Former personal chef for Clinton now cooks in Brunswick restaurant

BRUNSWICK - Mark Ecton knows the power of food. <br> <br> As former President Clinton&#39;s personal chef at Camp David, Ecton watched as Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak dined on dishes made in his kitchen. <br> <br> Ecton said, ``We were all peeking through the door watching President Clinton, Chairman Arafat and Prime Minister Barak breaking bread together. It&#39;s like, wow, it&#39;s history I&#39;m watching. Barak and Arafat breaking bread together. And it&#39;s my bread.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> These days, rather than cooking for world leaders, Ecton is cooking for regular folks at the Cargo Portside Grill in Brunswick, but he is still bringing people together. <br> <br> Originally from New Orleans, Ecton graduated from the Navy&#39;s San Diego Culinary Arts School and underwent a security background check to work at Camp David. <br> <br> While there, he grew accustomed to seeing movie stars such as Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, Ben Affleck and Gwyneth Paltrow at dinners and parties. <br> <br> But July 12, 2000, was very different from those relaxed evenings. Arafat and Barak were coming to Camp David for a peace summit, and Ecton was expected to prepare delicious, culturally correct meals. Any deviation in dietary laws could be considered an insult. <br> <br> The meal passed muster. <br> <br> The 30-year-old Ecton said, ``Chairman Arafat and his staff came back to my kitchen and said thank you.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Beyond that, he cannot say much about the years he spent working at the famous presidential retreat in Maryland. As a former Navy chef and a member of the White House staff, he signed documents agreeing not to talk about the things he saw and the details of life at Camp David.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/3/197413