Profile: Melissa Perello for White House Chef

By JULIETTE ROSSANT Melissa Perello, chef of The Fifth Floor, was born in Hackensack, NJ and raised there and in Texas. She is a James Beard Foundation 2005 nominee for best rising star chef. What is Melissa’s earliest memory of food? "My mother bought me my first cookbook when I was 10 -- The Fun of Cooking by Jill Krementz -- and I think I cooked every recipe in that book so many times that all of the pages are glued together with goop." Who is her cooking mentor? "Alice Waters -- a visionary." Does she like cooking for large numbers of people? "Yes, or I wouldn't do it for a living." If Melissa got a phone call from the White House asking her to be the new White House Executive Chef, what would be the first thing she’d say? "Sure, I'll start in 2008, when we get a Democrat back in the house." What would her mission be as White House Executive Chef? "Promote more support for American agriculture, small farms, and sustainable agriculture." What are her hobbies? "Hanging out with my dog mostly, but also hiking, snowboarding, and backpacking." What are her favorite snacks? "Good bread and butter." What would she recommend as an airplane picnic? "Two Xanax and a comfy pillow." What's her favorite cookbook? "Roger Verge's Vegetables in the French Style." What would Melissa be if not a chef? "Princess -- or Pope." Vote for White House Woman Chef: please take a moment to vote. Previous Profiles for White House Woman Chef: Profile: Alice Waters for White House Chef Profile: Jody Adams for White House Chef Profile: Tamara Murphy for White House Chef Profile: Allison Vines-Rushing for White House Chef Profile: Lucia Watson for White House Chef Profile: Barbara Lynch for White House Chef Profile: Suzanne Goin for White House Chef Profile: Louise Lamensdorf for White House Chef Profile: Anita Jaisinghani for White House Chef Profile: Julie Francis for White House Chef Profile: Mary Sue Milliken & Susan Feniger for White House 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: Gabby Hayes: White House Chef? Chef John Bubala Votes Sarah Stegner Paula Deen & Friends Sante Magazine Recognizes Jody Adams Shortlisting White House Chefs? Times-Picayune: Spicer for President(ial chef) NAMC Newswire: A Woman in the White House Before 2008? Ventura, CA, Gets Into White House Chef Search Dallas-Ft. Worth Notes Chef Louise's White House Nomination 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