Pinay still White House chef
Agence France-Presse | 01/10/2009 4:24 PM
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WASHINGTON - The White House is sure to get a makeover when the family of incoming US president Barack Obama arrives, but one thing won't change: the White House chef.
Cristeta Comerford, who made the annals of gastronomical history when she became the first woman to head the White House kitchen, will cook for the Obamas, after they decided to keep her busy at the presidential furnaces.
"Cristeta Comerford brings such incredible talent to the White House operation and came very highly regarded from the (President George W.) Bush family," said Michelle Obama, who moves into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue with her husband and two daughters on January 20.
"I look forward to working with her in the years to come," she added in a statement released by the Obama transition team.
Michelle Obama said she appreciated Comerford's "shared perspective on the importance of healthy eating and healthy families."
Comerford, who was born in the Philippines in 1962 and later became a naturalized US citizen, was promoted by First Lady Laura Bush in August 2005 after the departure of chef Walter Scheib a few months earlier. By then Comerford had worked in the White House kitchen for 10 years.
"Her passion for cooking can be tasted in every bite of her delicious creations," Bush said at the time.
Comerford, known as "Cris," originally studied French cooking, later specializing in ethnic and American cuisine.
Comerford began her career working at Le Ciel restaurant in Vienna before heading to the kitchens of two Washington restaurants.
