First Woman Is Selected as
Executive Chef at White House
Published: August 15, 2005, New York Times
Cristeta Comerford yesterday became the first woman to be named White House executive chef after a lengthy selection process.
Laura Bush, the first lady, said she was delighted that Ms. Comerford, who has been an assistant chef in the White House since the mid-90's, had accepted the job. "Her passion for cooking can be tasted in every bite of her delicious creations," Mrs. Bush said.
Cristeta Comerford, the new executive White House chef, with Walter Scheib III, her predecessor and mentor, who provided the photograph.
As a known quantity, Ms. Comerford, a naturalized citizen from the Philippines, had a certain advantage over outside applicants. "It's something Mrs. Bush had a comfort level with," said Susan Whitson, the first lady's press secretary. "She knew what she was capable of, and it was an opportunity to promote someone from within," which is another first for the choice.
Ms. Comerford, 41, who immediately left on vacation, was unavailable for comment but she had said in an earlier interview that she was very pleased to be considered.
Ms. Comerford's White House kitchen colleagues and Walter Scheib III, whom Mrs. Bush asked to resign as executive chef in February, got together yesterday afternoon at a bar in Georgetown to toast her success. "We're shooting the breeze and talking about how good it is that Cris got a promotion," Mr. Scheib said. "There's unbridled joy that Cris got the opportunity, and we've come to an agreement that she will do phenomenally well."
Since Mr. Scheib's departure, Ms. Comerford has been preparing meals for official dinners, private parties and family dinners - from huevos rancheros, the president's favorite Sunday breakfast, to oysters and spinach au gratin for one of Mrs. Bush's literary-themed dinners, this one honoring Shakespeare.
Roland Mesnier, the former White House pastry chef, who supported Ms. Comerford's candidacy, said he was delighted with the choice.
"Fantastic," he said. "You can recognize the flavor of what she cooks, and you can recognize all the elements on the plate. Many times a chef puts some things in a recipe and you say, 'What am I eating?' "
Mr. Scheib said Ms. Comerford was "the best candidate, no question about it."
"Picking Cris as the first woman chef is a good publicity move, I expect," he said. "But it's not about being a man or a woman; it'sthat she's an exceptional chef. I saw that when I hired her." Mr. Scheib added, "Mentally she is tough as nails, is very strongly focused and a very talented culinarian."
Ms. Comerford worked closely with Mr. Scheib on many projects, including the 2003 state dinner in honor of the president of the Philippines.
"She and I were like two fingers crossed, mentor and protégée," said Mr. Scheib, who was a holdover from the Clinton White House. "I don't see her choice as a radical departure from anything."
Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, representing more than 2,000 culinary professionals in the United States, may want to take credit for Ms. Comerford's elevation. The organization sent a letter to Mrs. Bush last May, asking her to consider a woman for the job because the chef would be a role model for women.
"Throughout our history, women have been at the helm of feeding American families," the organization wrote. "Now is the time to have a woman at the helm of feeding America's first family."
But according to the White House, none of the people suggested by the organization, most of them well-known in culinary circles, were interested in the job. The pay, $80,000 to $100,000 a year with no overtime, for what is essentially a private family chef who occasionally has an opportunity to show off at a state dinner, is well below what top level chefs can earn on the outside.
And opportunities to dazzle at state dinners are few and far between in the current White House; there have been only five since Mr. Bush took office.
"I'm glad it's a woman," said Alice Waters, the noted Berkeley, Calif., restaurateur. "It can't be anything but encouraging to people to have someone at the top, particularly from another country. That particularly makes a beautiful statement that someone has succeeded to the extent that they represent the president."
Ms. Whitson, the first lady's press secretary, said there were hundreds of applications. "It's a long process and we wanted to give as many applicants as possible a chance because there are so many good American chefs out there," she said.
She would not say how many of the applicants were women.
After telephone interviews, the list of candidates was cut to a few who were then interviewed at the White House. Some of those chefs were asked to prepare tasting menus for the Bushes, among them Chris Ward of the Mercury Grill in Dallas; Richard Hamilton, formerly of the Spiced Pear in Newport, R.I.; and Ms. Comerford.
Ms. Comerford, who came to the United States when she was 23, received a bachelor's degree in food technology from the University of the Philippines, studied classic French cooking and worked in Austria. She also was chef at two Washington hotels. And she collaborated with the California chef John Ash to promote American game cooking. She lives in Columbia, Md., with her husband, John, and young daughter. ---#
