Secrets behind the White House kitchen

To become the cook for the most powerful leader in America, chefs not only need to demonstrate top talent but also have to pass an extremely rigorous "background check".

"That process lasted 14 months before starting work," People magazine quoted chef Martin Mongiello, who has served six US presidents at the White House and Camp David. Cristeta Comerford, who has worked since President Bill Clinton, said she had to compete with hundreds of candidates to become assistant chef to head chef Walter Scheib in 1995. In 2005, when Mr. Scheib left the White House, Ms. Comerford had to compete with nearly 500 more people for the head chef position in a half-year race. Finally, Ms. Comerford was "chosen" by First Lady Laura Bush (wife of President George W. Bush at that time) after performing a state dinner hosted by the White House owner for the Indian Prime Minister .

Chef Cristeta Comerford prepares food before a White House reception in 2012.

The White House Executive Chef is responsible for preparing menus, ingredients, and flavors that convey the personality, taste, and lifestyle of the head of the United States. However, Ms. Comerford is not a native American. She was born in the Philippines, moved to the United States at the age of 23, and later married a chef. She is the first woman and the first person of Asian descent to hold the position of executive chef since the position was created by the Kennedys in the 1960s. During her time in the White House kitchen, Ms. Comerford has created menus for events ranging from private dinners to receptions with thousands of guests.

Cooking for the US President, the chef must be able to adapt to the situation and withstand "heat", both literally and figuratively. Once, Mr. Mongiello received a surprise call with a special request: "Mr. and Mrs. Clinton are having the Gores (then Vice President Al Gore) over for dinner and Tipper (second lady) is on a diet." With only a few days to prepare, Mr. Mongiello decided to cook the main dish: roast chicken stuffed with bread and millet. Unfortunately, this dish required millet, a strange ingredient that four employees searched more than a dozen stores for two days but still could not find. "We finally bought it at a home improvement store, in a bag labeled "bird seed". I washed it, put it in the chicken dish and no one knew anything," Mr. Mongiello said.

Guest chef Edward Lee (left) and chef Cristeta Comerford prepare before the state banquet for the President of South Korea in April 2023

According to White House chefs and aides, husbands often eat easy while wives are always strict and want healthy food. Axios reported that there was a " food war" in the White House between President Joe Biden and his wife Jill when one liked to eat sandwiches, pizza, spaghetti while the other wanted her husband to eat more fish and vegetables even though he did not like those dishes. During a dinner at the White House in 2021, Mr. Biden's sister, Valerie, witnessed her brother complaining about the salmon and vegetables: "She makes me eat this healthy food all the time." After his wife was out of sight, Mr. Biden quickly ate some lemon sponge cake and had a box of chocolate chip ice cream for dessert.

When he was the owner of the White House, President Barack Obama was no exception. His wife Michelle planted a vegetable garden for use. Chef Andre Rush, who worked for four presidents, told the New York Post that Mr. Obama sometimes secretly ate pizza with chili sauce that he "increased" to the level of spiciness. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and Bill Clinton loved hamburgers when they were in office, and one of them used to send staff to look for fast food restaurants in the area he was about to pass. The president "ate while moving from one place to another," Mr. Rush revealed.

The president pays for the market himself.

Food purchases are done discreetly, with staff going shopping every day to ensure ingredients are always available. "You have to anticipate what a family will need. If the first lady or the president or the kids want something, it's usually already in the house, not just a quick trip to the store," said chef Andre Rush. However, the first family must pay for the food they buy, according to Michelle Obama. "Nobody tells you this, and if you say you want some exotic fruit, they'll say, 'Yes, ma'am, we'll buy it.' Then you get a bill for $500 for a peach," Mrs. Obama said.

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