This photograph of handwritten grocery lists written by chef Matthew Wendel was taken by Bruce White on February 11, 2020. Wendel was the cooked and entertained for President George W. Bush and his family. For efficiency, Wendel based the lists on the store's layout, and he also divided the items into categories so when they were bagged they could quickly be put away at the Bush’s Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas, as a waiter-caterer with the Word of Mouth catering company. After Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel prepared comforting meals for the first family during their trips to Camp David and during visits home to the Prairie Chapel Ranch.

This photograph, taken in 2001, shows President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush posing with Matthew Wendel in front of the official White House Christmas tree in the Blue Room. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working as a waiter-caterer at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. After Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel prepared comforting meals for the first family during their trips to Camp David and visits home to the Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas.

In this photograph, taken on March 23, 2005, President George W. Bush hosts a summit luncheon with world leaders from Canada and Mexico at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, his home near Crawford, Texas. Among those in attendance were President Vicente Fox Quesada of Mexico, Prime Minister Paul Martin of Canada, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley.

In this photograph, taken by Tina Hager on November 24, 2004, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush host a Thanksgiving-style luncheon at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, their home near Crawford, Texas, during a visit by King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía of Spain. For the luncheon, chef Matthew Wendel prepared seasonal dishes including free-range turkey, Prairie Chapel bass, mashed sweet potatoes with maple syrup and chipotle, pan-roasted vegetables with walnuts and apples, corn bread stuffing, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie. Also present at the luncheon were the president's twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, as well as his parents, former President George H. W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush.

This photograph was taken by Paul Morse on August 23, 2004, during a luncheon hosted by President George W. Bush at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, his home near Crawford, Texas. The president hosted the luncheon for members of his national defense team, including Vice President Richard B. Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

This photograph, taken on November 27, 2008, shows First Lady Laura Bush and guests lining up at a table for a Thanksgiving Day buffet at Camp David. The seasonal spread was prepared by chef Matthew Wendel and included turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans, and corn bread dressing. President George W. Bush and Mrs. Bush hosted the holiday celebration for friends and family. Among the guests pictured in this photograph is Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

This photograph was taken on April 25, 2005 during a luncheon hosted by President George W. Bush in honor of Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. The luncheon was held at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, the president's home near Crawford, Texas. During the meeting, the world leaders discussed the relationship between their respective nations, their response to the threat of terrorism, and oil trade relations, and dined on spinach and orange salad, rosemary lamb chops, Texas wild rice, roasted vegetables, and carrot pudding cake. Others pictured in this photograph include Vice President Richard B. Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, White House chief of staff Andrew H. Card, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

This photograph, taken by Eric Draper on November 9, 2007, shows a table set for a social dinner hosted by President George W. Bush in honor of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and her husband, Joachim Sauer. The dinner was held at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, the president's home near Crawford, Texas. This photograph shows the president's place setting at the table. At the dinner, guests dined on citrus and arugula salad, pecan-smoked beef tenderloin, a green chili-cheese grits soufflé, and Prairie Chapel pecan pie served with Blue Bell ice cream. Food preparations were overseen by chef Matthew Wendel. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working as a waiter-caterer at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. After Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel continued to serve the first family during visits to Camp David and the Prairie Chapel Ranch. Wendel's duties included cooking meals for the family, and ensuring the homes were ready for the arrival of the first family or their distinguished guests.

In this photograph, taken on January 1, 2002, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush share a meal with friends at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, their home near Crawford, Texas, to ring in the new year. President and Mrs. Bush often celebrated the holiday by feasting on southwestern favorites, including tamales, chili, fresh corn tortillas, guacamole, and black beans. Pictured behind Mrs. Bush in this photograph is chef Matthew Wendel. In 1995, Wendel became acquainted with Bush, then governor of Texas, when working as a caterer-waiter in Austin, Texas. When Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel continued to prepare meals for the family during visits to Camp David and the Prairie Chapel Ranch.

In this photograph, taken by Eric Draper on November 24, 2005, first daughters Barbara and Jenna Bush present fresh-roasted pumpkin pies as President George W. Bush looks on with approval during a Thanksgiving Day pumpkin pie cook-off at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, the Bush family home near Crawford, Texas. Jenna Bush suggested the idea of a pumpkin pie challenge to chef Matthew Wendel, a friend of the family who cooked and assisted in household maintenance at Camp David and the Prairie Chapel Ranch. Also pictured seated in this photograph is Henry Hager, Jenna Bush's boyfriend. Bush and Hager were married at the Prairie Chapel Ranch in a private ceremony on May 10, 2008.

In this photograph, taken by Eric Draper on November 24, 2005, President George W. Bush enjoys Thanksgiving dinner with family and friends at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, his residence near Crawford, Texas. Here, the president, his mother and former First Lady Barbara Bush, his daughter Jenna Bush, Jenna's boyfriend Henry Hager, and other friends and family members applaud as chef Matthew Wendel and other staff members bring out a second serving of turkey and side dishes. Thanksgiving dinner at the Prairie Chapel Ranch was served family-style, and often featured traditional dishes with a modern twist such as turkey covered with peppered bacon, sweet and spicy mashed potatoes, and corn bread dressing.

In this photograph, taken by Eric Draper on November 24, 2005, chef Matthew Wendel plates a bowl of green beans for a Thanksgiving Day dinner at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, the residence of President George W. Bush near Crawford, Texas. On Thanksgiving Day in 2005, President Bush enjoyed a private meal at the ranch with family and friends. Green beans was one of several side dishes served at the family-style dinner; also visible in this photograph is a bowl containing a stuffing side dish.

In this photograph, chef Matthew Wendel cuts a slice of pecan pie for first daughter Barbara Bush during a Thanksgiving celebration at Camp David in 2001. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working as a waiter-caterer at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. After President George W. Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel continued to prepare meals for the first family during their trips to Camp David and visits home to the Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas. Wendel collaborated with First Lady Laura Bush to prepare many holiday meals for the first family, including family-style Thanksgiving spreads, chili for New Year's, and Easter brunch.

This photograph, taken by Eric Draper on November 9, 2007, shows a table set for a social dinner hosted by President George W. Bush in honor of Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and her husband, Joachim Sauer. The dinner was held at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, the president's home near Crawford, Texas. At the dinner, guests dined on citrus and arugula salad, pecan-smoked beef tenderloin, a green chili-cheese grits soufflé, and Prairie Chapel pecan pie served with Blue Bell ice cream. Food preparations were overseen by chef Matthew Wendel. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working as a waiter-caterer at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. After Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel continued to serve the first family during visits to Camp David and the Prairie Chapel Ranch. Wendel's duties included cooking meals for the family, and ensuring the homes were ready for the arrival of the first family or their distinguished guests.

In this photograph, taken by Eric Draper on May 21, 2007, President George W. Bush hosts a luncheon at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, his home near Crawford, Texas, for Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and his wife, Jeannine de Hoop Scheffer-van Oorschot. President Bush invited the secretary general to the ranch to discuss international security challenges, and NATO operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo. At the lunch, guests were served cheddar cheeseburgers, potato salad, Texas farm cheeses, fruit, brownies, and Blue Bell ice cream. Also present at luncheon were First Lady Laura Bush, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, United States permanent representative to NATO Victoria Nuland, special assistant and senior director for European Affairs for the National Security Council Judith A. Ansley, ambassador Henne Shuwer, NATO spokesman James Appathurai, and military assistant to the Secretary general, Lt. Col. Paul van der Heijden.

In this photograph, taken by Eric Draper on August 9, 2006, chef Matthew Wendel prepares lunch at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, President George W. Bush's home near Crawford, Texas. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working as a waiter-caterer at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. After Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel continued to prepare meals for the first family during their trips to Camp David and visits home to Texas. Here, Wendel prepares a favorite dish of the family: fresh guacamole and quesadillas.

This photograph, taken by Eric Draper on August 11, 2005, shows a luncheon that took place at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, President George W. Bush's home near Crawford, Texas. The luncheon was held for the secretary of defense, defense policy and program teams, and the secretary of state and foreign policy teams. To accommodate the large number of guests, dining tables were set up in the spacious living room of the ranch.

This photograph was taken on May 10, 2008, during the wedding ceremony for first daughter Jenna Bush. Jenna Bush, daughter of President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, married Henry Hager during a private ceremony at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, the family's estate near Crawford, Texas. Here, Matthew Wendel sings "Ave Maria," accompanied by a mariachi band. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working as a waiter-caterer at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. After Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel prepared meals for the first family during their trips to Camp David and the Prairie Chapel Ranch. Though Wendel did not cater the reception, he sang at the request of Mrs. Bush. His performance brought tears to the eyes of the president, who thanked him warmly with a hug of congratulations.

This photograph, taken by Eric Draper on May 20, 2007, shows the place setting for Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), for a social dinner hosted by President George W. Bush at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, his home near Crawford, Texas. The dinner, prepared by chef Matthew Wendel, included arugula and citrus salad, pecan-smoked beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce, green chili cheese grits soufflé, and roasted asparagus. For dessert, guests dined on peach cream pie adapted from a recipe compiled by First Lady Laura Bush, featuring fresh Texas Hill Country peaches.

This photograph was taken during a luncheon hosted by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush in honor of President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea and his wife, Kim Yoon-ok. The luncheon was held at Camp David on April 19, 2008. For the event, chef Matthew Wendel prepared a buffet spread that included fried chicken, potato salad, corn muffins, deviled eggs, and hummingbird cake.

This photograph was taken during a luncheon hosted by President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush in honor of President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea and his wife, Kim Yoon-ok. The luncheon was held at Camp David on April 19, 2008. Here, President Bush, Mrs. Bush, President Lee, and Mrs. Kim help themselves to a buffet spread. The buffet was prepared by chef Matthew Wendel and included fried chicken, potato salad, corn muffins, deviled eggs, and hummingbird cake.

This is a menu from the dinner held in honor of the President Vladimir Putin of Russia, and his wife Lyudmila Aleksandrovna on November 14, 2001 during the George W. Bush administration. Chef Matthew Wendel prepared peppered beef tenderloin and fried catfish for the occasion. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas, as a waiter-caterer with the Word of Mouth catering company. After Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel prepared comforting meals for the first family during their trips to Camp David and during visits home to the Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas.

This photograph shows First Lady Laura Bush posing in the Blue Room with chef Matthew Wendel. It was taken on January 20, 2001, shortly before an inaugural ball was held to celebrate the first inauguration of President George W. Bush. In 1995, Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family while working as a caterer-waiter at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas. After Bush became president, Wendel assisted the first lady with event planning, and cooked for the family during their visits to Camp David and the Prairie Chapel Ranch, their residence near Crawford, Texas.

This photograph, taken on April 6, 2002, shows chef Matthew Wendel (right), posing with Prime Minister Tony Blair of the United Kingdom at the Prairie Chapel Ranch, President George W. Bush's residence near Crawford, Texas. During his visit, the prime minister dined on pecan-smoked beef tenderloin, potatoes Anna, roasted peppers and asparagus, tomatoes with mozzarella cheese, and pineapple upside-down cake. Blair was one of four official visitors President Bush invited to the ranch in 2002. Other visitors included King Abdullah and Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia, and President Jiang Zemin of China.

This photograph is of a signed dinner menu from the personal collection of chef Matthew Wendel. The dinner was held in honor of Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark and his wife, Anne-Mette, at President George W. Bush’s Prairie Chapel Ranch on February 29, 2008. The prime minister and his wife, along with President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush, signed this dinner menu for the chef as a token of their appreciation. The meal included mixed organic greens and citrus salad, pecan-smoked beef tenderloin, green chili-cheese grits soufflé, and roasted asparagus. Wendel became acquainted with the Bush family in 1995, while working at the Governor's Mansion in Austin, Texas, as a waiter-caterer with the Word of Mouth catering company. After Bush was elected president in 2000, Wendel prepared comforting meals for the first family during their trips to Camp David and during visits home to the Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford, Texas.