Thelife- Chef Andre Rush worked as a
White House chef under fourpresidents . - He loves shopping at
Trader Joe's because there's always new products to try. - As a chef, he enjoys the chance to "play a little bit" with new
food discoveries.
When Andre Rush worked as a White House chef, he often used ingredients from the White House vegetable garden. When he's off-duty, though, he's a fan of shopping at Trader Joe's.
"The reason why I love Trader Joe's is because I discovered Trader Joe's a very, very, very long time ago before it was popular," Rush told Insider. "It was like a boutique store. It reminded me of a Cracker Jack box. You know, you open up a Cracker Jack box and inside you get something different every time."
Rush cites wood-plank salmon and chocolate milk as some of his go-to Trader Joe's products
However, he says the fun of shopping at the grocery chain is discovering new things to try.
"Every time I go there, even though I have my favorites, I always end up getting 90% of things I've never tried before," he said. "And as a chef, you know, with a tantalizing palate, I want different things when I can incorporate them.
"I like the savory and the sweet with pastries, and proteins, and just all over the place. So Trader Joe's is kind of like a novelty store to me where I can go in and I can just kind of play a little bit."
A former Army chef, Rush prepared meals for Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Trump. He now uses his platform to advocate for military service members and suicide prevention. His memoir, "Call Me Chef, Dammit! A Journey From the Rural South to White House," will be published by HarperCollins this fall.