Who's cookin'?

You may have seen in the news that this weekend President Obama and his family attended the wedding of their personal family chef, Sam Kass, and Alex Wagner. Sam was a friend of Tom's kids back in Hyde Park. I think the story is that Tom's daughter Lucy is the one who first shaved his head, a look that he continues to sport.

Sam's father, Robert,is a schoolteacher at the private, co-ed University of Chicago Laboratory Schools who taught President Obama's daughter Malia Obama in the 5th grade. (Tom's former sister-in-law, Hannah, was principal of the school, which Tom's kids also attended.) Sam's mother, Valentine, is a science educator at the National Science Foundation and previously served as the director of Omnimax productions at the Museum of Science and Industry, which was just a block away from my studio apartment in Hyde Park. Sam got an AB in history at the University of Chicago and played Division III baseball as a right fielder with a career .366 batting average, ranking among the best in program history^.

He went on to train under chefs in Chicago, Austria,New Zealand, Italy and Mexico. A man of many talents!

Sam began preparing meals for the Obamas when the family lived in Chicago and the Obamas persuaded him to join them at the White House. He is now among the Obamas' longest-serving aides.

Besides cooking for the family most weeknights, Kass also serves as senior nutrition policy adviser and executive director of the first lady's anti-childhood obesity initiative.