Who’s cooking for the Trumps during the shutdown? It’s probably not McDonald’s.

Описание: Who’s cooking for the Trumps during the shutdown? It’s probably not McDonald’s.
government shutdown, President Trump, John Moeller, White House kitchen, Cristeta Comerford, Walter Scheib, Frank Ruta, Henry Haller, McDonald's, Clemson
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President Trump probably has at least two chefs cooking for him at the White House during the shutdown. (Pool photo by Chris Kleponis/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock) By Tim Carman Tim Carman Reporter focusing on national food issues; critic covering affordable and under-the-radar restaurants in the D.C. area. Email Bio Follow January 18 No, President Trump is not living off Big Macs and Domino’s pizza during the partial government shutdown. Well, wait, let me rephrase that: The president and first family are not forced to scrounge for their own meals — or have Postmates on speed dial — during the shutdown, the longest in the country’s history. During a shutdown, two staff chefs are deemed essential to the daily operations at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., and their sole task is to feed the first family, said a former member of the White House kitchen. What’s more, all special events would typically be canceled until the shutdown was over, said former White House chef John Moeller, so that the gatherings would not burden an understaffed kitchen. Which explains why President Trump had to order out — and foot the bill, too — when he served burgers, pizzas and fries to members of the Clemson Tigers national championship team. [What it means that Trump served Big Macs in the State Dining Room] Moeller, who worked in the White House kitchen from 1992 to 2005, was a sous-chef under executive chef Walter Scheib when the government was closed down twice between November 1995 and January 1996, including a 21-day stretch that was the previous record for the longest shutdown in U.S. history until the current stalemate between Trump and congressional Democrats. (Historical footnote: Moeller was the chef who introduced George W. Bush to the pretzels that nearly took down a president.) Both Scheib and Moeller were deemed essential staff, Moeller recalled. Everyone else in the kitchen was sent home, including executive pastry chef Roland Mesnier. President Clinton, it seems, couldn’t have his cake and a furlough, too. “We did some light desserts and fresh fruits” instead, Moeller said. “There wasn’t any grandiose desserts at that time.” If the same pattern holds true for Trump, the president would have executive chef Cristeta Comerford and her sous-chef still available to cook the first family’s meals. A spokeswoman for first lady Melania Trump did not respond to an email requesting comment. [White House memories: chef John Moeller on pretzels, maple syrup and calorie-counting] The way Moeller remembers it, Scheib handled breakfast and lunch during the two shutdowns from 1995 to 1996, the first of which lasted five days and a second that famously went on for three painful weeks. Moeller took care of dinner for the president, first lady Hillary Clinton and their daughter, Chelsea. “Then we swapped off [meals] to have a little time off,” Moeller said. Frank Ruta, former chef and owner of the beloved Palena in Cleveland Park, was a White House chef for the better part of