad, broccoli clam chowder, barbeque pork, slaw, collard green tamale, cauliflower gratin, watermelon radish pickles and a sweet potato tart with pecan brittle, honey, and cranberries.

VIDEO EXCERPT from LARRY KING LIVE

2010-01-02T17:34:00.001-08:00

Here is the round table discussion that took place during the Obama's First State Dinner. Larry King hosts - Former White House Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier, Restauranter and Chef Wolfgang Puck, Paula Deen, and myself join him.

CHRISTMAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE

2009-12-08T22:07:00.001-08:00

This first public sign of Christmas at the White House came in the form of a horse drawn carriage pulling an 18.5 foot tall Douglas fir. Franny Killpatrick and I discuss Christmas traditions at the White House for a recent article in the Old Town Crier:

First families come and go, but at Christmas the White House and its traditions rule. Here’s former White House Chef, Walter Scheib’s schedule for what happens to make it look like it all happened overnight.

Wally: Planning starts in January as the First Lady chooses a theme. Then the floral designer begins planning decorations for the entire house, based on that theme. Soon the pastry chef starts on the theme-related design for the year’s traditional gingerbread house.

Photograph by LaWatha Wisehart, Colville, WA

By late July the chef is working on menus for all the events that will take place during the holidays. These are done by September, when they go to the First Lady’s social secretary and then the lady herself for approval, refinements, and (if necessary) tastings.

At the end of September, the plans for table and buffet arrangements for the whole month of December are put in place. Since different guests (a total of some 30,000) attend each reception, a few basic plans can be used for everything. There will also be two or three main dinners with up to 150 guests at each. Also at this time the chef confers with the Food and Beverage Usher for wine pairings.

You can find the rest of the article here.

WHAT'S COOKING AT THE WHITE HOUSE

2009-12-06T22:29:00.000-08:00

Win McNamee, Getty Images / September 17, 2009

Katherine Skiba interviewed me for a piece that appears in the Family section of this morning's Chicago Tribune. The article is called, “What’s cooking at the White House.”

WASHINGTON -- Not long after arriving at the White House, first lady Michelle Obama led reporters and culinary students through its cramped, stainless steel kitchen, enthusing, "This is where the magic happens."

The food at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. is fresh, seasonal and gathered from across America, as far away as the rivers of Alaska and as close as the first lady's garden.

There's a Chicago influence too, not only because of the first couple's deep roots. They brought with them Sam Kass, who had cooked for them in the Windy City and is now an assistant chef at the White House.

Ten months into the Obama presidency, it's plainer than a scoop of vanilla ice cream that Barack and Michelle Obama are food enthusiasts. Call them the "first foodies." The Obamas possess sophisticated palates, according to chefs who know them.

Still, there's a dichotomy to their dining. They're omnivores who enjoy "adventurous" eating, but confess a hankering for humble foods, like burgers and sweet potato french fries.

All of this translates to a White House where food, and who is cooking it, matters.

You will find the rest of the article here.

LARRY KING LIVE

2009-11-24T23:04:00.000-08:00

Photograph by Mandel Ngan

The Obamas' first State Dinner is now over and reports state that it was nothing less than a smashing success. Everything, including the apple green linens, the deep purple flower arrangements, the cuisine, and the people who prepared it were all impeccable.

Photograph by Nicholas Kamm
Tonight I had a chance to participate in a conversation with Wolfgang Puck, Paula Deen, and Roland Meisner, on "Larry King Live" to discuss the event. You can find the transcript here.

THE OBAMAS FIRST STATE DINNER

2009-11-22T18:22:00.001-08:00

Photograph by Suresh K.

A few months ago the Obamas extended a very special engraved invitation via Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his wife, Gursharan Kaur. The Prime Minister and his wife are to be the guests of honor for the Obamas' first official State Dinner. It is now literally hours until the Prime Minister, his wife, and 400 guests descend upon the South Lawn of the White House. Preparations are in full swing.

Most of the details of Tuesday night's dinner center around the astute dictates of First Lady Michelle Obama. Her style sets the tone for everything - including florists, butlers, maids, and a guest chef for this significant event. Marcus Samuelsson, who is the chef of Aquavit in New York City, is orchestrating the banquet feast. Putting together a State dinner of this magnitude is no small task. White House executive chef Christeta Comerford will be there with chef Samuelsson creating a fabulous signature dinner for this extradorniary event. Most likely the dinner will encompass at least one culinary salute to the Prime Minister's homeland and creative (but uncomplicated) plates of the freshest seasonal food.

Interest surrounding the November 24 State Dinner is at its peak. I've had a chance to comment on the dinner with the Chicago Tribune, Politico, ABC, C-SPAN, and Hearst Television. You can catch the C-SPAN piece on Tuesday evening between 9:15 and 9:30 EST. The Hearst Television piece can be found here. The ABC online article entitled, Obamas First State Dinner--Bigger than the biggest wedding, can be found here.

THE EMERALD CITY - SEATTLE

2009-11-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

Photograph by David Hogan
My trip to the "Emerald City" was driven by an event, but, I didn't really have to find an excuse to be in Seattle. I love being surrounded by the lush green hills and the clean blue skyline, not to mention, the vast array of dining choices that stretch out over the city. Seattle is a seductive food fest. Oysters were on the top of my go-to Seattle menu. Shuckers (located in the Fairmont Hotel) was my first mollusk stop of choice. The restaurant is known for its vast selection, including Stellar Bay, Evening Cove, Kumamoto, Emerald Bay, Olympia, Wescott Bay Flats and Hama Hama.

Photograph by Monyca White
No visit to Seattle is complete without taking a journey through Pikes Place, a.k.a. the Soul of Seattle. I walked past the famous salmon tossing fish mongers and spied a great selection of apples, pears, dungeness crab, and various artisan cheese products.

Photograph by Ricardo Carreon

When I reached the Market Grill I sat down and thoroughly enjoyed their freshly caught grilled salmon toasted baguette sandwich. Uli's famous Sausage, Inc. also caught my attention. The master butcher and owner is a certified meister from Westphalia Germany (known as sausage country). I tasted their chorizo and lamb sausage chili. This was a tasty way to warm up from Seattle's cool ocean breeze.

Cherry Bomb Pepper-Sweet Fennel Pizza Photo by Heath Ashli
After spending time at the market, I went in to ETTA's for a glass of wine where I was pleasantly surprised to run into Tom Douglas. He is one of Seattle's best known chefs and owns five different restaurants, including Serious Pie and LOLA. Tom had taught a cooking class at the Greenbrier when I worked there. It was great to catch up with him and all his various projects. During the trip I made it a point to stop at Lola's where I had the delectable curried goat tagine. I also had one of the best pizzas I've ever tasted at Tom's pizzeria, Serious Pie. Anything that has a name like Cherry Bomb Peppers and Sweet Fennel Sausage is well worth the trip to Seattle alone.
Serious Pie Coaster Photograph by Rebecca Burgess

AMERICAN CULINARY HERITAGE -TRINIDAD HILTON

2009-11-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

It feels ironic to have traveled all the way from D.C to Trinidad to participate in an American Culinary Heritage promotion. Trinidad Hilton's Executive Chef Carlos Gomez and General Manager Ali Khan invited me to take part in a five week event highlighting five major U.S. regions: the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest. We kicked off the event with a press conference, and, a chef and culinary student symposium called the Circle of Culinary Knowledge. This was a lively round table discussion that included White House culinary curiosities, current food trends, and hospitality career themes.

I learned a great deal from the Trinidad chefs that I met. One chef in particular is someone who I think of as the face of Trini cuisine - Debra Sardinha-Metivier; she is the first woman executive chef in the Caribbean Hilton Chain. And, while this benchmark is impressive, it is her family ties that make her so interesting. Like her grandmother and parents (who are self-taught cooks) her cooking emanates from the love of culture and food. Debra's parents own a very successful restaurant in Scarborough, Tobago, called the Blue Crab. Both Debra and her family members describe themselves as "vibration cooks". Debra explains, "This means a good touch with the balancing of smell and taste." After tasting a meal that Debra put together, I completely understand what she means although it is a bit of an oversimplification; her food springs from her heart.

VENI MANGE - TRINIDAD STREET FOOD

2009-10-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

Photograph by Harnarnine

Veni Mangé is a Creole expression for "Let's Eat". It's a perfect little phrase that captured my mood after seeing and smelling some of the fantastic cuisine that Trinidad Island has to offer. It also explains another little phrase.....one never goes hungry in Trinidad. A quick stroll down Frederick Street and Independence Square gave me confirmation of this familiar Trini adage. The waterfront center is a vibrant hustle-bustle district filled with a number of shops and diverse cultural fusions including a large Syrian-Lebanese community and it's own Chinatown. I loved hearing music played everywhere while purusing the open air food stalls.

I especially enjoyed some of the local favorites like roti (a wrap stuffed with curried meat or vegetable filling) and doubles- the ultimate Trini street food made with two flat fried breads, channa (curried chick peas or garbanzo beans) and any variety of spiced chutneys (mango, cucumber, coconut, tamarind) and pepper sauce. Traditional "doubles" are an East Indian inspired breakfast fare. The last notable Trini food fare is a deep fried shark wonder, surrounded by a fried bun and topped with numerous fillings. It's called a "bake and shark". It is something New York Times journalist Sam Sifton calls "a truly righteous sandwich."

Bake and Shark Photo: M. Timothy O'Keefe / Alamy

WALKING IN MEMPHIS

2009-10-10T11:40:00.000-07:00

The town of Memphis looks and feels as gray as its weather. After visiting this last week, I think I understand a little more about the Memphis Blues. While I was there, I avoided the tourist detour to Graceland. I also didn't have a chance to see any musical legends sing at the Grand Ole Opry. I did, however, stroll Beale Street and couldn't help but hear the Walking in Memphis tune playing in my mind. When I asked two of the event chefs, I worked with, where should I go to eat, they both suggested two restaurants: one for ribs and the other for fried chicken.

The first place these chefs suggested was a place called Rendezvous - a restaurant best described as a carnivore's delight. Steven Raichlen of the BBQ Bible says, "Whenever I go to Memphis I have a little ritual. I check into the Peabody Hotel, then duck down a dumpster-filled back alley, and rush to Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous." The ribs at Rendezvous started their legendary Memphis stake when Charlie Vergos discovered a a coal chute in the basement of his diner. Today you'll find the place teeming with customers trying to snatch up his "world famous" charcoal-broiled pork ribs. It's classic barbecue. Unfortunately, I couldn't really endorse these ribs as the best. My next stop, however, belted out an all-together different tune.

Photo by Jon Blancett

I do not know of any "fried" specialty place that has a reputation so good that even the Better Business Bureau gives it an A+ rating. Gus's Fried Chicken "World Famous" is a hole-in-the-wall gem that creates the best fried chicken I've ever tasted. One reviewer stated, "If God made fried chicken, it would taste like Gus's." This sounds like a lot of hype, but honestly, this diner is not too far off the mark. The temperature, tenderness, spices, and taste of this fried chicken are all together exceptional. If you are anywhere in a 100 mile radius of Memphis, get yourself down to Gus's. You will be happy you did.

THE NEW CHIEF OF PROTOCOL

2009-09-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

Capricia Marshal made the news by becoming the new Chief of Protocol of the United States. Prior to being Chief of Protocol, Marshall was the former White House Social Secretary during the Clinton Administration. The duties of the Chief of Protocol are numerous and varied; the best explanation of the job is found on this Web page.

I, as well as many others, enjoyed Capricia Marshal's swearing in ceremony - particularly when she shared a very funny story about being stuck outside the White House gate during the Clinton Inauguration. Attending the event gave me the chance to see many old friends. You can read more about the event in this The Washington Post article.

NAPA VALLEY

2009-08-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

Photo by Randy Bonnell

The Wappo Indians who once inhabited the Napa Valley clearly understood the rich fertile ground they lived on; Napa literally means “Land of Plenty”.

With the exception of my non air-conditioned rental car, I would have to say that the drive from Sacramento to the Napa Valley was spectacular. I traveled from East to West on the curvy back road of Highway 128. The geographical diversity went from the hot dry grassy flat lands of the Sacramento Valley to warm, golden, hilly, studded oak country, to a more temperate climate where redwoods thrive and finally drop down into lush vineyard country where distant ocean breezes meet the warm interior.

Duckhorn Vineyards invited me to speak at a multi-course dinner that featured White House meals paired with Duckhorn wines. Guests at this suave affair were treated to a "3 level" dining experience that included the inside of the winery, the veranda, and a short walk to the gardens. The event was a beautiful success.

While I was in the area I also had a chance to dine at Bouchon for a light dinner of small plates. Bouchon was surprisingly half empty for a Friday night. Regardless, I was delighted to be able to sit in the outdoor courtyard under the wafting aroma of fresh baked goods from the Bouchon Bakery. The staff was very friendly and the service was excellent. I tried several dishes including a chilled corn soup, the Salad de Poulpe – a grilled octopus and fresh bean salad, Dungeness crab with seasonal melons, and a rabbit dish . Overall, I would say that the dishes were technically executed very well. However, they didn’t truly “sing” as I thought they should have.

One Napa Valley restaurant that did sing was a hopping little burger joint called Taylor’s Automatic Refresher. This place was packed to the the rafters with all kinds of people. I waited 45 minutes to grab a Niman Ranch beef burger and garlic fries. Wow! The flavor was exceptional; it was well worth the wait.

OLD TOWN CRIER

2009-08-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

The OLD TOWN CRIER is an insightful and interesting publication in Alexandria Virginia that covers local travel, events and people profiles. They recently interviewed me for the following article:

We live in an age of celebrity chefs. Former White House Chef Walter Scheib, now managing his own business, The American Chef, is certainly one of them.

Chef Scheib writes about his White House years in “White House Chef, Eleven years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen”, going into a third printing. Those eleven years began in 1994, early in the first Clinton term and ended in 2005 midway in the G.W. Bush years. Interspersed with recipes, the book is a fascinating read and a way of looking at the White House as a residence, a full time home for the First Family, and very much a home away from home for the large staff of people who keep it running.

For anyone panicked by a dinner party for eight, Scheib’s book furnishes a look at the logistics of preparing state dinners, receptions, picnics, private parties and the daily feeding of the two First Families he served.

“You are there to serve the First Family and carry out their wishes, and you leave your politics at the kitchen door,” Chef said, over a recent dinner at Geranio’s. (Foodie Alert: Chef ate duck confit salad, pasta with tuna and blackberry sorbet, drank Chardonnay). So don’t expect to read anything scandalous in this book, though a tabloid offered megabucks for him to do that. “I wonder if they have an office marked ‘Honor Purchases’”, he said.

You can read the rest of the story here.

NUTS! and BEER (Efforts to make the World a Better Place)

2009-08-02T22:28:00.000-07:00

"Galen" photographed by Kiyomi

Recently, while I was in Westchester County, New York I met a small group of lady entrepreneurs who own a company called Bobbysue's Nuts! Barbara Kobren, Sue Spiegal, and Deb Mehne are the optimistic leaders of this enterprising group. The unique thing about Bobbysue's Nuts! is that they started the business to help fund their passion for rescuing homeless animals. A portion of the proceeds goes towards animal rescue shelters providing care and shelter to those animals awaiting adoption. Bobbysue's Nuts! are savory (not too sweet) and organic. This product is a nice way for people who have the heart, but do not necessarily have all the resources, to help provide assistance to rescued animals.

One of the common culinary pairings is to simply serve nuts with beer. Recently President Obama chose to serve beer as an olive branch / reconciliation between himself, Officer Sergeant James Crowley, and Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. Time magazine recently quoted me for their article, "What kind of Beer Does the White House Serve?" You can read the article here.

Obama Photograph by REUTERS/Jason Reed

LUCE'S LANDING

2009-06-30T12:10:00.000-07:00

Share Our Strength is an organization sanctioned by the President to fight childhood hunger in America. This last month I had an opportunity to work with Keith Luce. Keith first worked with me at the Greenbrier and then later as a Sous Chef at the White House. For the last few years Keith has been the Executive Chef at the Herbfarm which touts a dizzying array of awards including: AAA's 5 star, Mobil's 4 star, and a National Geographic title that named The Herbfarm as the Number One Destination Restaurant of the Year. I asked Kiyomi, who provides technical assistance for this blog, to talk with Keith. I hope you enjoy the interview:

-What was your relationship like with Walter when you two were working together at the Green Brier and the White House?

Being a young person in the kitchen authority has an interesting set of challenges attached to it. You have to understand I was 20 or 21 years old when I met him. I was a different person mentally. I was a type-A. The only things that were important were my craft and my art. I was 23 when I went to the White House. I think when I was younger I couldn't understand him like I do now. I came from an all European kitchen. My perspective was really skewed. It was the first time I had really worked with an American chef who was lighthearted.

It has been good to reconnect with him. We both have a career behind us and ahead of us and we are more like peers.

-What projects are you working on this summer?

I'm still the acting Executive Chef for the Herbfarm and I'm opening a business on the East Coast. Essentially I am working on a restaurant–farm concept that focuses on the land, farm, and artisanal breadmaking, cheesemaking and some charcueterie.

-Speaking of which, will you be bringing some of your wooly pigs (Mangalitsa pigs) to the new farm?

Yes, I will start raising wooly pigs there.

-Since you've been away from the East Coast for so long, you've had a chance to get used to the West Coast growing season. Is it going to be a lot different there?

In all honesty, the Seattle area is not too unlike the area where I grew up.

- You've grown up on a farm, traveled, and have done lots of different things - now you are coming back to your roots. Do you consider yourself to be a farmer?

The name of the restaurant is called Luce's Landing. This means a lot to me because it sort of alludes to the fact that I am coming back and landing where my roots are. My family has a long history there. There’s a beach at the end of the farm where my original family members landed. That was called Luce's Landing. It is a full circle scenario. In addition, I am working on a book. It will be a cookbook but its also going to tell the story of my realization of what is important to me. It begins with the farm even though I didn't realize it when I was growing up. The last thing I wanted to do was be involved with the farm or food because my grandfather was Italian and he was in the food business. I was traded back and forth between the farm and my grandfather's restaurant. After having gone away and trying to excel at being a chef I realize that some of the most important lessons I learned were on the farm. This drove me back towards the farm. I can't call myself a farmer because I'm not in the field everyday, but I think I am at heart. A big part of my being, and belief system, stems from that and I understand ingredients at a basic level.

-Do you still have a lot of family on the East Coast?

Yes.

-How many family members will be helping you in your new endeavor?

My two sisters and my mother have expressed an interest. I have a rule in my life to not involve my wife for the sake of the marriage. The majority of the help will come from my 2 sisters and my mother.

-Where do you consider home? Is it Luce's Landing?

Yes, there is no question about that. That's where my family is. That's where my heritage is. There's a lifestyle that I can give my son and I can leave behind. Leaving behind a legacy is very important to me. I don't know why, it's not ego. I've been very fortunate to live the life I've lived and most of it is because of this industry. I want to leave something behind in that arena, but I also want to leave something behind for my son so that he understands who his family was and why his father is who he is. It is home in a very big way.

Keith is creating quite the buzz with his new endeavor. If you would like to follow Keith can can find out more information here: Luce's Landing and facebook.

MEETING DARTH VADER IN GETTYSBURG

2009-06-23T12:22:00.001-07:00

It's not often you bump into the real Darth Vader, but I had the honor and pleasure of meeting the man whose voice helped make the dark side of the force a household catch phrase. I met the distinguished James Earl Jones this week at the Gettysburg Festival where he took center stage for a sold out event called A Lincoln Portrait. The program was composed by Aaron Copland in 1942 and was intended to give comfort to our nation during WWII.

Photograph by Bert Danielson, Gettysburg Festival

As you can well imagine, Mr. Jones gave an impeccable performance reciting the inspirational quotes of Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Jones is not only a fine actor, he is a gentleman as well. I was very impressed.

Photograph by Lester Cohen

Another thing that impressed me about James Earl Jones was the fact that as a young boy he did not have any control over the powerful voice he harnesses today. He had a severe stuttering problem that caused him to remark years later, "One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter." Thank goodness his schoolteachers had the insight to help him. They allowed him to read his own poetry aloud to his class. Today, James Earl Jones claims that he still struggles with his speech. He takes great care to think before he speaks. You would never know this by talking with him.

The following is an excerpt from a White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word. James Earl Jones is reading Shakespeare's Othello.

GETTING TO KNOW THE FIRST FAMILY

2009-06-11T00:56:00.000-07:00

Jae C. Hong/ Associated Press/file
Part of getting to know a new President includes a public fascination with what the First Family eats. There is a mix of curiosity – “What goes on in the White House?” and a litmus test – “How much is this family like us?” Just as we are in the process of getting to know a new family, there is also a subconscious thrust to make them more a little like ourselves – “My concerns should now be your concerns.” Mix these ingredients together and you have the makings for discussion and controversy. You can read the latest discussion, including quotes from myself, about the public’s interest with the Obamas’ food habits here: abcnews

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak,File

STEIN ERIKSEN LODGE

2009-05-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

At 9200 feet, I was able to experience a little high altitude adventure while hiking in the Wasatch Mountains in Park City, Utah. The view was nothing less than spectacular. While the town of Park City is probably more known for its skiing and other snow related activities, it encompasses the best of everything a resort town should be.

This former silver mining town never seems to take a rest. Starting in the beginning of the new year, it becomes a celebrity magnet for film lovers who attend the Sundance Film Festival here. Movie-goers make early requests to see "wait-list only" films at the festival. After the stampede of papparazi and film lovers leave, Park City transforms itself into a biking, hiking, golfing, horseback riding, dining, and shopping paradise as the weather starts to warm up.

While I was in Park City, I stayed at the Stein Eriksen lodge. The Stein Eriksen Lodge is a Mobil five-star, AAA five-diamond European style lodge nestled in the heart of Deer Valley Resort. The five star rating is unique to an elite group of 41 properties in North America.

The name of the lodge comes from Norwegian Stein Eriksen, former Olympic gold medalist who is credited for originating "aerials" in freestyle skiing. Mr. Eriksen currently serves as the ski director for the lodge.

Photograph by Susan Iskiwitch