Dressed in his chef’s outfit from his days working in the White House mess, Charlie Redden — otherwise known as “Chef Charlie” — sips his water and tells of his rise from the inner city of Wilmington, Del., to walking the halls of celebrity. All through his cooking, he points out.
Like many of his culinary colleagues, Chef Charlie credits his mom and grandma with sparking his love for food. After all, he says, as fervent “country girls,” both ladies spent much of their time cooking. Though as a youngster Redden was not particularly interested in cooking, he loved to eat their home-prepared meals.
In high school, he attended vocational classes in his freshman year in a clothing management program. Tiring of the lackluster school lunches, he asked his teacher to let him join the commercial food-making class where students were creating interesting lunch food. That’s when Redden decided, “This is where I want to be,” he said.
“It just took off from there,” he continued. “The teacher discovered I knew how to turn food into animals of different shapes. In the garde manger [preparing and presenting cold food items] section, I was creating many different things with cold food … I didn’t know about recipes, but I could create masterpieces, and people eat with their eyes.”
By the time Redden was a senior, he had advanced enough in the culinary field to be only one of three students sent out as an apprentice to the Hotel Du Pont in Wilmington. Looking back at that turning point, Redden, who initially was reluctant to go, now credits his teacher with encouraging him to use his God-given talents, and thus avoid life in the streets.
Thanks to the mentoring of the hotel’s executive chef, Roland Johnson, Redden was well on his way into a culinary career.
“He saw my talent,” Redden said, “and he encouraged me to try it all. ‘If you want to be the best, spread it around,’ he said.”
After 2 1/2 years, Redden joined the Navy, and once again, destiny pulled him to the kitchen: He became a culinary specialist working with the head chef. That meant cooking for the captain in his quarters. Redden recalled the captain nicknamed him “Mr. Gourmet Magazine.”
Then in 1995, when White House personnel were touring naval bases looking to recruit cooks for work in the White House Mess, Redden recalled his admiral asked if he was interested in applying. Despite his initial reluctance, Redden did apply, and his commentary at the interview won him the position.
“I said that there’s lots of competition,” he said, “but I’ll cook any of your chefs under the table. That was the right answer.”
From then until middle of 2001, Redden worked as the catering supervisor plus earning the certificate as executive chef.
“I was the first certified executive chef of the White House Mess,” he said, recounting how he traveled extensively with the Clinton retinue, checking out hotels and restaurants in advance of the first family’s arrival, and preparing soups, pizzas and spaghetti meals for their personal use.
“Tony Powell and E.J. Farmer, food service coordinators for the White House, became strong mentors and helped me serve the White House better,” he said.
Today, Chef Charlie’s day job entails diplomatic security work with top-secret clearance. But in his spare time, he runs his own catering service, Chef Charlie Redden, cooking and serving elaborate two-to-three-course meals in people’s homes.
Chef Charlie Catering
chefcharliecatering.com
“I go into the house, and set it up like I would have done at the White House,” he said.
And the kind of food he serves?
“Anything,” he said. “I just love to cook.”
And his fondest, wildest dream is to serve a poor family from the inner city a white-linen, four-course meal for free.
Q&A with Chef Charlie Redden
What is your comfort food?
Cashews and peanuts. I would love to cover these with chocolate; they would be even better.
Which is your favorite dessert?
When I dive into a lemon cake, a mean lemon cake. My mom makes these. She gets very excited and still encourages me to use less salt, more of this and that.
What do you do with leisure time?
I like to spend time with my wife and family, two daughters and a stepdaughter. My older son lives away.
What’s in your fridge?
Frozen salmon, popsicles, chicken, juices, eggs, breakfast items and water.
What has been your luckiest moment?
Probably having Emeril Lagasse mention me on his TV program. I met him and talked with him with I was in New Orleans with the Clintons.
From the Chef’s Kitchen
Seafood and Vegetable Soup
Serves 10 to 12
3 to 4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup chopped green peppers
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
3 (10.5 oz.) cans chicken broth
2 (8 oz.) bottles clam juice
1/2 cup white wine
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 pound flounder fillets, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 (4 oz.) cans crab meat, picked clean
1 (4 oz.) can chopped clams
1 (4 oz.) can baby shrimp
1 (4 oz.) can chopped pimientos
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onions, green peppers, carrots and tomatoes for five minutes or until softened. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Add the chicken broth, clam juice, wine, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 minutes. Add all the ingredients except the parsley, and continue to cook for another 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, season to taste, and serve, garnishing with the parsley.
