"WhiteHouseChef" news and stories

• Trevor Corson, the author of "The Story of Sushi," says to step away from the chopsticks -- the proper way to eat sushi is with your fingers.
• Joaquin Baca of the Brooklyn Star only serves up food he likes to eat -- including the Americana classic green bean casserole, updated with homemade mushroom soup and onion rings.
• White House chef Sam Kass stirs pots and policy. When he's not preparing meals for the first family, he gathers with senior policy advisers to figure out how to improve the health of the country's children.
• First Lady Michelle Obama makes a cameo on the Jan. 3 episode of "Iron Chef America" to raise awareness for the Healthy Kids Initiative -- and revealing that the secret ingredient is anything from the White House garden.
• From Momofuku to Marco Canora, the roundup of this season's best new cookbooks is sure to take readers on an "edible adventure."
• Sam Sifton's latest reviews Le Relais de Venise L'Entrecôte, the Parisian import to Midtown that relies on "the simplicity of salad, steak and fries, heavy on the salt and butter, rich as a cardiologist," and waitresses in what resemble French maid outfits.
• The Minimalist, Mark Bittman, takes meatball madness to the Middle East with lamb, cumin, mint and bulgur.
• Nostalgic for wine from their Vienna upbringing, Carlo Huber and Paul Darcy made it their mission to bring Viennese wines and wine culture to the United States.
• Saltie, a tiny sandwich shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, serves up sandwiches "the Earl would approve."

Since Barack Obama won the November Presidential election, there has been much speculation as to whether he and his family would retain current White House chef Cristeta Comerford or replace her with a new chef of their choosing. Reporters and bloggers suggested nearly every single prominent chef cooking in the U.S. today, including Oprah Winfrey's personal chef Art Smith and high-end Mexican expert Rick Bayless.

However, it was announced yesterday and the Obamas would retain Chef Comerford as White House Executive Chef. She is the first woman and first minority to hold that position. Congratulations Chef Comerford!

[via AP]

Source

It stands to reason that a busy President and First Lady aren't going to have the time to whip up meals every night. Enter the White House chef. There's been a lot of talk about Obama's administration choices, and now ABC has added the foodie side to the equation -- what it means to be a White House chef, and some behind-the-scenes tidbits about past presidents.

It's a pretty interesting read, covering the challenges of being the President's chef, to dealing with personal preferences and allergies. The Carters required prompt arrival for dinner and no flip flops and casual clothes at the table. Chelsea Clinton became a vegan while President Dad couldn't eat dairy, chocolate, or flour. (And I thought being allergic to nuts was bad!) And there's even a bit about 9/11, and how the menu changed to comfort foods after that day.

Now we just have to wait and see who Barack Obama picks.