Influence

Continuing to think about the innovative ideas of President Obama, I read this article in today's New York Times food section: A White House Chef Who Wears Two Hats By Rachel L. Swarns. The cook, Sam Kass, who mainly makes family dinners for the Obamas also plays a role in developing child nutrition programs. In the past, he's been the executive chef at the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum in Chicago "where he offered up free soup, encouraged food-related debate and sharply criticized the modern agricultural system."

So he's both a hands-on cook and an activist! From the article:

Mr. Kass, 29, forged a close bond with the Obamas while cooking for them and their children for about two years before they moved to Washington and has golfed with the president on Martha’s Vineyard. Behind the scenes, he attends briefings on child nutrition and health, has vetted nonprofits as potential partners for White House food initiatives and regularly peppers senior staff about policy matters.

Sam Kass appears regularly in the blog ObamaFoodorama.