Obama's Pinay chef takes Louie and family on White House VIP tour

Curtain-raisers:

• Is LJ Reyes “expecting” or not? If you believe the grapevine, she might be (with Paolo Avelino, LJ’s leading man in the GMA soap Ina, Kasusuklaman Ba Kita? and rumored boyfriend pointed to as the possible “culprit”). Both have denied the yarn. A GMA source who talked to LJ’s mother told Funfare that LJ is going on an indefinite leave due to “back pains,” which is just as delicate a condition that might require treatment in the US. It’s sayang that LJ would suffer from a debilitating ailment just when her career is picking up. Aside from Ina, LJ is also in the cast of the GMA gag show Bubble Gang.

•  Here’s ABS-CBN’s official statement on the Funfare item last Monday about a Kapamilya “exodus” to GMA and TV5, sent by Bong R. Osorio, head of the network’s Corporate Communications: Poaching of our talents is not new to us. It is intrinsic in our industry. Like in the past, we have seen these “merry-go-round” happening. Some of those who chose to move to other networks are actually being managed by other individuals, outfits or companies; some have not had any projects in ABS-CBN for quite some time; while others had actually been out of ABS-CBN long before they were recruited to join other networks. A majority of our talents have remained with ABS-CBN and they continue to be seen in our top-rating programs.  

•  In preparation for an American-Asian tour that includes Honolulu, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur within the year, the management of the world-renowned entertainment venue Club Mwah is conducting an open audition for gay dancers, preferably with jazz-ballet background. Male dancers must be at least 5’6” tall with ballet-training; and on the gay emcee must be articulate in both English and Tagalog. Those interested may report to Club Mwah at 652 Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City, Monday thru Wednesday, 6 to 8 p.m., in dancing attire and with an audition piece. For inquiries, call 532-2826 or 535-7943.

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I’m sure that by now, Cristeta Pasia Comerford, the Pinay executive chef of the White House, is already used to meeting world leaders and Hollywood celebrities. That’s why running into or even “accidentally” rubbing elbows with, say, French President Nicolas Sarkozy or Reese Witherspoon may not be such a big deal.

But according to Edmund Silvestre in a joint story for the New York-based The Filipino Reporter and Funfare, “Once in a while, the world’s most famous lady chef who joined the White House in 1995 admits to friends she still gets starstruck especially by celebrities from her native Philippines.”

And guess who got Cristeta “starstruck” — and perhaps vice-versa — recently...yes, Louie Ocampo who is the composer of Cristeta’s favorite OPM while she was still in Sampaloc, Manila, and even until she migrated to the US in mid-’80s, among them Say That You Love Me, Ewan, Kahit Isang Saglit (the one song that never fails to make me cry, huhuhuhu!) and Don’t Say Goodbye, as well as those Louie wrote for his ex-girlfriend Joey Albert: Tell Me, A Million Miles Away, I Remember The Boy, Ikaw Lang Ang Mamahalin, Yakapin Mo Ako, Over and Over, Points of View and Iisa Pa Lamang.

“That’s why when Louie expressed interest in touring the White House when he met Cristeta at a Philippine Embassy function in Washington, D.C. last February,” said Edmund, “Cristeta personally arranged the tour and scheduled it on April 3, with Louie’s wife Jojo and their children Patricia, Roberta, Isabella and Quito.”

“I was really surprised because I thought she simply made arrangements for our tour and would probably ask us to join a group or maybe ask somebody to guide us,” Ocampo told Bing Branigin, a Filipino-American political leader in D.C. and friend of Cristeta’s. “But she became our personal tour guide and that was really a pleasant surprise.”

Louie admitted that he was “awestruck and honored” to have personally met Cristeta at the Philippine Embassy during a reception following the AS 1 concert of Martin Nievera and Gary Valenciano, also two Cristeta’s favorite singers and the reason why she accepted the invitation of Ambassador Willy Gaa and wife Linda to grace the reception for the visiting performers.

“What Louie didn’t know is that Cris (Comerford’s nickname) was the one who actually got starstruck when she met Louie in person,” laughed Branigin. “Cris is actually a big fan of Louie’s compositions and she knows all of them by heart, especially those popularized by Joey Albert. It’s not often you see Cris openly expressing her respect or admiration for a person. Louie’s songs became part of Cris’ growing years in Manila and she puts Louie in the same pedestal as George Canseco, Willy Cruz, Ryan Cayabyab, Rey Valera and Jose Mari Chan. That’s why Cris is very thankful to Louie for making beautiful songs that made her memories of the Philippines and her younger years lasting.”

Louie told Edmund that he and his family spent much of the visit at the East Wing of the White House, where most of the entertaining is done. It also principally serves as offices for the First Lady and her staff, and where the family theater and the Garden Room are located.

“All rooms were classic and elegant, and we appreciated how Cris thoroughly explained the background behind each of the rooms, as if she were a professional tour guide,” Louie said. “The highlight of our tour was visiting the kitchen and the area of the pastry chef. Though equipped with state of the art facilities, these were, surprisingly, much smaller than we expected. I guess this just proves how efficiently Cris manages the kitchen.

“We also had the privilege of meeting some of Cris’ colleagues in the White House and were impressed by how they related with Cris with much respect and even fondness. We left the White House with a once in a lifetime experience. That visit made us truly proud that a Filipino is one of the key members of the First Family’s resident staff.”

Cristeta has been the executive chef at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue since 2005. She is the first woman and the first person of ethnic minority origin to hold the post.

She joined the White House in 1995 as one of the chefs for the Clintons. She was named executive chef by First Lady Laura Bush in 2005 when executive chef Walter Scheib III resigned.

In January 2009, she was retained by Pres. Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama amid clamors from prominent foodies and gourmands to replace the Fil-Am executive chef. It was later revealed that Laura Bush spoke “very highly” of Cristeta.

“The Bushes just loved her and there’s no need for making a change,” an Obama official was quoted as saying, adding that the Bushes praised Cristeta for, among other things, creating “original dishes with American flavor.”

According to Branigin, Cristeta is a “world class” chef whose preparations always get raves from White House guests because “she does everything with passion.”

“Cris is really happy to have met Louie in person,” Branigin noted. “After that meeting, I can imagine Cris humming Tell Me while cooking for President Obama.”

Are Marian and Dingdong getting married in the US?

Again, as in the case of LJ Reyes, if you believe the grapevine, Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes “will get married” when they, together with another “marrying” couple, Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez, go on a month-long concert tour of the US and Canada starting middle of next month.

The same rumor hounded Marian and Dingdong when they went to Spain to visit Marian’s Spaniard father a few months ago.

Contacted by Funfare, Dingdong’s manager Perry Lansigan denied the rumor.

“We are going there for the concert lang talaga,” Perry said, “which will cover six cities from May 12 to June 6 --- Toronto and Edmonton in Canada; Atlantic City in the US East Coast; and San Francisco, L.A. and Pasadena in the US West Coast.”

If ever Marian and Dingdong decide to get married, according to Perry, “It would be here at home at engrande sigurado ‘yon.”

Incidentally, the sweethearts will soon be seen in You To Me Are Everything, a joint venture between GMA Films and Regal Films. It’s their second movie together, after One True Love.

Directed by Mark A. Reyes, the movie is about the endearing love story of Iska (Marian), a cheerful Igorota, and Raphael (Dingdong), son of a wealthy politician.

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