Cristeta Comerford Stays on as White House Chef

The current White House Chef, Cristeta Comerford, is staying on. Comerford is a naturalized citizen from the Philippines who studied French cooking in Austria. She specializes in ethnic and American cuisine. It seems this pick is made by the First Lady:

MSNBC: "Cristeta Comerford brings such incredible talent to the White House operation and came very highly regarded from the Bush family," Michelle Obama said in a statement. "Also the mom of a young daughter, I appreciate our shared perspective on the importance of healthy eating and healthy families. I look forward to working with her in the years to come."

Three other chefs were apparently under consideration:

Philippine News: Mrs. Bush appointed Comerford in August 2005, impressed by how this Filipina has prepared an elaborate and delicious dinner for visiting Indian Prime Minister Manohan Singh.

Her main responsibility is designing and executing menus for state dinners and social events. Not to mention holiday functions, receptions and luncheons hosted by the Bush family.

Trained in French classical techniques specializing in ethnic and American cuisine, she currently presides over a staff of five to 25 full time employees.

Comerford was hired during the Clinton years when then White House Executive Chef Walter Scheib III recruited her as his assistant in 1995.

Thus far, three names are said to be being considered for her position of chef to President Obama. They are chefs Rick Bayless, Art Smith, and Daniel Young.

Art Smith, Oprah Winfrey’s personal chef, is a proponent of organic foods and fresh fruits and vegetables.
Daniel Young cooked for Mr. Obama during the Democratic National Convention. He is known for his seafood stew with crab-stuffed chicken breast.

Rick Bayless is on the list as well not only for his Mexican specialty but also because he is from Chicago, where the Obamas are long-time residents.

In his book, Scheib, Comerford’s predecessor, said First Ladies like to leave their mark on the White House kitchen.

“Jackie Kennedy brought French cuisine to the White House. Hillary Clinton hired me to bring American cuisine to the table. And Laura Bush hired the first woman chef for the White House,” he said in his memoir, “White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen”

Watchers of history are waiting to see how Mrs. Obama would make her mark on the First Kitchen.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Goodbye Crawford Hello Chicago

It's nice to have a president who won't be retreating to his ranch. See the new Chicago bus tour.

NYT: Yet this moment of renaissance for Chicago is about much more than architecture and athletics. For the first time in the country’s history, an American president will call this city home. And as he moves to Washington, a dose of the Chicago mood is sure to follow.

“We’re not Little Rock and we’re not Texas,” said Rick Bayless, a friend of the Obama family, who owns Frontera Grill and is among the city’s celebrity chefs. “It’s easy to put on your cowboy boots and eat all that barbecue. You can’t do that from Chicago. We’ve got a lot of muscle and it’s far too complex of a place for that.”

The complexity of Chicago, a city that is multiplying in its new diversity even as it clings to a segregated past, is rooted in the 200 neighborhoods that make up the nation’s third-largest city. America may well know Oprah Winfrey, who became a billion-dollar name through her rise to fame here, but the city holds a far broader identity.