Former White House chef delights Knox crowd with inside stories about Clinton, Bush dinner tables

Chef Walter Scheib signs his cookbook for Dr. Steven Brewington

First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush had adventurous culinary tastes when they were in the White House. Their husbands, not so much! This is according to the man in charge of preparing for them everything from simple family meals to elaborate State dinners.

Walter Scheib was the executive chef at the White House from 1994 until 2005, working seven years for the Clinton administration and four for the George W. Bush administration. He was in Knoxville Thursday night to appear at the Knoxville Museum of Art at a fundraiser for the American Red Cross and to promote his cookbook, “White House chef: eleven years, two presidents, one kitchen.”

Of both Bill Clinton and Bush’s food tastes, Scheib said, “If something was good, they said  just melt cheese on it and now we’re dining!”

He said President Bush loved four different things for lunch: a BLT, a grilled cheese sandwich, a hamburger, or a peanut butter and honey sandwich. Bush once told him, “I don’t like things that are green. I don’t like soups, salads or wet fish.” Fish for Bush had to be fried or baked, Scheib explained.

Laura Bush was insistent that all food served in the White House be organic. “A lot of people are surprised to hear that,” Scheib said.

Our hosts, Dr. Steven and Mary Ellen Brewington

Scheib espouses what he calls “new American cuisine.” That, he said, consists of great ingredients, regional influences and ethnic overtones reflecting the “melting pot” nature of America’s population.

Hillary Clinton hired Scheib. She said at the time that she wanted to bring to the White House “an American chef who cooked American cuisine.” He was one of 4,000 applicants for the position. Prior to that, he had been chef at the Greenbrier resort where he developed an extensive spa menu that had impressed Ms. Clinton. He has a degree from the Culinary Institute of America, from which he graduated with high honors.

On Thursday, he delighted the 200 attendees at the sold-out event with stories from his White House years. Dubbed “Celebrating the American Table,” the evening was catered by RT Lodge, under Scheib’s direction.

The first delicious course was sesame crusted halibut with red curried sweet potato soup. Scheib said he developed the soup when Chelsea Clinton announced that she had become a vegetarian. He added the halibut later. It was paired with Frei Brothers Reserve Chardannay.

Booth Kammann and Eddie Mannis

The second course was one he developed for the Bush daughters, Jenna and Barbara, who had a habit of throwing spur-of-the-moment dinner parties for their friends. Of the tequila glazed smoked angus tenderloin with warm fruit salsa and chipotle-corn sauce, he said one of the Bush daughters remarked, “That’s a waste of a perfectly good margarita!” Thursday, the dish was paired with Frie Brothers Reserve Zinfandel.

The third course (my favorite) was manchego tamale tart with avocado, orange and charred onion salad. Scheib came up with this salad-based dish to work around President Bush’s aversion to things that are green. Other than the avocado, which Bush liked despite its color, there was very little green in it. “And he never caught on that it was quiche!” Scheib joked. It was served with Frei Brothers Reserve Syrah.

Dessert was Bill Clinton’s favorite peach and blackberry cobbler complemented by Laura Bush’s preferred honey and lavender ice cream, which Scheib worked with the Blue Bell ice cream people to develop. It was served with Barefoot Mascato Spumante sparkling wine.

Copies of Schieb’s book flew off the sale table as Scheib generously offered to sign each with a personal message. Although there was not an auction (for once, thank goodness!) guests did make donations to the American Red Cross as they left and collected their Christmas ornament party favors.

The evening was fun from start to finish. We sat at the Cherokee Distributing table and felt it was the best table in the house. Cherokee Distributing, along with its brand Samuel Adams, and Frei Brothers and Mirassou Winery were cocktail sponsors. BB&T, Capital Wealth Management, Ann and Steve Bailey, and TVA were course sponsors. Beautiful centerpieces, which made use of 36 dozen red roses, were provided by The Drawing Room.

Joe and Sharon Miller Pryse

Craig Shelton and David Payne were among the six handsome men at our table. Mary Ellen and I were the only women. Loved!

More of our tablemates: Rene Yanes and Chris Davis

Belinda and Frank Gambuzza always make a party fun!

Janet Testerman and Randy Burleson, who knows a little something about food and wine

Dean and LuAnn Jarnigan

From left, Mary Ellen Brewington, Sylvia Peters, Gay Lyons

From left: Mike Marcum, Jim Buckner, Muffet Buckner, Pepper Marcum and Janet Testerman Crossley

Generous sponsors from Beverage Control and Gallo Winery

Centerpieces were beautiful but out of the tables' sight-lines, which was great