MONACO:It's the most exclusive private dining club in the world, where members discuss the gastronomic leanings of world leaders - from Queen Elizabeth's breakfasts to George Bush's evening snacks and Angela Merkel's potato soup.
Last night 25 chefs of presidents and monarchs met in Monaco for their annual dinner after a week travelling around France, sampling ingredients and collecting ideas.
The Club de Chefs des Chefs (Club of Leaders' Chefs) includes the heads of kitchens from the White House and Buckingham Palace to the United Nations and the Élysée, who meet to discuss the challenges of feeding world power-brokers.
Cristeta Comerford, the White House chef, is one of only two women currently in the club. Appointed by Laura Bush in 2005, the Philippines-born chef creates state dinners and holiday menus as well as President Bush's beloved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Other veteran members, like Bernard Vaussion of the Élysée Palace, have been cooking for world leaders for more than 30 years. After serving five French presidents, including the notoriously picky François Mitterrand, he said yesterday that Georges Pompidou and Jacques Chirac liked traditional French cuisine, "hearty meals that stand up".
Mr Vaussion has yet to comment on the culinary preferences of Nicolas Sarkozy. The new teetotal French president has a weakness for chocolate, which has seen his wife step in to ration his puddings, but he tends to favour healthy eating.
Mark Flanagan, head chef at Buckingham Palace, said that while the chefs swapped tips on how their kitchens were run, the scale of the queen's team stood apart. He runs five palaces and cooks for staff, sometimes providing 400 staff meals a day.
"I was shocked to discover that the prime minister of Canada only has one chef," Mr Flanagan said.
Christian Garcia, head chef to Prince Albert of Monaco, said the chefs did not compare notes on the indulgences of their leaders. "There has to be some confidentiality," but Prince Albert ate all organic vegetables from his own garden, enjoyed fish and liked to try everything.
Others have a harder time serving food to politicians regularly forced to stuff themselves at business meals and formal receptions.
Michel Addons, chef at the European commission in Brussels, said: "I have to deal with people who eat too much and often do so three times a day. I'd rather not pile in the calories. So, no sauce dishes, no offal . . . just light, natural cuisine, if possible steamed." - (Guardian service)