Who Is Cris Comerford, White House Chef of 29 Years
She has served five U.S. presidents.
(SPOT.ph) White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford has retired from her post, concluding her 29-year tenure serving state dinners and family meals of U.S. presidents.
On Tuesday, July 29, First Lady Jill Biden celebrated Comerford with a statement, saying, “I always say food is love. Through her barrier-breaking career, Chef Cris has led her team with warmth and creativity and nourished our souls along the way. With all our hearts, Joe and I are filled with gratitude for her dedication and years of service."
Chef Cris, who began her journey in the White House kitchen as an assistant chef in 1995, made history in 2005 by becoming the first woman (alongside executive pastry chef Susie Morrison) and first Asian to ascend to the role of executive chef.
Besides state dinners, she oversaw countless social events, holiday functions, receptions, and official luncheons and has fed diverse personalities, including U.S. presidents from Bush to Biden, each with unique tastes and preferences.
Comerford, working with the White House staff, devoted months to meticulously planning, researching, and coordinating each high-profile diplomatic gathering.
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Who is Chef Cris Comerford?
Manila-born Cristeta Pasia-Comerford honed her culinary skills in the bustling kitchens of Chicago hotels and Washington restaurants before catching the eye of the White House.
In 2005, then-First Lady Laura Bush launched a search for a new head chef after parting ways with Walter Scheib, a veteran of the Clinton administration. The position attracted hundreds of applicants, with only a few reaching the audition stage. Ultimately, Bush decided the perfect candidate right within the White House kitchen: Chef Cris Comerford, who, at that point, had been diligently working there for a decade.
Comerford has received many prestigious awards throughout her career. Most notably, she received the Patrick O’Connell’s Culinary Pioneer Award and the Diplôme d’Honneur for Lyonnaise Cuisine.
Adding to her long list of achievements, she dominated a special episode of 'Iron Chef America' with Bobby Flay, defeating Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse in a challenge where they had to dig out fresh veggies from Michelle Obama’s kitchen garden.
In 2020, Comerford was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at UP Diliman's Bahay ng Alumni. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Food Technology in the state university before her family moved to Chicago.
Where it all began
During the ceremony at UP Diliman, Chef Cris vividly described her summers with her Lola in Maasim, San Rafael.
She recalled an outdoor clay kitchen that was her playground long before she navigated fine-dining restaurants. “[I remember] the aroma from the bounties of the seas and the land emanated from our clay kitchen,” Comerford said.
“I could clearly remember the paella a la Valenciana and the tamales my Lola cooked for me and my mom. This is where my fondest food memories ignited my passion and interest in my profession,” she recounted.
In such a warm setting, she learned a valuable lesson that guided her journey from a young immigrant to renowned chef for world leaders: “For you to succeed, anything you would do, you must be passionately in love with whatever it is.”
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