New White House Executive Chef in 2009?

By JULIETTE ROSSANT President Elect Barack Obama has pointed out that lame duck President Bush is still Commander-in-Chief, until he takes office in January. Obama is busy forming his new cabinet and deciding on key cabinet posts. White House Executive Chef wouldn't appear to be high on his list. It shouldn't be, since it is First Lady-in-Waiting Michelle Obama's decision who servers as Chef-in-Chief. But is it reasonable to assume she is thinking about choosing her top chef? Despite speculation in the press (even Super Chef has speculated), there already is an executive chef who can continue to serve the new first family. In fact, executive chefs do not change with each new administration. Laura Bush kept the Clinton White House Executive Chef, Walter Scheib for several years before dismissing him and finally hiring Cris Comerford. Cris is not only the first female and first Filipina to hold the post, she is also a very capable chef by all accounts. Her colleague, executive pastry chef Bill Yosses is even more renowned. The New York Daily News has chimed in with suggestions of chefs Art Smith, Rick Bayless, and Daniel Young, all Chicago-based to take the place of Chef Comerford. Wait a second! Laura Bush made a wise choice in Cris Comerford. If Michelle Obama does appoint a new chef, why aren't there women chefs on the Daily News short list? There are plenty of women chefs who work in Chicago, with whom the Obamas might be familiar should they choose to hire a new chef. Super Chef invites our readers to send in more suggestions for a short list of women who could fill Cris' shoes should she leave her job. Here is a preliminary list of nominees for chef: Chef: Suzy Crofton Restaurant: Crofton on Wells (Chicago) Cuisine: American Chef: Carrie Nahabedian Restaurant: NAHA (Chicago) Cuisine: Californian-Armenian Chef: Sarah Stegner Restaurant: Prairie Grass Café (Northbrook) Cuisine: American NAHA Partner Michael Nahabedian reports to Super Chef that Michelle has eaten at the restaurant as recently as last winter: "I know its been a few years since they've eaten here together. The new Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, eats lunch here as much as once a week and always sits at our famous table 81. Unfortunately he won't be eating as much here anymore considering his new position. Also, the Obamas got engaged here, however it was when our space was occupied by Gordon restaurant." Sarah Stegner told Super Chef that she cooked for Michelle Obama at a fund raiser at her restaurant, along with Alice Waters. She believes that the White House chef should champion locally grown food: "When they do their state dinners they should showcase our own local food, food from that garden outside the window. If I was put in that position, I would say to Michelle Obama, 'You need to have this, your kids need to know where their food comes from. You need to show that it can be done, and it makes perfect sense, but it needs to be beautiful'." She urges the Obamas to plan for a White House kitchen garden, such as the ones Jeanne Pinsof Nolan has grown for The Green City Market’s The Edible Gardens in Chicago. Tell us who you think should be a candidate for White House Executive Chef. Related news: Boston Globe LA Times Miami Herald Chicago Tribune New York Daily News San Francisco Chronicle Previous articles: Michelle Obama and Paula Deen: Laying it on Thick Marvin Woods: Obama's Chef in Waiting O, the Oprah Magazine Cookbook [Chefs & Politics - complete] [White House Woman Chef - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging --> back to Super Chef