Ex-White House chef puts on a different coat
GIBSONIA — Rich aromas of meats, cheeses and sauces permeated the Treesdale Golf Course Clubhouse Thursday as Walter Scheib sat down to talk about his old career, new career and bringing contemporary American cuisine to the region.
Scheib, of Great Falls, Va., served as the White House chef from 1994 to 2005 and now operates a special events company called The American Chef.
After leaving the White House, Scheib wanted to stay in the food business but wanted to do something different than work as an executive chef. He and his wife, Jean, spent a few months brainstorming and working on how to impart what he had learned and make it entertaining. Out of that desire, The American Chef was born.
Now Scheib travels the country, and sometimes the world, cooking delicious foods complemented by unique anecdotal presentations.
Meals are designed specifically for clients, which range from corporations hosting employee or client appreciation meals to individuals organizing a fundraising dinner or family party.
Saturday's meal at Treesdale was planned for anywhere from 70 to 100 guests, Scheib said, and included the following six courses.
• A cocktail and hors d'oeuvre reception in Neal's Grille
• Sesame-crusted halibut with red curried sweet potato soup
• Tequila-glazed smoked Angus tenderloin with warm fruit salsa and chipotle corn sauce
• Artisanal cheese tart with avocado, orange and sweet onion salad
• Peach and blackberry cobbler with honey lavender ice cream
• Cigars, cordials, cognac and brandy
Each course also included specially chosen wines from California's Napa Valley.
Scheib makes sure to tell the stories behind each dish as many have been favorites of first family members.
Currently Scheib has 46 to 50 events booked per year, Treesdale's event being the sixth or seventh he's cooked for in the Pittsburgh area.
Scheib said the people of Western Pennsylvania have excellent palates and have evolved in the way they enjoy American cuisine.
Contemporary American cuisine is what put him in the White House chef's coat. It consists of "simple, fresh and delicious ingredients," he said. It incorporates the best foods found all over the country.
<table width="300" height="275" border="0" align="right" valign="top" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><embed src="/assets/mov/BE51539728.MOV " width="320" height="250" autostart="true" loop="false" ></embed></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/" target="_blank"><span class="style11">Requires Quicktime Media Player </a><br><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Times New Roman">Video by Brandon Gerthoffer</font></span><td></tr></table>In 1994 Scheib was the executive chef at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., when his mother passed away. On the trip back from the funeral, Scheib's wife reached into the airplane seat pocket and found a week-old copy of a newspaper with an article stating the White House was seeking a new chef. Word was out that the first lady, Hillary Clinton, was looking for a chef to bring contemporary American cuisine to the White House.It was time for this cuisine "to sit on the big table," Scheib said.At that point, with his mother's passing, Scheib didn't think he was ready for a life change."But my wife dusted off my resume and told me to sign the cover letter," he said.Scheib believes that nearly 4,000 chefs applied. From that number, 20 were chosen to interview with White House staff. From the 20 interviewed, 10 were to audition by cooking for the first lady and about 10 of her friends.Of the 1,100 recipe and menu files that Scheib cataloged during his White House years, the exact menu he cooked for Mrs. Clinton that day is lost in history. He does remember, however, that he made a rack of lamb for her and that her plate was empty when she finished."We got it!" he said in the kitchen.He then was given five minutes to pitch his idea of American cuisine to Mrs. Clinton.A week passed before the Scheib residence received a phone call late at night. Scheib's wife answered and was shaking as she handed the phone to her husband."It's the White House,"she said.On the other end was Chief Usher Gary Walters, who said to Scheib, "We need you back here at 7 a.m. tomorrow."By the next morning, Scheib was in the Yellow Oval Room, the White House's living room, with Mrs. Clinton and several members of her staff.The staff was excused and she told Scheib what she wanted to see in White House dining.Scheib said,"I don't mean to be rude, but did I get the job?"With a laugh she said he would have to get accustomed to the fact that they did things a little backward there, then asked him if he wanted the job.Thus began 11 years and two presidents that would define Scheib's life and career."(Mrs. Clinton) gave me a tremendous professional honor," he said.In all of the events Scheib attends as The American Chef, he shares humorous and humanizing stories about the first families and goings on at the White House.He limits what and how much he says about the families because of the honor he was given to be one of their inner circle, he said."My code of honor is much more important than any document," he said.Some that he speaks with may ask a question that attempts to "dig up dirt" on a president or family member, but Scheib tactfully refuses to answer."They are good people, and they are people,"he said of the Clintons and the Bushes, adding he feels he is doing a service for the two families in helping the public to see them in a light opposite of what the media often portrays."I had the opportunity to work for two very unique, very polarizing families," he said. "When you work at the White House, you check your ego and politics at the door."Each talk he gives is directed specifically to the client. He has also spoken for cooking schools and created team-building and team-cooking sessions.His experience directing kitchen staffs of all sizes gives him the opportunity to communicate how to achieve excellence whether in the kitchen or the board room.During events, Scheib's goal is to talk with each person who attends. Often after an event, he has been asked a question he's never been asked before and sometimes those questions lead to new talking points.In his book "White House Chef: Eleven Years, Two Presidents, One Kitchen," published by John Wiley & Sons, Scheib worked many stories and experiences together for the public.Meeting many people around the country allows him to "fill in gaps for me in my career after being locked up for 11 years," he said laughing.Following are recipes used at the White House during Scheib's tenure. The curried sweet potato soup is one of the recipes from Treesdale's Saturday night dinner.
This soup is a new twist on an old holiday standby the sweet potato. It combines the velvety richness of roasted sweet potato and coconut milk, with the ethnic kick of ginger and red curry.1 ½ pounds roasted sweet potato puree; made by roasting at 325 degrees 3 pounds of whole sweet potatoes until soft then peeling and pureeing until smooth in a food processor.1 tablespoon oil1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger1 tablespoon chopped garlic2 teaspoon grated lemongrass1 tablespoon minced shallots1 to 2 teaspoons red curry paste depending on how hot you like it1 kaffir leaf2 quart chicken or vegetable stock4 ounces unsweetened coconut milk2 tablespoons lime juice4 stalks scallion cut in fine julienneIn a 4 quart soup pot heat the oil and sweat the ginger, lemongrass, garlic and shallot until soft. About 2 to 3 minutes.Add curry paste and kaffir leaf stir well and cook about 1 minute.Add sweet potato puree and mix well. Cook 1 minute.Add stock as needed to reach consistency (to coat back of ladle lightly) and simmer 10 minutes.Soup can be pre-prepped to this point and then cooled until needed. It can be held two days refrigerated.At service, heat soup, stir in coconut milk and lime juice. Serve in large terrine or individual bowls, garnished with scallion julienne.For a heartier soup, or light main course, cooked shrimp, scallops, crabmeat or cooked chicken may be added. (about 2-3 oz. per person) Makes 8 servings.<b><i>Recipe courtesy of Walter Scheib and The American Chef</i></b>
On September 11, 2001, a Congressional Picnic was scheduled to have taken place on the White House South Grounds. We had asked a caterer from Texas that the Bushes often used when the president was Governor in Texas, to come to Washington and work with us producing the menu and theme of a Texas style cook-out. We had spent several days preparing food for the cook-out, and had readied food for about 1,500 guests.The events of the day in both New York and Washington, D.C., caused the picnic to be cancelled, but all of the food was served to the secret service, police and military staff that was protecting the White House on that horrible day. — Walter Scheib6 strips bacon cooked and chopped (should yield 1/3 cup)1 tablespoon bacon dripping from above1/3 cup diced onions1 ½ cup cooked canned hominy¼ cup hominy liquid from above¼ cup diced poblano peppers½ cup shredded cheddar cheese1 tablespoon diced picked jalapeños1 tablespoon juice from abovePre heat oven 325 degrees.In a 2 quart sauce pot over medium heat, cook onions in bacon drippings until tender, 4 to 5 minites.Add hominy and hominy liquid to put simmer 2 minutes.Add poblano peppers, jalapeño juice and ½ of the chopped bacon, stir and simmer 2 to 3 minites.Add 2/3 of grated cheese stir well until melted 3 to 5 minutes.Pour mixture in to over proof casserole top with remaining bacon and cheese bake uncovered until bubbling 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings.<b><i>Recipe courtesy of Walter Scheib and The American Chef<i></b>
<b>Berry Mixture</b>1 pound very ripe strawberries4 oz. sugar1 tablespoon vanilla extractPinch of salt2 to 3 ounces Grand MarinierClean and hull berries and cut into quarters.Combine berries with remaining ingredients.Fold together gently and let stand in refrigerator 1 to 2 hours.<b>Whipped Cream</b>1 cup heavy cream1 ounces sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extractCombine and whip to stiffHold cold.<b>Biscuits</b>1 ½ cup cake flour1 tablespoon sugar2 ½ teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon baking soda½ teaspoon salt1 ounces diced cold butter1 ounces chilled shortening½ cup buttermilk1 egg yolkFor the BiscuitsHeat oven to 425 degrees.Mix well flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.Add cold butter and shortening and cut into the mix to a crumbly texture.Add ½ cup buttermilk and 1 yolk, stir in. Don't overmix. Should be a soft, slightly damp dough.Lightly flour a flat surface and turn dough out on to it.Lightly dust with flour the top of the dough and press down a bit to flatten.Roll the dough to ¾ inch thick and cut into 2 ½ inch diameter circles.Dust off excess flour from the dough circles and place them on an ungreased baking sheet.Mix well ¼ cup buttermilk with one yolk and lightly coat the top of each biscuit.Bake 12 to 15 minutes in oven. Paint the top of the biscuit with melted butter after removing from the oven.Hold at room temperature until service.To AssembleReserve half of the marinated berries without their juice.The remaining berries and the liquid they are in are pulsed in a blender to form a chunky syrup.Fold the whipped cream and this syrup together. Add half of the syrup at a time. Stop adding, if the mixture is getting too loose. It should be spoonable and soft but not runny.Split the biscuits. Put the bottoms on a plate. Put a dollop of cream mix on each biscuit.On top of cream mix, spoon on berries and top again with more cream mix.Cover with biscuit top, sprinkle any remaining berries around and serve. Makes 4 to 6 portions.<b><i>Recipe courtesy of Walter Scheib and The American Chef.</i></b>
