From The Times
January 4, 2010
White House cuisine put to reality test with Iron Chef appearance
Tim Reid
Michelle Obama last night became the only American First Lady to have appeared on a reality television show.
In the latest move by the Obamas to use technology and culture to get their message to ordinary Americans, Mrs Obama appeared in a special two-hour episode of Iron Chef America as part of her campaign to promote healthy eating for children.
In Iron Chef top cooks face off to prepare five dishes and each episode features a secret ingredient. At 7pm last night two were revealed: Mrs Obama, and a vegetable from her White House garden.
The programme, which regularly has 1.5 million viewers, also had a distinctly British flavour. The two pairs of chefs who competed were judged by Nigella Lawson, the celebrity cook, and Jane Seymour, the British actress.
The White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and award-winning restaurateur Bobby Flay were pitted against Iron Chef regular Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse, another celebrity cook.
The four gathered in the vegetable garden on the South Lawn, which Mrs Obama installed. Mrs Obama loses no opportunity to talk about the garden and her desire to reduce childhood obesity through healthier meals, better school lunches, the use of farmers’ markets and exercise.
Vegetables from the garden are eaten regularly by the Obamas and were used in the State Dinner held in honour of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November.
Mrs Obama announced her Healthy Kids Project in October. Camille Johnston, the First Lady’s communications director, thought that Iron Chef would be an effective way of promoting the message.
The programme begins with Mrs Obama wannouncing the secret ingredient – some of the garden’s sweet potatoes.
Mrs Obama then talked to the chefs about the importance of getting children to eat vegetables. “It’s important for these kids to have a hands-on experience,” she said. “And now we’re expanding the tours of the garden to any public [state] schoolchildren that come to Washington DC, and we’re doing those on a regular basis, and it’s just been a wonderful educational addition.”
She added: “We are sweet potato lovers — especially the President.”
Off camera Mrs Obama told the chefs that their participation “is going a long way to help change the way this country thinks about food.” She invited them back to the White House, and they suggested doing monthly segments with her.
The rest of the cooking competition took place in New York.
The Obamas are fastidious about diet and exercise. Mr Obama however has been accused of stamping on his wife’s healthy eating message. Twice last year he took the presidential motorcade to local burger houses.
In the latest move by the Obamas to use technology and culture to get their message to ordinary Americans, Mrs Obama appeared in a special two-hour episode of Iron Chef America as part of her campaign to promote healthy eating for children.
In Iron Chef top cooks face off to prepare five dishes and each episode features a secret ingredient. At 7pm last night two were revealed: Mrs Obama, and a vegetable from her White House garden.
The programme, which regularly has 1.5 million viewers, also had a distinctly British flavour. The two pairs of chefs who competed were judged by Nigella Lawson, the celebrity cook, and Jane Seymour, the British actress.
The White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford and award-winning restaurateur Bobby Flay were pitted against Iron Chef regular Mario Batali and Emeril Lagasse, another celebrity cook.
The four gathered in the vegetable garden on the South Lawn, which Mrs Obama installed. Mrs Obama loses no opportunity to talk about the garden and her desire to reduce childhood obesity through healthier meals, better school lunches, the use of farmers’ markets and exercise.
Vegetables from the garden are eaten regularly by the Obamas and were used in the State Dinner held in honour of the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November.
Mrs Obama announced her Healthy Kids Project in October. Camille Johnston, the First Lady’s communications director, thought that Iron Chef would be an effective way of promoting the message.
The programme begins with Mrs Obama wannouncing the secret ingredient – some of the garden’s sweet potatoes.
Mrs Obama then talked to the chefs about the importance of getting children to eat vegetables. “It’s important for these kids to have a hands-on experience,” she said. “And now we’re expanding the tours of the garden to any public [state] schoolchildren that come to Washington DC, and we’re doing those on a regular basis, and it’s just been a wonderful educational addition.”
She added: “We are sweet potato lovers — especially the President.”
Off camera Mrs Obama told the chefs that their participation “is going a long way to help change the way this country thinks about food.” She invited them back to the White House, and they suggested doing monthly segments with her.
The rest of the cooking competition took place in New York.
The Obamas are fastidious about diet and exercise. Mr Obama however has been accused of stamping on his wife’s healthy eating message. Twice last year he took the presidential motorcade to local burger houses.
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