Profile: Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger for White House Chef

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Born and raised in Toledo, Susan Feniger and Michigan-raised Mary Sue Milliken are co-chefs and co-owners of the Border Grill restaurants of Santa Monica and Las Vegas and Ciudad of Los Angeles. superchefblog: What is your earliest "Taste Memory" a la James Beard? Susan: My mom made fantastic salads with her own blue cheese dressing and french dressing -- I remember big bottles in our fridge... Most important was how she seasonsed them -- always really strong seasonings -- lots of Lawry's seasoning salts, bacon bits, plenty of black pepper. Mary Sue: My mom's steak tartar on Christmas Eve with oyster stew and other treasts like herring and then homemade cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast. My mom made that, and now I make it every Christmas. superchefblog: Cooking mentors? Susan: Alan Wagner, who runs a kitchen in India which she has visited three times, and Gus Reidi [discussed in Super Chef, p. 135] -- and restaurateur Jovan Treboyvich of Le Perroquet (Super Chef, pp. 137-138). Mary Sue: Also Jovan Treboyevic -- Alice Waters -- Escoffier superchefblog: Do you like catering? Susan: I love being on the line -- in restaurants, the more numbers, the more fun. You just have to have the right equipment. Mary Sue: Sure: it stretches my brain. It's a great exercise in ingenuity. It's not so much fun on a tight budget -- but that doesn't seem to be a problem in this Administration! superchefblog: Where can people catch you in the Media of late? Susan: I am on the cover of The Los Angeles Times Magazine and on the Radio (and online) every Sunday from 9:00-11: am PT on KFI 640 AM -- you can listen live on the website. Mary Sue: This Fall, we'll be on Iron Chef America, Simply Ming on PBS, and Coastal Cooking with John Shields on PBS. superchefblog: Favorite dishes? Susan: Saag paneer, artichokes, avocadoes, extra virgin olive oil, feta, Brillat Savarin, pink lady apples. Mary Sue: Marinated skirt steak with corn relish (at Border Grill), a South American salad of crab meat salpicon (at Ciudad), and Japanese cooking (at home). superchefblog: Were the White House to give you the nod, what is the very first thing you would say? Mary Sue: Are you sure you have the right number? Susan: When Hillary gets elected, I'll be there. superchefblog: What would your mission be at the White House? Susan: To serve great ethnic food. Mary Sue: To push a sustainable and organic lifestyle. superchefblog: Why is the job of White House Executive chef important? Susan: To make sure our President is eating properly to nourish the brain and bod and think clearly. Mary Sue: What we eat says a lot about who we are. For visiting dignitaries and our leader, it makes sense to eat thoughtfully. superchefblog: Why is it important that a woman be chosen as White House Executive Chef? Mary Sue: Women have done a great job in many historically male-dominated fields -- it would be a terrific statement for our government to make, in support of women in the work force. superchefblog: What would you serve the President and First Lady on a quiet evening? Susan: Whatever they wanted... Great black eye pea soup, yummy marinated vegetables, brownies with vanilla ice cream and cajeta. superchefblog: And what would you serve for a State Dinner? Susan: That all depends -- but challenge their sensibilities. Mary Sue: --yes, we'd plan something appropriate for the occasion. In April, we would serve a spring dinner, a feast with fresh fava beans and fish soup. superchefblog: Where do you travel, when you get the chance? Susan: Places that aren't touristy... sailing to Turkey, Viet Nam, Bhutan... Mary Sue: ...Ethiopia, Indonesia, Cuba, China... I rent a house in a remote corner of the world and work with local ingredients. superchefblog: What's your favorite snack? Susan: Japanese rice with sesame, sour plum, ponzu. Mary Sue: Stinky cheese, like Epoisse." superchefblog: What do you recommend to take on an airplane as a picnic? Susan: Strong cheese, apples, and crackers. Mary Sue: Vietnamese noodle salad wrapped in rice paper with dipping sauces, fresh tea bags, and lots of fresh juice and fruit. superchefblog: What's your favorite cookbook? Susan: Right now, Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Suppers. Mary Sue: I love so many cookbooks!.. Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, From Curries to Kebabs by Madhur Jaffrey, Zuni Cafe Cookbook by [fellow nominee] Judy Rodgers. superchefblog: Alternative career, if not a chef? Susan: Therapist. Mary Sue: Scientist. [Remember to " Vote For White House Woman Chef" -- click here to vote.] Movies: Tortilla Soup Cookbooks: Mexican Cooking Essentials for Dummies Mexican Cooking for Dummies Cantina: The Best of Mexican Casual Cooking Mesa Mexican City Cuisine Cooking with Too Hot Tamales Biography: Super Chef, Chapter Four, "Milliken & Feniger," pp. 131-174 Other online bios: Chef's Theater PBS Lessons with Master Chefs Savvy Traveler Seasonal Chef FoodFit Organic Authority Previous Profiles for White House Woman Chef: Profile: Traci Des Jardins for White House Chef Profile: Anita Lo for White House Chef Profile: Sara Moulton for White House Chef Profile: Nora Pouillon for White House Chef Profile: Scooter Kanfer for White House Chef Profile: Cat Cora for White House Chef Profile: Diane Forley for White House Chef Previous articles: Roland Mesnier's Dessert University Congratulations: James Beard Awards Nominees Ojai Valley News: Diane Forley for White House Chef Denver Supports Jennifer Jasinski for White House Chef James Beard Awards: Dearth of Top Women Chefs? Today Show Emulates Iron Chef America Wireless Flash: White House Woman Chef Fortune Smiles on superchefblog's White House Chef Poll Cat Cora Wins on Iron Chef America Anita Lo Defeats Mario Batali on Iron Chef America Atlantic Monthly: White House Chefs Cat Cora, Anita Lo: Sexing Up Iron Chef America Joe Guzzardi: If Not Governor, White House Chef Reminder 1: Vote for White House Woman Chef Vote For White House Woman Chef Superchefblog: Catalyst for White House Woman Chef? --> back to superchefblog