Cristeta Comerford

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Cristeta Comerford
File:Cristeta comerford.jpg
Comerford in July 2002
Born Cristeta Pasia
1962 (age 62–63)
Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines
Education University of the Philippines, Diliman (major in Food Technology)
Spouse(s) Michael Comerford
Culinary career
Cooking style French

Cristeta Pasia Comerford (born 1962) is a Filipino-American chef who has been the White House Executive Chef since 2005. She is the first woman and first person of Asian descent to hold the post.

Early life

Cristeta Comerford was born as Cristeta Pasia in the Philippines and grew up on Cataluña Street (now G. Tolentino) in Sampaloc, Manila. She completed her secondary education at the Manila Science High School. She attended the University of the Philippines, Diliman in Quezon City, majoring in food technology. However, she left school before completing the degree when she emigrated to the United States at the age of 23.

Career

Comerford's first job was at the Sheraton Hotel near O'Hare International Airport. She also worked at the Hyatt Regency hotel. After Chicago, she moved to Washington, D.C., and worked as a chef at two restaurants. She additionally spent six months in Vienna as a rotating chef. Comerford was recruited by White House executive chef Walter Scheib III in 1995 to work in the Clinton White House.

After Scheib resigned in February 2005, Comerford was appointed White House executive chef by First Lady Laura Bush on August 14, 2005. Comerford is the first female White House executive chef and the first person of ethnic minority origin to hold this position.[1] She reportedly was appointed to this position due to her handling of a large dinner that was held in honor of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.[2]

She was referred to when George Bush mentioned his "Philippine-American chef" to visiting Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in June 2008.

On January 9, 2009, the Obama transition team announced that Comerford would be retained as the administration's head chef.[3] Michelle Obama stated, "She is also the mom of a young daughter, and I appreciate our shared perspective on the importance of healthy eating and healthy families."[4]

Comerford appeared on a special two hour episode of Iron Chef America, originally broadcast on January 2, 2010. She was teamed up with Bobby Flay and competed against a team of Emeril Lagasse and Mario Batali.[5] Comerford and Flay were triumphant.

As chef to a head of state, Comerford is a member of Le Club des Chefs des Chefs.[6]

Personal life

She lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her husband, John, and their daughter, Danielle.

References

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Further reading

External links

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  • Appearances on C-SPAN
Government offices
Preceded by White House Executive Chef
2005–present		 Incumbent
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  6. ↑ "Presidential chefs swap recipes for world diplomacy" Reuters. Retrieved 6 October 2013.
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