COMMANDER IN CHEF A VERY TALL ORDER

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/19/5 | Carol Ness

[SmithL]

Job constraints, politics make White House unappetizing to many Bay Area food stars -

The White House is shopping for a new chef. But despite the Bay Area's national status as a culinary capital, no one really expects the search to focus here.

"I don't think they'll be calling,'' says renowned chef Nancy Oakes of Boulevard in San Francisco. "I think my name is on a list of fund-raisers for John Kerry.''

Even food, it seems, comes in red and blue.

The idea of going to the White House drew guffaws from many local chefs, staunch Democrats who say they would not serve even if asked.

But not everyone mixes politics with food. . . .

[BonnieJ]

I don't understand why so many of the chefs are liberals. Maybe they aren't.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Emeril would rock! Bam!! Paula Deane(sp) would be another good choice. I like her style, and her down home cooking.

Ahh, but we're forgetting FR's resident chef, Carlo. Are you busy these days?

[GaltMeister]

If you had the skills and if he was elected would you cook for a Kerry whitehouse? (Note question asked.)

I sure would. If I was a Secret Service agent on the Presidential detail, I would take a bullet for a President Kerry or Clinton, just as sure as I would for a Bush or Reagan. Jobs like that require the highest morals and professionalism.

The fact that those fools can't keep their politics aside from their profession shows that they are shallow, self serving jerks anyway, and would not be worth consideration for the job.

[GaltMeister]

We should nominate some FReepers, like ChefKeith!

[TheSpottedOwl]

If I were a republican chef, I wouldn't give a sh** who was in office. You're not being hired to implement or tout their policies.

Exactly. Republicans aren't whiny, petulant children. The chefs featured in the article...are. Lol, I wouldn't want them anywhere near my food.

[TheSpottedOwl]

I knew there were a couple of more here. You guys interested? Best job of your life :)

[Phsstpok]

I say hire chef Larry Perdido from the Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill in Austin.  The Bush's know and like his stuff already.  It's where they took their daughter when she graduated from UT Austin.  Perdido is also behind the fusion cuisine of the Saba, Blue Water Cafes in Austin and Houston, which mixes "a bit of Caribbean, a dash of Yucatan Peninsula, and stir of Asian ingredients using French technique."  I want to try Saba so I can try out dishes like "shiitake-stuffed chicken roulade, Szechwan peppered duck and horseradish-citrus seared swordfish."

I think it would make a great statement to go with the mix of American classics and modern fusion cuisine that is so prevalent in this country as the menu at the White House, prepared by an Asian American from Texas.

The menu for the Moonshine, which I visited in November, is "gourmet comfort food."  They serve macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes, but the mac and cheese is  made with pimiento cheese and topped with a bacon gratin while the mashed potatoes prepared with roasted garlic and garnished with thin slices of fried garlic.

here's a list of their entrees:

BARBEQUED HALF CHICKEN with Cranberry-Orange BBQ Sauce

SHAKE-N-BAKE PARMESAN CHICKEN with Stewed Tomatoes

HORSERADISH CRUSTED SALMON with Lemon Dill Sauce

BLACKENED CATFISH with Crawfish Etouffee

BROILED RAINBOW TROUT with Corn Bread Stuffing & Chile Sage Butter

GRILLED PORK TENDERLOIN with Apricot Habanero Glaze

MOLASSES & CHILE CURED PORK CHOP with Brandy Apple Sauce

BUFFALO MEATLOAF with Smoky Tomato Sauce

JALAPEÑO HANGER STEAK with Scallion Butter and a Roasted Jalapeño

SMOKE-GRILLED RIBEYE with Grain Mustard Sauce

TEXAS FLAT IRON STEAK with Blue Cheese Butter & Port Wine Sauce

GREEN CHILE MACARONI with Smoked Chicken, Corn & Green Chile Cream

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH with Corn Pudding, Portobello & Asparagus

The Flat Iron Steak is great.  So is the “CORN DOG” SHRIMP with Blueberry Mustard & Honey Mustard and BEER BATTERED ASPARAGUS with Buttermilk Ranch starters I sampled.

Here's the review of Moonshine from the Austin Statesman.  My only problem with the review is that the reviewer refers to the polenta as "corn mush." 

[Chef Dajuan]

I wonder if she's related to the greatest G-man of all time, Eliot? he also was the greatest Public Safety service Director my hometown ever had......even if he never did catch the Kingsbury Run Mad Torso Butcher, lol!

If so, he's spinning in his grave.

[Non-Sequitur]

He runs half a dozen restaurants all over the country, plus two cooking shows...

No, for two reasons. One is I doubt he would take the pay cut. And two, all those loud 'BAMS' coming from the kitchen would drive the Secret Service crazy.

[Chef Dajuan]

That would make me happy, happy!

Bobby Flay would be a good one, too.

How about a national competition for the job...kinda like Iron Chef?

[SmithL]

I don't understand why so many of the chefs are liberals. Maybe they aren't.

This is from San Francisco. The overwhelming majority of [pick any group] here will be extremely liberal.

[Drango]

"a bit of Caribbean, a dash of Yucatan Peninsula, and stir of Asian ingredients using French technique."

Yummmmmm, but did you read this "Expertise in American cuisine...is key."

[Chef Dajuan]

Hell no.

[Servant of the 9]

He runs half a dozen restaurants all over the country, plus two cooking shows...

No, for two reasons. One is I doubt he would take the pay cut.

I didn't figure he would give up his other jobs. They aren't hiring a cook, but an executive chef, and if he can be that for 6 restaurants, he can do it for 6 plus the Whitehouse.

So9

[Eva]

I wouldn't be surprised if the Bushes were looking for a Texas style chef.

[GaltMeister]

If the first black President were still in office, they would be looking for someone who could whoop up some mean soul food.

[Servant of the 9]

I knew there were a couple of more here. You guys interested? Best job of your life :)

Best job in your life if you are working for someone else, like a Hotel, Country club or Resort. If you have your own restaurant, it means throwing away something you have worked your whole life for to take a mediocre paying job where you can be fired at whim.

So9

[Non-Sequitur]

Bias aside, the article did bring up an interesting point in that this is not the kind of job that would appeal to an entrepreneurial individual. Chefs that are used to running their own show would not enjoy working under the restrictions of the White House. The Emeril's and Flay's of the world would no doubt bristle under close supervision. The last head chef came from a large hotel, it would not surprise me to find the next one comes from a similar situation.

[freedumb2003]

Mitch Rosenthal, co-chef and owner of sizzling Town Hall in San Francisco, whose regional American cooking might be just the ticket for the White House, said, "No, I think Bush would bomb here if he could."

Standard Liberal bombast. What an a$$hat. I won't bother taking bets to see if he is DUmmie.

[Phsstpok]

but did you read this "Expertise in American cuisine...is key."

Of course. Did you read the menu for his current place?

Macaroni and cheese
several types of steak
barbecued chicken
Salmon, catfish and trout
Buffalo meatloaf
Roasted acron squash

among others. Pretty representative American cuisine. And as I said in my post, the fusion cuisine is a very American invention.

We are the world. Shove it in the faces of the euroweenies and other elitists who don't have a clue.