Bean soup, tzatziki, moussaka and baklava: A Greek chef cooks for President Joe Biden
File photo: Η Ελληνίδα σεφ Μαρία Λόη με τον Μπάρακ Ομπάμα και τον Τζο Μπάιντεν. ΑΠΕ – ΜΠΕ
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
Past residents of the White House have tasted moussaka, fish, and baklava at the hands of Greek chef, Maria Loi.
Presidents Joseph Biden and Barack Obama have given high marks to Greek cuisine and mouthwatering aromas of Greek dishes have filled the halls of the White House, then and now, thanks to chef Loi. They each have different preferences, but they both profess a love for Greek delicacies, according to Maria Loi in an interview with the radio station of the Athenian/Macedonian Agency, 104.9 FM.
Maria Loi, who has been professionally in America for nine years, revealed the food preferences not only of the two presidents, but also of former First Lady Michelle Obama and First Lady Jill Biden. Loi says she expects the next dish she’ll prepare at the White House for the Bidens will be “classic” Greek bean soup.
The current president, says Loi, eats very healthily and such, Greek food is near the top of his favorites, because it’s not fried, uses organic ingredients, and tastes good. “He did not eat meat when I was cooking but I think he tried my tzatziki,” notes Loi, adding that Jill Biden also eats healthily and has a weakness for salads.
Moussaka was star of the food choices offered at a reception hosted by the Obama couple for Greeks at the White House several years ago. The Greek chef had prepared many dishes for that occasion, gaining praise from President Obama. The menu closed with baklava, and according to Loi, the president told her it was the best he’d ever tasted. He even asked the Greek chef about the ingredients of the dessert and she revealed that the ingredients are good honey and oil.
At the time, the Obamas had beehives outside the White House, said Loi, who remembers President Obama telling her how the couple “could get good honey” from the White House-tended hives. With a smile, Loi replied, “Mr. President, though, it’s not like Greek honey.”
Loi was particularly impressed with Michelle Obama, who she called an amazing woman. Loi pointed out that the former first lady not only eats very healthily, preferring for fresh vegetables, but she also helped many schools change the bad eating habits of children in America. Loi has excelled in America. She’s drawn the attention of many celebrities from the big screen and the music industry, including her neighbor, Lady Gaga, and other famous clients such as Robert de Niro, Kathleen Turner, Tony Bennett, and Greek-American George Stephanopoulos. On top of her fame, she’s also taught culinary lessons at Harvard, even though she’s never formally studied cooking.
She learned by experience, it seems. “I have been cooking for my family since I was seven years old,” says Loi. “My family grew tobacco in my village, and my older siblings had to work, so someone had to stay home and cook. In our family, that was my role.”
In Greece, Loi became a TV personality and today she hosts a television in America too, showcasing the Mediterranean and Greek diet.
The talented chef also made headlines during the spring COVID-19 lockdown, when she had a chance to demonstrate, Greek philotimo in action, preparing meals for doctors, nurses and people in need.
For the moment, Loi’s restaurant only serves outdoors in an area that looks like a cozy Greek alleyway. She says she’s waiting for America and the world’s page on this pandemic to turn, and hopes it will happen with the new president. “I already see Americans smiling more,” she said.
- With the courtesy of the Athens News Agency, this interview was conducted by Anastasia Telianidou and Fanis Grigoriadis