CHEF TO PRESIDENTS CHILLS AT CANYONS.

Byline: CONNIE LLANOS 

Staff Writer

VALENCIA -- When culinary instructor Louis Eguaras huddles over a pile of ripe tomatoes or a bunch of carrots, he carefully decides which cut he's going to give the fresh produce.

A swift flick of the wrist could render a dice or a julienne. Broader chops could provide rustic ingredients for a heartier dish.

"You have to know your knife cuts before you step into a kitchen," Eguaras said.

For this Filipino native, cooking has been more than a career; it has been a gateway to a life of opportunity.

And now, as the newest addition to the College of the Canyons culinary arts program, Eguaras plans to give back to the profession that has given him the chance of a lifetime -- to cook for presidents, admirals and emperors.

"Especially in community college you have the chance to really touch people's lives," Eguaras said. "Many people here are new to this country or need that sense of direction and guidance. I want to be that instructor that tells them I believe in them."

Eguaras was 13 when he first began to dabble in the kitchen. A recent immigrant to the United States and the son of a single mother, he had to learn how to pitch in and fend for himself.

"I used to cook spaghetti and hot dogs -- a big dish in the Philippines," Eguaras said.

Spaghetti quickly gave way to meat dishes and elaborate soups. After working his way through high school in a local restaurant, Eguaras realized the kitchen was the place for him.

Looking for a way to fund his culinary education, Eguaras enlisted in the Navy -- renowned for its culinary academy -- and a few months later recruitment officers from Camp David picked him from more than 250 candidates for a job in the kitchen of the presidential hideaway.

"As soon as I arrived at Camp David I thought, 'I came to this country at 13 years old, and seven years later I am working for the president."'

Making Tex-Mex feasts for George Bush Sr. and cooking healthier fare for Bill Clinton -- at the strict request of wife Hillary -- Eguaras loved being able to serve his country's leaders.

"George Bush would come up to me in his boxers and ask for coffee and toast."

It wasn't long before Eguaras got a chance to work elegant six-course state dinners for the White House.

"Those dinners would take us up to three days to prepare."

Feeding the emperor of Japan and even Nelson Mandela was a real pleasure for Eguaras, who left Washington, D.C., to work in Hawaii, then left the Navy and set up a catering business in California.

By 2005 Eguaras took a job as an adjunct culinary professor at College of the Canyons, and campus spokesman John McElwain said the college is thrilled to have him as a full-time professor -- a move that reinforces the college's commitment to the culinary profession.

connie.llanos(at)dailynews.com

[phone]

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

Louis Eguaras, a former chef at the White House, shows students how to cut an onion at the College of the Canyons culinary arts class. Eguaras enlisted in the Navy -- renowned for its culinary academy -- and a few months later recruitment officers from Camp David picked him for a job in the kitchen of presidential hideaway Camp David.

David Crane/Staff Photographer