White House Chef on Hammond’s Pretzels

As a sous-chef in the White House kitchen, Moeller was one of the few people in the United States to know the bakery that produced the pretzel. Moeller, in fact, was the one who had introduced the snack to the White House, back during the Clinton administration. The handmade beauties came from Hammond Pretzel Bakery in Lancaster, Pa., near where Moeller grew up in Pennsylvania Dutch country. Chelsea went wild on it for a little while, Moeller says about his hometown pretzel. Hillary Clinton wrote the bakery a letter, thanking it for the healthful and tasty treat.

Then came President Bush’s snack-related scare, which practically caused Moeller to start choking himself. His first thought upon hearing the news: Am I going to be working here tomorrow?

Moeller kept his job, but he got another lesson in the tenuous status of the White House kitchen staff, which serves at the pleasure of the president, as the oft-repeated phrase goes. What does that mean in real terms for the men and women who work at the White House, feeding the first family and their many guests and dignitaries from around the world? It means that politics, personal tastes or even a pretzel can potentially send a chef packing from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Source: The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/white-house-memories-chef-john-moeller-on-pretzels-maple-syrup-and-calorie-counting/2014/02/14/8edcf7f4-92c1-11e3-b227-12a45d109e03_story.html)