Profile: Diane Forley for White House Chef

By JULIETTE ROSSANT New Yorker native Diane Forley is currently consulting to the Ojai Valley Inn and Spa in Ojai, California, where her husband chef Michael Otsuka is executive chef at the Maravilla restaurant. Until recently, she and husband-partner Michael were chefs at Verbena in New York City. She likes cooking for large numbers of people on occasion (important for the White House). What inspired Diane to become a chef? Watching James Beard cook on television. Her culinary mentors have included Michel Fitoussi at The Palace Restaurant, Michel Guerard at the Eugenie Les Bains, Alfred Portale at Gotham Bar and Grill, David Burke at The River Café. Her mission if she gets the White House nod is broad: As White House Chef I would like to work closely with the First Lady to make sure nutrition is highlighted in the White House. I would like to emphasize the importance of educating children and household caretakers about healthy food choices. I would try to illustrate how healthy food can be made delicious, with ease of preparation. What would Diane serve the President and First Lady for a family dinner? "On a quiet evening, I would prepare Herb roasted chicken with a fricassee of asparagus and wild mushrooms. I might finish with a Meyer lemon soufflé for dessert." For a State Dinner? "Rack of Lamb with Roasted Eggplant and Yukon Potato Griddle Cake. Dessert would be Vanilla flavored Strawberries over Orange Scented Genoise Cake." Cookbooks: Anatomy of a Dish (with Catherine Young) Other online bios: Oprah Chef2Chef Artisan Books Jessica's Biscuit FoodFit.com Previous articles: Vote for White House Woman Chef --> back to superchefblog