By
SEPTEMBER 14, 2007
(Special to the Asian Journal)
The Cream of the Crop
ON Aug. 30, the US Embassy in Manila Cris then met and married another chef,
hosted a digital video conference with the
FilAm Cristeta Comerford is
John Comerford. After stints at the Sheraton
theme Cross Cultural Understanding Through and Hyatt Regency hotels, Cristeta, with her
Food. Leading chefs, students of culinary
White House Executive Chef
husband, moved to Washington. She was a
arts, representatives of the food industry and chef at two Washington restaurants — Le
journalists interacted with the one who whips Grande Bistro at the Westin Hotel and the
up food for the most powerful man in the Colonnade at the former ANA Hotel. She also
world — Executive White House Chef Cristeta worked as chef tournant (“revolving chef”)
Pasia Comerford — the first female and first at Le Ciel, in Vienna, Austria for six months,
Asian/Minority chef in the White House. sharpening her mastery of French classical
Most people think that planning meals and techniques. Scheib, then the executive chef at
cooking in the kitchen is a job for women. the White House, recruited her.
Before Comerford was chosen by First Lady Truly, Cristeta has come a long way from her
Laura Bush in Aug 2005 among hundreds of Sampaloc home where she used to end her
applicants after an intensive six-month search, meals with a small bar of Chocnut. She now
the head chefs in the White House have always lives in Columbia, Maryland, with her husband,
been men. The head chef is responsible for John, and daughter, Danielle. Her mother
designing and executing menus for state Erlinda, who lives with Ofelia in Morton Grove
dinners for world leaders (such as Prince near Chicago, has so much joy and pride for
Charles), social events, holiday functions, her daughter’s success. Ofelia said the family
receptions and official luncheons hosted by is overjoyed and describes Teta as “driven and
the president and first lady. ambitious”.
Prior to her appointment to this esteemed The family’s only sad sentiment is that
position by the first lady, Comerford was they wish Honesto, Comerford’s father who
assistant chef in the White House for 10 years. Padre Gomez Elementary School and Manila died more than a decade ago before Cristeta
She worked under former executive chef Science High School. worked in the White House, could have seen
Walter Scheib III until his resignation. Scheib With such a large brood, it was rare for the his daughter’s success. He would have been so
describes Comerford as hands down the best family to eat out. Their mother, Erlinda, would excited since he was the one who persuaded
assistant he had in his 30-year career and is always prepare meals in the kitchen, with the Cristeta to pursue the field.
a wonderful choice to take over his place. help of her daughters. Cristeta’s older sister, The Filipino community unanimously
During the years that they worked together, Ofelia Aguila, a design director for the College embraced their star chef. Comerford
he considered her more as a co-chef than as of American Pathologists in Illinois, described acknowledges that she went overnight from
assitant chef. their mother as a perfectionist, hard-to-please being a “nobody” to being a “somebody”.
“She’s an all-around great chef, no question head chef. “It’s either overcooked or too salty,” Naturally quiet, humble and unassuming,
about it. Let me put it to you this way: In the she would say. Too little this and too much Comerford is evidently overwhelmed by all
years that I’ve worked with her, there’s been so that,” said Ofelia. the attention given to her.
many dishes she’s made for me, and I cannot After graduating in high school, Comerford In a gala dinner in honor of her promotion
think of anything she did that wasn’t good,” had no intention of pursuing a culinary career. hosted by Philippine Ambassador Albert del
Scheib said. She wanted to pursue her love of the sciences, Rosario, she gave a speech that lasted for five
He also described Comerford as a great cook but was encouraged by her father to take up minutes. She thanked the Filipino American
with an artistic eye and a calm demeanor, one culinary arts instead. She explained then that community in the DC area for driving long
who can handle the pressure cooker that is the cooking just did not seem like a legitimate distances to congratulate her.
White House kitchen, which feeds as many as career. Her father, however, saw that she had “Salamat. (Thank you.) I’m so grateful and
2,000 guests per month. the makings of a great chef. overwhelmed. As cold as it is outside, it is warm
Comerford pleased the first lady with the ‘Cris, you must go to a culinary school and in this room and I can really feel the hospitality
way she more than satisfactorily prepares hone your skills,’ she recalled her father’s of the Filipino people,” she said. “This is both
the the President a simple lunch of enchilada prophetic words. Encouraged by her family, mind-boggling and heartwarming.”
or cheeseburger, then turn around to cook a Comerford studied food. She attended the They say that the proof of the pudding is in
state dinner that pairs chilled asparagus soup University of the Philippines-Diliman, in the eating. Proof of Comerford’s outstanding
and lemon cream with pan-roasted halibut Quezon City, and majored in food technology. work was featured in newspapers around
and basmati rice (with pistachio nuts and There, she developed an affinity for food and the globe during the Asian Pacific Economic
currants). Mrs. Bush said that Comerford’s cooking. Summit in Manila last year.
”passion for cooking can be tasted in every While she was in college, Comerford’s President George W. Bush praised the robust
bite of her delicious creations.” immigrant visa for the States was approved. ties between the U.S. and the Philippines, then
Cristeta Pasia Comerford was born October Her brother, Juanito, who earlier moved to the cheerfully disclosed the reason for the slight
1962 in Manila as the second youngest of States, petitioned his parents, brothers and bulge around his midsection. “The one who
11 children of Honesto and Erlinda Pasia, an sisters to join him. Upon arriving in Illinois, she cooks for me in the White House is a Filipino
elementary school principal and dressmaker, got a job as a “salad girl”. and I’m very, very proud of this person,’” Bush
respectively. Cris to her neighbors and co- “I called her, ‘salad girl’ because she prepared said.
workers and Teta to her large but tight-knit Caesar salad and Cobb salad,” said Juanito “If you’ve noticed the paunch, it’s because
Filipino family, Comerford grew up in the Pasia, Cristeta’s older brother, who drove her the food is very, very good,” Bush ad ed which
district of Sampaloc, Manila and attended to and from her first job at Sheraton Hotel. had other leaders breaking into laughter. (AJ)
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