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 Walter Scheib learned his love of cooking from his mother.
She was his role model when he was growing up in the ‘60s, a time when the famous chefs were women — not men. “My mother was a tremendous hobby chef,” Scheib, 57, said. “She was a regular old Julia Child, she loved to cook.” The former White House executive chef joked that, growing up, his friends didn’t appreciate his mom like he did. “She’d come out with a salmon with the head still on it and my friends would say ‘your mom makes the weirdest food,’” he said, laughing. Scheib didn’t originally plan on being a chef. He went to college, but it didn’t work out and he left after one year. It was in 1977 he had a food epiphany of sorts and started on his culinary journey. He would eventually end up at the White House, working there from 1994 through 2005, under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. But before he cooked for politicians and visiting dignitaries, he went down to Florida and was a chef at the Boca Raton resort and club, which at the time was the largest five-star diamond resort in the world. That experience led him to the Culinary Institute of America, where he had the opportunity to work with over 200 chefs. “They really gave me a great attitude about the possibilities of being a chef,” he said. From there he went to the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia and slowly made his way to Washington, working at the Mayflower and the Madison Hotels before taking over at the White House. One would think working in the White House is nerve-wracking but for Scheib, “a kitchen is a kitchen.” What changes is the clientele, he said. The White House is a private kitchen and requests are quite unique from a regular restaurant. “The White House chef is responsible for things like making sure the first lady gets her oatmeal every single day,” Scheib said. “It takes a certain culinary prowess, as one member of the household could like an item one way and another something completely different.” Scheib added that working for the first family allows an individual to “get to know them not as cartoon characters you see on the evening news but human beings.” He called his time there an honor. And while he’d love to work with first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, he is rarely home for one day at a time. “Not committing wouldn’t be fair to the children involved in the campaign,” he said. What keeps him so busy is the work that comes via his website, “The American Chef,” where the public can book him for talks, meals or a cooking demonstration. He also expanded his services to provide the international Jewish public with the site The American Chef Kosher. But he does leave time for charity work, collaborating with the March of Dimes. “They’re a great group, I enjoy working with young children and prenatal care,” he said. “Both of my sons didn’t have serious health problems; it’s nice to help people in the area.” And despite his love of cooking, he doesn’t mind someone else taking over the kitchen. When asked what his favorite meal to prepare is, Scheib said: “The next one someone cooks for me!”
----Kate Oczypok
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