Filipino community welcomes
appointment of Chef Comerford
PINOY Newsmagazine
September 2005
By Ted Regencia
Like the whole Filipino community in the United States, the small but distinguised set of Filipino American chefs heartily welcomed the historic appointment of 42-year old Cristeta Comerford as the first female executive chef of the White House.
“It is such an exciting news and we gladly receive it with so much sense of pride,” Fil-Am Chef Larry Banares said in an exclusive interview. Banares, also known as Chef Larry is a popular television and radio personality in San Diego.
There are at least 300 chefs of Filipino background working in hotels and restaurants across the US.
With the appointment as top chef of President George W. Bush, Chef Comerford will also join the very exclusive group of culinarians known as Club de Chefs des Chefs or "Chefs of The Heads of State,” according to Chef Larry. Numbering around 30 members, this elite group consists of head chefs to Kings, Presidents and Princes.
“Yet another great accomplishment for Chef Cris,” Chef Larry declared, while pointing out that Comerford also made history by becoming the first representative of a minority group to hold the post, which is usually held by European male chefs.
Chef Larry, the first ever Filipino American member of the US team to the World Culinary Olympics and four-time gold medal winner, credited Comerford’s talent in the kitchen, hard work and discipline for landing the job. Of Comerford being a person of color, he said that in fact “it is an advantage” saying that the mainstream American market is “embracing culinary diversity.” “We have an advantage now and we are also getting more exposed,” said this TV personality, who traces his roots from the province of Ilo-ilo.
More praises
Chef Carlito Jocson, a top executive of the California-based restaurant chain Yard House, agreed with Chef Larry’s assessment.
“We are so open to all flavors as compared to 10 or 15 years ago,” Jocson said, even as he added that competition is also tougher.
“The appointment of Chef Comerford is truly great. The act is a great representation of America,” the Baguio-born, California-raised restaurateur said.
“Women make tremendous chefs. Despite the pressure in the kitchen, they accomplish their work with so much finesse” Jocson added, in praising Comerford for her achievement leading the kitchen staff of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the official residence of US Presidents.
Meanwhile, Loida Nicolas Lewis, national chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) declared “This is truly a great honor for all Filipinos and Filipino Americans,”
Lewis, a billionaire Wall Street investor, said Comerford’s appointment is further confirmation of “the excellent contributions Filipino Americans are making to U.S. society.”
Humble beginnings
Comerford came from a humble beginning. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, she was born Cristeta Gomez Pasia on October 27, 1962 to Honesto, an assistant principal in a public elementary school in Manila, and Erlinda, a homemaker.
Comerford finished elementary at Padre Gomez Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Manila, and secondary at the Manila Science High School.
During those years, Comerford's mother did most of the cooking for the family, said her eldest brother Dan Pasia, an environmental activist. He said that Comerford's interest in cooking only became evident when she entered the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, in 1971 as a food technology major.
Pasia said his sister had a sweet tooth and loved the local confectionery Chocnut. He also described her as a lively girl who was always smiling.
"She never seemed to have any problems, even though our family was not that rich," he said.
Comerford also appears to have been a low-key student. Some food technology professors said they did not remember having her as a student.
Comerford had three leaves of absence during her stay at UP, all of them for "traveling purposes." She never came back to finish her course after her last leave in academic year 1983-1984 at the UP College of Home Economics. But she was able to complete 84 units, sufficient for her to be considered a UP alumnus.
Comerford moved to the US to join her parents. She honed her cooking skills and managed to become chef in different hotels and at prestigious restaurants in Vienna, Austria and in Washington, D.C. before getting the job of assistant chef at the White House kitchen in 1995. (With reporting from Inquirer.net)•
appointment of Chef Comerford
PINOY Newsmagazine
September 2005
By Ted Regencia
Like the whole Filipino community in the United States, the small but distinguised set of Filipino American chefs heartily welcomed the historic appointment of 42-year old Cristeta Comerford as the first female executive chef of the White House.
“It is such an exciting news and we gladly receive it with so much sense of pride,” Fil-Am Chef Larry Banares said in an exclusive interview. Banares, also known as Chef Larry is a popular television and radio personality in San Diego.
There are at least 300 chefs of Filipino background working in hotels and restaurants across the US.
With the appointment as top chef of President George W. Bush, Chef Comerford will also join the very exclusive group of culinarians known as Club de Chefs des Chefs or "Chefs of The Heads of State,” according to Chef Larry. Numbering around 30 members, this elite group consists of head chefs to Kings, Presidents and Princes.
“Yet another great accomplishment for Chef Cris,” Chef Larry declared, while pointing out that Comerford also made history by becoming the first representative of a minority group to hold the post, which is usually held by European male chefs.
Chef Larry, the first ever Filipino American member of the US team to the World Culinary Olympics and four-time gold medal winner, credited Comerford’s talent in the kitchen, hard work and discipline for landing the job. Of Comerford being a person of color, he said that in fact “it is an advantage” saying that the mainstream American market is “embracing culinary diversity.” “We have an advantage now and we are also getting more exposed,” said this TV personality, who traces his roots from the province of Ilo-ilo.
More praises
Chef Carlito Jocson, a top executive of the California-based restaurant chain Yard House, agreed with Chef Larry’s assessment.
“We are so open to all flavors as compared to 10 or 15 years ago,” Jocson said, even as he added that competition is also tougher.
“The appointment of Chef Comerford is truly great. The act is a great representation of America,” the Baguio-born, California-raised restaurateur said.
“Women make tremendous chefs. Despite the pressure in the kitchen, they accomplish their work with so much finesse” Jocson added, in praising Comerford for her achievement leading the kitchen staff of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the official residence of US Presidents.
Meanwhile, Loida Nicolas Lewis, national chair of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) declared “This is truly a great honor for all Filipinos and Filipino Americans,”
Lewis, a billionaire Wall Street investor, said Comerford’s appointment is further confirmation of “the excellent contributions Filipino Americans are making to U.S. society.”
Humble beginnings
Comerford came from a humble beginning. According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, she was born Cristeta Gomez Pasia on October 27, 1962 to Honesto, an assistant principal in a public elementary school in Manila, and Erlinda, a homemaker.
Comerford finished elementary at Padre Gomez Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Manila, and secondary at the Manila Science High School.
During those years, Comerford's mother did most of the cooking for the family, said her eldest brother Dan Pasia, an environmental activist. He said that Comerford's interest in cooking only became evident when she entered the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, in 1971 as a food technology major.
Pasia said his sister had a sweet tooth and loved the local confectionery Chocnut. He also described her as a lively girl who was always smiling.
"She never seemed to have any problems, even though our family was not that rich," he said.
Comerford also appears to have been a low-key student. Some food technology professors said they did not remember having her as a student.
Comerford had three leaves of absence during her stay at UP, all of them for "traveling purposes." She never came back to finish her course after her last leave in academic year 1983-1984 at the UP College of Home Economics. But she was able to complete 84 units, sufficient for her to be considered a UP alumnus.
Comerford moved to the US to join her parents. She honed her cooking skills and managed to become chef in different hotels and at prestigious restaurants in Vienna, Austria and in Washington, D.C. before getting the job of assistant chef at the White House kitchen in 1995. (With reporting from Inquirer.net)•
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