The White House Chef once again at MLH

Where’s the best place for a Rose Garden style BBQ and a White House State Dinner? All these unique culinary creations will be served at Sri Lanka’s very own White House on 9 and 10 July 2011.

“For the last 11 years, I have had the honour of doing daily what most chefs would be lucky to do once in their life time. That honour was serving the First Family of the United States.” These are the words of Walter Scheib as his forte lies in serving up a taste in stories and recipes of his 11 years as the White House Chef under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush from a unique vantage point: The kitchen, which will be presented to Sri Lanka on 9 and 10 July at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, where all-American dinners inspired by Walter Scheib will take centre stage.

“I had to cook everything from food for the first family to State dinners for 900 and picnics for 600,” recalled Scheib, stating that his job involved travelling all over the world with the President and First Lady.

Scheib’s White House achievement was his creation of a distinctly American repertoire for the nation’s First House. The evenings will be totally focused on all the White House remembrances that ranged from State Dinner Secrets to throwing the White House Birthday Party.

He will touch on concepts such as White House style cocktail reception, First Lady luncheons, state dinners, and outdoor “South Lawn” and Rose Garden barbecues and picnics and most of all the fascinating White House insider’s anecdotes, culinary insights, team building and bonding as well as exercises with a culinary twist; hands-on cooking demonstration and interaction.

Yes, indeed the evening will be comprised of revealing anecdotes, photographs, menus, and special White House recipes—and indeed it will be a treat for everyone who loves food, politics, or both. Why not find out what the ‘Rose Garden strategy’ meant?

When asked about his memorable times at Sri Lanka’s White House: Mount Lavinia Hotel and The White House in the USA, this is what he said: “A country is represented by its people – and the hotel along with the country exceeded my dreams.”

He stated that just before Chelsea Clinton left for college, she spent six weeks with Chef Scheib: “After we had done with her we awarded her a certificate as the one and only graduate from the Walter Scheib White House Cooking School.”

The two nights at MLH will be scheduled for 9 and 10 July:

Saturday, 9 July: A ‘Rose Garden’ style all American BBQ, from 8 p.m. onwards on the Paradise Beach priced at Rs. 3,500 nett

Sunday, 10 July – White House State Dinner, from 7:30 p.m. onwards at the Empire Ballroom, priced at Rs. 6,000 nett  “Scheib has proven that he can pretty satisfy any palate and I had the privilege of working with him on an occasion in the US, which was an experience of a lifetime,” stated Anura Dewapura of Mount Lavinia Hotel.