Walter Scheib is the ultimate Washington insider.
As the former White House executive chef, Scheib is privy to top secrets: the likes and dislikes of the First Family.
Scheib, who has since formed a business called "The American Chef," now speaks at conferences, teaches classes in cuisine and entertaining, and uses group cooking as a method of team-building among business leaders. He'll be in Wine Country over Presidents Day weekend for the induction of five new members to the Vintners Hall of Fame at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena, sharing food and wine pairings that were on State Dinner menus during his tenure at the White House from 1994 to 2005.
Inducted at the Feb. 21 celebration at the CIA will be: vintner Joel Peterson, the late vintner Richard Graff, the late August Sebastiani, UC Davis Professor Vernon Singleton and vintner Bob Trinchero.
In keeping with the Presidents Day theme, Scheib was chosen in order to give the event a taste of the White House. He's credited for bringing the best of American food to the President's table at a time when European entrees dominated State Dinners.
Scheib said when he first served under former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, "she said, &‘This is your mandate. I want you to bring the best and most unique of American food, wine and entertaining to the White House.'
" As for palate politics, Scheib said it was surprisingly non-partisan."That's my most frequently asked question but the food didn't delineate on political lines," he said. "There was no red-state food and no blue-state food."He said Americans might be surprised to know that "Mrs. Bush was adamant about organics." Yet another surprise is that after Chelsea Clinton proclaimed herself to be a vegetarian, Scheib taught her how to cook organically before she went off to college at Stanford University in the fall of 1997. Chelsea spent about five hours a day for a three- to four-week period that summer cooking with Scheib. Cooking, according to Scheib, is sentimental, certainly something more profound than combining ingredients.For more information on Scheib and his business, go to www.theamericanchef.com.
The most challenging task was pulling off State Dinners to honor world leaders like Nelson Mandela, Scheib said. "Putting on a State Dinner is like opening a Broadway show," he joked.
As for palate politics, Scheib said it was surprisingly non-partisan.
"That's my most frequently asked question but the food didn't delineate on political lines," he said. "There was no red-state food and no blue-state food."
Scheib served under former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush and said they both liked to try new and different things. As for their husbands, "If they opened a burger joint or a rib shack in the basement of the White House, they would have been just as happy."
He said Americans might be surprised to know that "Mrs. Bush was adamant about organics." Yet another surprise is that after Chelsea Clinton proclaimed herself to be a vegetarian, Scheib taught her how to cook organically before she went off to college at Stanford University in the fall of 1997. Chelsea spent about five hours a day for a three- to four-week period that summer cooking with Scheib.
"She is the one and only graduate of the Walter Scheib White House Cooking School," he joked. "It's a small alumni association, but a really good one."
Cooking, according to Scheib, is sentimental, certainly something more profound than combining ingredients.
"We sell great memories," he said. "If you sell enough good memories, it doesn't matter if you have a three-star restaurant or a falafel stand, you'll have a good business. But if you don't sell good memories, you don't get to cook anymore. You get to be a bank teller."
For more information on Scheib and his business, go to www.theamericanchef.com.
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