White House Chef : Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen

A former White House Executive Chef presents more than sixty of his signature recipes, along with a look at the Clinton and Bush First Families and an account of such episodes as teaching Chelsea Clinton to cook, the chaos in the wake of 9/11, and the challenges of serving under two very different presidents.

"An engaging book about life at the Executive Mansion. . . . Hillary Clinton had charged this fiercely competitive, meticulously organized chef with bringing 'what's best about American food, wine, and entertaining to the White House.' His sophisticated contemporary food was generally considered some of the best ever served there."
--Marian Burros, New York Times

White House Chef

Join Walter Scheib as he serves up a taste--in stories and recipes--of his eleven years as White House chef under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

Scheib takes readers along on his whirlwind adventure, from his challenging audition process right up until his controversial departure. He describes his approach to meals ranging from the intimate (rooftop parties and surprise birthday celebrations for the Clintons; Tex-Mex brunches for the Bushes) to his creative approach to bringing contemporary American cuisine to the "people's house" (including innovative ways to serve state dinners for up to seven hundred people and picnics and holiday menus for several thousand guests).

Scheib goes beyond the kitchen and his job as chef. He shares what it is like to be part of President Clinton's motorcade (the "security bubble") and inside the White House during 9/11, revealing how he first evacuates his staff and then comes back to fix meals for hundreds of hungry security and rescue personnel. Staying cool under pressure also helps Scheib in other aspects of his job, such as withstanding the often-changing "temperature" of the White House and satisfying the culinary sensibilities of two very different first families.

A personal journey behind the scenes of the White House kitchens, from the landmark's Executive Chef from 1994 to 2005, presents more than sixty of his signature recipes, along with a look at the Clinton and Bush First Families and an account of such episodes as teaching Chelsea Clinton to cook, the chaos in the wake of 9/11, and the challenges of serving under two very different presidents.