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Japan Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Japan Today
Former White House chef for 5 presidents says first families are 'just regular people' at home
FILE - White House executive chef Cris Comerford, holds dishes as she speaks during a media preview for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Nov. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) By DARLENE SUPERVILLE Cristeta Comerford, a longtime White House executive chef who recently retired after nearly three decades of preparing meals for five presidents and their guests, says first families are 'just regular people' when they're at home in the private living areas of the Executive Mansion. 'It's not what you see on the news,' she told The Associated Press in an interview. Preparing the first families' meals was among Comerford's many culinary responsibilities. Meals mostly would be prepared in the main kitchen, then finished off in the residence kitchen on the second floor. 'At the end of the day, when you do the family meals upstairs, they're just regular people at home. They just want a good meal. They want to sit down with their family,' she said. "If they have children, they eat together. And just to see that on a daily basis, it's not what you see on the news. 'It's the other side of them that we get to see," she said. Comerford, who hung up her apron and chef's toque in July 2024 after nearly 20 years as top chef and nearly three decades on the kitchen staff, is the longest-serving chef in White House history. Her tenure spanned the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Each of the five families she served approached food differently, Comerford said at a recent White House Historical Association symposium on food and wine. She was asked whether she'd describe any of the presidents as 'real foodies.' The Clintons liked healthier meals, Comerford said. Then-first lady Hillary Clinton hired the first American executive chef, Walter Scheib, and had the kitchen avoid serving heavy sauces and creams. She said, 'I learned so much' about Southwestern cuisine from Bush, the former Texas governor who liked Tex-Mex food. 'We made thousands of tamales for Christmas,' she said of the popular Mexican meal of stuffed corn dough wrapped in a corn husk and steamed until cooked. Comerford got ideas from the vegetable garden Michelle Obama started when she was promoting healthy eating, primarily for children. "We used the garden as kind of like our backbone for our menu development,' she said. Trump and first lady Melania Trump are 'very, very classic eaters,' she said. Mrs. Trump 'loved Italian food, so we tend to do the pastas, but light ones.' Comerford didn't comment on President Trump's food choices, but he is known to like a well-done steak served with ketchup and fast food. Jill Biden was the first Italian American first lady, and the kitchen did 'a lot of Italian food, as well, because she loved Italian food.' Overall, 'it's different for each family,' said Comerford, "but my job as the chef is to execute their style, their likes and their preferences.' A black-tie state dinner is the highest diplomatic honor the U.S. reserves for its close allies. Comerford presided over 54 of these opulent affairs, including for France and Australia during Trump's first term. Sometimes, guest chefs were brought in to help. State dinners give presidents the opportunity to bring together hundreds of guests from the worlds of government, politics and other industries for an evening in which the three-course meal, decor and entertainment are designed to help foster relations by dazzling the visiting foreign leader. The first lady's staff and the social secretary typically have about two months to pull one together. Comerford said her team started by researching the visiting leader's likes and dislikes, then she used the information to create a menu using the best of American food while incorporating nuances from the country being recognized. She'd develop at least three different menus. Then came tastings for the first lady to make a final decision. Comerford, 62, started her career tending a salad bar at a Chicago airport hotel before working as a chef at restaurants in Austria and Washington. Scheib, then the White House executive chef, hired her in 1994 for a temporary gig preparing a state dinner for Nelson Mandela, South Africa's newly elected president. Scheib then hired her as an assistant chef in 1995, and she succeeded him a decade later, becoming the first woman and first person of color to permanently hold the executive chef's position. Comerford is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the Philippines. Her husband, John Comerford, is a chef, too, and she credits him with sacrificing his career to be present for their daughter so she could thrive in hers. Their daughter is a pastry chef. When Comerford retired, assistant chef Tommy Kurpradit, whose parents are from Thailand, was named interim executive chef. Melania Trump, who worked with Comerford in the first Trump administration, has not named a successor. Comerford said she managed everything with 'a lot of prayers,' often said during her hourlong, early morning drive into the White House, but also by being versatile, humble, able to handle chaos and having faith in herself and her team. 'One thing with cooking at the White House, you don't just do fine dining meals,' she said. 'You have to know how to cook eggs and breakfast. You have to know to cook a smashburger.' It also helps to remember that the job is about the family. 'There's no ego in it,' Comerford said. White House culinary history includes chefs from China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, as far back as the 19th century, according to Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang, co-authors of a new book, 'Cooking to the President's Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History." Most sharpened their skills through service in the U.S. military. Before Comerford, Pedro Udo, a Filipino trained in the U.S. military, was the first Asian heritage chef to run the White House kitchen after he was promoted from meat chef to head chef in June 1957, according to the book. He prepared meals for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip later that year, and for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in September 1959 during the Cold War. But his stint ended after less than four years when the new first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, hired acclaimed French chef René Verdon in early 1961. Miller said the book offers a 'unique window" on the presidency. 'We get a look at the presidents, but also the presidents got a look at Asian American life in maybe ways that they hadn't before,' he told the AP in an interview. "And I think, you know, for the presidents that decided to open that window and find out more about the people who were providing, comforting them through amazing food, I think our nation is better for them.' © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Yomiuri Shimbun
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Former White House Chef for 5 Presidents Says First Families Are ‘Just Regular People' at Home
AP File photo White House executive chef Cris Comerford, holds dishes as she speaks during a media preview for the State Dinner with President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Nov. 30, 2022. WASHINGTON (AP) — Cristeta Comerford, a longtime White House executive chef who recently retired after nearly three decades of preparing meals for five presidents and their guests, says first families are 'just regular people' when they're at home in the private living areas of the Executive Mansion. 'It's not what you see on the news,' she told The Associated Press in an interview. Preparing the first families' meals was among Comerford's many culinary responsibilities. Meals mostly would be prepared in the main kitchen, then finished off in the residence kitchen on the second floor. 'At the end of the day, when you do the family meals upstairs, they're just regular people at home. They just want a good meal. They want to sit down with their family,' she said. 'If they have children, they eat together. And just to see that on a daily basis, it's not what you see on the news. 'It's the other side of them that we get to see,' she said. Presidents as foodies Comerford, who hung up her apron and chef's toque in July 2024 after nearly 20 years as top chef and nearly three decades on the kitchen staff, is the longest-serving chef in White House history. Her tenure spanned the presidencies of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden. Each of the five families she served approached food differently, Comerford said at a recent White House Historical Association symposium on food and wine. She was asked whether she'd describe any of the presidents as 'real foodies.' The Clintons liked healthier meals, Comerford said. Then-first lady Hillary Clinton hired the first American executive chef, Walter Scheib, and had the kitchen avoid serving heavy sauces and creams. She said, 'I learned so much' about Southwestern cuisine from Bush, the former Texas governor who liked Tex-Mex food. 'We made thousands of tamales for Christmas,' she said of the popular Mexican meal of stuffed corn dough wrapped in a corn husk and steamed until cooked. Comerford got ideas from the vegetable garden Michelle Obama started when she was promoting healthy eating, primarily for children. 'We used the garden as kind of like our backbone for our menu development,' she said. Trump and first lady Melania Trump are 'very, very classic eaters,' she said. Mrs. Trump 'loved Italian food, so we tend to do the pastas, but light ones.' Comerford didn't comment on President Trump's food choices, but he is known to like a well-done steak served with ketchup and fast food. Jill Biden was the first Italian American first lady, and the kitchen did 'a lot of Italian food, as well, because she loved Italian food.' Overall, 'it's different for each family,' said Comerford, 'but my job as the chef is to execute their style, their likes and their preferences.' 54 state dinners A black-tie state dinner is the highest diplomatic honor the U.S. reserves for its close allies. Comerford presided over 54 of these opulent affairs, including for France and Australia during Trump's first term. Sometimes, guest chefs were brought in to help. State dinners give presidents the opportunity to bring together hundreds of guests from the worlds of government, politics and other industries for an evening in which the three-course meal, decor and entertainment are designed to help foster relations by dazzling the visiting foreign leader. The first lady's staff and the social secretary typically have about two months to pull one together. Comerford said her team started by researching the visiting leader's likes and dislikes, then she used the information to create a menu using the best of American food while incorporating nuances from the country being recognized. She'd develop at least three different menus. Then came tastings for the first lady to make a final decision. Comerford's career Comerford, 62, started her career tending a salad bar at a Chicago airport hotel before working as a chef at restaurants in Austria and Washington. Scheib, then the White House executive chef, hired her in 1994 for a temporary gig preparing a state dinner for Nelson Mandela, South Africa's newly elected president. Scheib then hired her as an assistant chef in 1995, and she succeeded him a decade later, becoming the first woman and first person of color to permanently hold the executive chef's position. Comerford is a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the Philippines. Her husband, John Comerford, is a chef, too, and she credits him with sacrificing his career to be present for their daughter so she could thrive in hers. Their daughter is a pastry chef. When Comerford retired, assistant chef Tommy Kurpradit, whose parents are from Thailand, was named interim executive chef. Melania Trump, who worked with Comerford in the first Trump administration, has not named a successor. How she succeeded as the White House top chef Comerford said she managed everything with 'a lot of prayers,' often said during her hourlong, early morning drive into the White House, but also by being versatile, humble, able to handle chaos and having faith in herself and her team. 'One thing with cooking at the White House, you don't just do fine dining meals,' she said. 'You have to know how to cook eggs and breakfast. You have to know to cook a smashburger.' It also helps to remember that the job is about the family. 'There's no ego in it,' Comerford said. Asians in White House culinary history White House culinary history includes chefs from China, Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Thailand, as far back as the 19th century, according to Adrian Miller and Deborah Chang, co-authors of a new book, 'Cooking to the President's Taste: Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History.' Most sharpened their skills through service in the U.S. military. Before Comerford, Pedro Udo, a Filipino trained in the U.S. military, was the first Asian heritage chef to run the White House kitchen after he was promoted from meat chef to head chef in June 1957, according to the book. He prepared meals for Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip later that year, and for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in September 1959 during the Cold War. But his stint ended after less than four years when the new first lady, Jacqueline Kennedy, hired acclaimed French chef René Verdon in early 1961. Miller said the book offers a 'unique window' on the presidency. 'We get a look at the presidents, but also the presidents got a look at Asian American life in maybe ways that they hadn't before,' he told the AP in an interview. 'And I think, you know, for the presidents that decided to open that window and find out more about the people who were providing, comforting them through amazing food, I think our nation is better for them.'
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Mukesh Ambani meets Donald Trump at Qatar's Lusail Palace, Elon Musk late by 30 mins. Watch
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani met Donald Trump at the state dinner hosted by Qatar in the US president's honour. Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, was filmed greeting Trump and the Qatari emir at Lusail Palace. According to a Washington Post report, Trump and the emir stood in a receiving line for nearly an hour. They greeted several high-profile guests – including Mukesh Ambani – at the Qatari State Dinner. Mukesh Ambani was filmed greeting Trump warmly and chatting with him for a few minutes before moving inside. He also shook hands with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Ambani was then seen chatting and laughing with US secretary of commerce Steve Lutnick as he moved inside. Watch the video below: This is Mukesh Ambani's second meeting with Donald Trump since the US president's inauguration - he and his wife Nita Ambani had attended a pre-inauguration dinner in the United States back in January. The State Dinner at Doha's Lusail Palace was reportedly an elaborate affair, with the smell of incense filling the massive hall. The sound of drums and singing greeted the guests who arrived for dinner. According to the Washington Post, Elon Musk also attended the state dinner, although he was 30 minutes late. The CEO of Tesla also used the 'chat and cut' trick to get ahead in the queue. Other high-profile guests included Newsmax founder Chris Ruddy, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, and Antonio Gracias, one of Elon Musk's closest friends. Qatar was the second stop in Trump's Middle East tour, which includes visits to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He began the tour in Saudi Arabia before flying to Qatar. According to news agency PTI, Trump urged Qatar on Wednesday to use its influence over Iran to persuade the country's leadership to reach an agreement with the US to dial back its rapidly advancing nuclear programme. Trump, who is visiting the Gulf nation as part of a three-country Mideast swing, made the appeal during a state dinner held in his honour by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Hindustan Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Mukesh Ambani meets Donald Trump at Qatar's Lusail Palace, Musk late by 30 mins. Watch
Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani met Donald Trump at the state dinner hosted by Qatar in the US president's honour. Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, was filmed greeting Trump and the Qatari emir at Lusail Palace. According to a Washington Post report, Trump and the emir stood in a receiving line for nearly an hour. They greeted several high-profile guests – including Mukesh Ambani – at the Qatari State Dinner. Mukesh Ambani was filmed greeting Trump warmly and chatting with him for a few minutes before moving inside. He also shook hands with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Ambani was then seen chatting and laughing with US secretary of commerce Steve Lutnick as he moved inside. Watch the video below: This is Mukesh Ambani's second meeting with Donald Trump since the US president's inauguration - he and his wife Nita Ambani had attended a pre-inauguration dinner in the United States back in January. The State Dinner at Doha's Lusail Palace was reportedly an elaborate affair, with the smell of incense filling the massive hall. The sound of drums and singing greeted the guests who arrived for dinner. According to the Washington Post, Elon Musk also attended the state dinner, although he was 30 minutes late. The CEO of Tesla also used the 'chat and cut' trick to get ahead in the queue. Other high-profile guests included Newsmax founder Chris Ruddy, Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman, and Antonio Gracias, one of Elon Musk's closest friends. Qatar was the second stop in Trump's Middle East tour, which includes visits to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. He began the tour in Saudi Arabia before flying to Qatar. According to news agency PTI, Trump urged Qatar on Wednesday to use its influence over Iran to persuade the country's leadership to reach an agreement with the US to dial back its rapidly advancing nuclear programme. Trump, who is visiting the Gulf nation as part of a three-country Mideast swing, made the appeal during a state dinner held in his honour by Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
New York Post
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Conservatives mock Dem rhetoric about ‘oligarchy' as NYC living room pic of Alex Soros and Abedin goes viral
Conservatives skewered an online photo of liberal megadonor Alex Soros and former Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin. An article from The New Yorker went viral on Monday for showcasing notable New Yorkers in their living rooms, ranging from big names in entertainment to politics. Staff writer Naomi Fry summarized that living rooms are 'the most public-facing of a home's spaces, and, as such, it bears a particular burden: that of showcasing to others who the occupants are.' Many of the photos that went viral were specifically those of Democrats. Conservative social media account ComfortablySmug shared four images featuring Soros and Abedin, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., MSNBC host and activist Rev. Al Sharpton, and former Vice President Kamala Harris' stepdaughter Ella Emhoff. 3 Alex Soros and Huma Abedin arrive at the Booksellers Room of the White House on the occasion of the State Dinner with the Kenyan president at the White House in Washington, DC, on May 23, 2024. AFP via Getty Images '[Ladies] and gentlemen, the Democrat party,' Comfortably Smug wrote. Republican communications staffer Steve Guest poked fun at the photo of Sharpton, quipping, 'Of course Al Sharpton has a photo of just himself hanging on his wall.' The photo featuring Soros went particularly viral because of the Democrat's recent focus on fighting oligarcy. The successor of liberal megadonor George Soros sits while holding hands with his new fiancée Huma Abedin in what appears to be an expensive minimalist apartment with a massive view of the city behind them. Manhattan is known as one of the most prohibitively expensive real estate markets in the world. 'Sure let's have that oligarchy conversation,' The Spectator contributing editor Stephen L. Miller said, appearing to refer to the recent 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour where Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Ocasio-Cortez have rallied Americans against the influence of the mega-wealthy in American politics. 3 Soros and girlfriend Huma Abedin sit court-side during the Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks Playoff game on May 8, 2024. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post 3 Abedin and Soros attend the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating 'Superfine: Tailoring Black Style' at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2025 in New York City. Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue Political strategist Matt Schuck responded with a similar, 'Tell me again about that whole 'Fighting Oligarchy' tour.' Many also found the photo to be tone-deaf. 'This is weird,' the account representing the conservative media outlet, Townhall, wrote. Washington Free Beacon investigative reporter Chuck Ross responded to the photo with a simple, 'Lmao.'
