The Obamas are bringing a Chicago chef — Sam Kass — to the White House where he will work with executive chef Christeta Comerford, according to a report by Marion Burros in today's New York Times. Kass, who's cooked for the Obamas in the past — is filling a vacancy and will be a government employee.
The big news, however, is that Kass has "a particular interest in healthy food and local food," suggesting this is the breakthrough that gardeners and foodies have been hoping to see in the White House. Burros goes on to note that Kass, 28, is part of a cadre of younger chefs who are "concerned about the environment and about poor eating habits in this country" and that he's been "quoted as saying people in his profession should take the lead in tackling public health issues."
Today, the Times also reported that Kass has been hosting a weekly gathering at the Jane Addams
Hull-House Museum in Chicago. Kind of a takeoff on coffee klatches, Kass calls them “Rethinking Soup,” and soup is served instead of coffee. He further described them as “a communal event where we will eat delicious, healthy soup and
have fresh, organic conversation about many of the urgent social, cultural,
economic and environmental food issues that we should be addressing.”
All of these are very promising signals that the White House may take up gardening — at least of the kitchen variety — on a significant scale sooner than we thought possible.
media.rd.com
White House executive chef Christeta Comerford (above) will soon have an assistant from Chicago, Sam Kass, who's familiar with the Obamas' tastes and a big fan of healthy, local food.
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