In this photograph, taken by Joyce N. Boghosian on December 15, 2008, First Lady Laura Welch Bush joins Rabbi Mendel Minkowitz, Rabbi Binyomin Steinmetz, and Rabbi Levi Shemtov following the koshering of the White House Kitchen. The rabbis supervised the koshering of the Kitchen prior to the White House Hanukkah reception. That evening, a kosher buffet was held in the East Room and a menorah lighting ceremony in the Entrance Hall.

In this photograph, White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier prepares a bûche de Noël or Yule log cake in the White House Kitchen. The traditional holiday cake was a favorite at White House Christmas parties. Here, Chef Mesnier applies a layer of coffee buttercream to give the dessert its distinctive tree bark appearance. Mesnier joined the White House Kitchen in 1979 and retired in 2004.

This dessert was made for a holiday party by White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier around 1985. It consists of a Christmas tree made from chatreuse ice cream topped with a white chocolate angel. The tree is decorated with marzipan and fresh berries and stands atop an oval made from dried meringue. The tree is accompanied by pinecones made from a pomegranate sorbet quenelle with scales molded from tempered chocolate.

In this photograph, White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier and Assistant Pastry Chef Marlene Roudebush create confectionary decorations in the Kitchen for the holiday season at the White House. As Mesnier blows sugar balls, Roudebush crafts marzipan figures. Mesnier led the White House pastry shop in creating hundreds of marzipan figures each year to populate the official White House Gingerbread House and lend a festive garnish to other holiday delicacies.

In this photograph, White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier and his assistant, Marlene Roudebush, work on the "American Village" gingerbread house. Created to complement First Lady Barbara Bush's holiday decorations in 1992, this was the first White House gingerbread house overseen by Mesnier. The whimsical scene, which incorporated multiple gingerbread houses and sledding marzipan elves, marked a departure from the traditional A-frame gingerbread houses created for the White House holiday season by Hans Raffert since 1969. Here, Chef Mesnier sprinkles powdered snow on the creation while Roudebush assembles a marzipan Santa Claus.

This photograph shows whimsical marzipan creations created by the White House pastry team for the holiday season. The figures include snowmen dressed in brightly colored scarves and others shaped like Santa Claus. The figures were likely made by Marlene Roudebush, assistant chef to White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Mesnier. Mesnier joined the White House pastry team in 1992 and earned a reputation for her detailed marzipan creations.

This photograph of a platter of beef Wellington in the White House Kitchen was taken in April 1970 by Joseph J. Scherschel during the administration of Richard M. Nixon. The White House Kitchen is located on the Ground Floor of the Executive Mansion. At the time, the Kitchen was overseen by White House Executive Chef Henry Haller, who worked on preparations for this platter.

This photograph of a platter of beef Wellington in the White House Kitchen was taken in April 1970 by Joseph J. Scherschel during the administration of Richard M. Nixon. The White House Kitchen is located on the Ground Floor of the Executive Mansion. At the time, the Kitchen was overseen by White House Executive Chef Henry Haller, who worked on preparations for this platter.

This photograph of a platter of beef Wellington in the White House Kitchen was taken in April 1970 by Joseph J. Scherschel during the administration of Richard M. Nixon. The White House Kitchen is located on the Ground Floor of the Executive Mansion. At the time, the Kitchen was overseen by White House Executive Chef Henry Haller, who worked on preparations for this platter.

This photograph of a platter of beef Wellington in the White House Kitchen was taken in April 1970 by Joseph J. Scherschel during the administration of Richard M. Nixon. The White House Kitchen is located on the Ground Floor of the Executive Mansion. At the time, the Kitchen was overseen by White House Executive Chef Henry Haller, who worked on preparations for this platter.

This photograph of a platter of beef Wellington in the White House Kitchen was taken in April 1970 by Joseph J. Scherschel during the administration of Richard M. Nixon. The White House Kitchen is located on the Ground Floor of the Executive Mansion. At the time, the Kitchen was overseen by White House Executive Chef Henry Haller, who worked on preparations for this platter.

This photograph, taken by White House photographer Mary Anne Fackelman on March 3, 1987, shows the White House Kitchen staff hard at work, likely preparing an entree for a dinner hosted by President Reagan in the State Dining Room to honor new members of Congress. From left to right are: White House Executive Chef Henry Haller, pastry chef Roland Mesnier, sous-chef Hans Raffert, an unknown Kitchen staff member, and chef Frank Ruta. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as White House Executive Chef from 1966-1987.

This photograph shows a German A-frame gingerbread house created by White House Assistant Executive Chef Hans Raffert for the 1970 holiday season. This was the second year that Raffert created a distinctive A-shaped gingerbread house, which soon became an annual tradition during the Richard M. Nixon administration. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as the executive chef at the White House from 1966-1987.

In this photograph, assistant pastry chef Hans Raffert (left), executive pastry chef Heinz Bender (center), and White House Executive Chef Henry Haller stand proudly beside a Hansel and Gretel-themed German A-frame gingerbread house, designed by Chef Raffert. Raffert created his first German A-frame gingerbread house for the Nixon White House holiday decorations in 1969, where they subsequently became an annual tradition. Even after the A-frame design was no longer used, Raffert's skills were often used to create the Official White House Gingerbread House. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as the White House Executive Chef from 1966-1987.

In this photograph, taken July 6, 1981, White House Executive Chef Henry Haller (left) and an unidentified kitchen staff member stand proudly with a cake created especially for First Lady Nancy Reagan's 60th birthday. The pair were photographed in the Kitchen on the Ground Floor of the White House. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to Henry Haller. Haller served as executive chef at the White House from 1966-1987.

In this photograph, taken October 1, 1982 by White House photographer Bill Fitz-Patrick, members of the White House Kitchen staff stand proudly by platters of seafood prepared for a luncheon for United States Supreme Court Justices. From left: White House Assistant Executive Chef Hans Raffert, White House Executive Chef Henry Haller, White House Executive Pastry Chef Roland Messnier, and an unidentified female kitchen staff member. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Haller served as executive chef of the White House from 1966-1987.

In this photograph, taken June 11, 1971, New York pastry chef Maurice Bonté works on a structure made from pulled sugar, which would be placed at the top of Tricia Nixon's wedding cake. Bonté designed the six-layer cake and its decorations. Standing at nearly a foot tall, the cake topper was modeled after the altar in the White House Rose Garden, where Nixon and her husband Edward Cox exchanged wedding vows on June 12, 1971. To the right of Bonté, are White House Executive Chef Henry Haller (center) and White House Pastry Chef Heinz Bender. This photograph is part of a collection belonging to former White House Executive Chef Henry Haller. Henry Haller served as executive chef at the White House from 1966-1987.

This photograph by Joseph J. Scherschel shows White House Executive Chef Henry Haller preparing trays of food for the State Dinner President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon held in honor of President Georges Pompidou of France and his wife, Claude Pompidou. The dinner was held on February 24, 1970.

This photograph by Joseph J. Scherschel shows White House Executive Chef Henry Haller preparing trays of food for the State Dinner President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon held in honor of President Georges Pompidou of France and his wife, Claude Pompidou. The dinner was held on February 24, 1970.

This photograph by Joseph J. Scherschel shows White House Executive Chef Henry Haller preparing trays of food for the State Dinner President Richard M. Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon held in honor of President Georges Pompidou of France and his wife, Claude Pompidou. The dinner was held on February 24, 1970.

This photograph shows an unknown White House kitchen staff member preparing food for German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard's state visit. Chancellor Erhard is most famous as the chief architect of Germany's post-World War II economic recovery. He served as economics minister from 1949 to 1963 and as chancellor from 1963 to 1966.

This photograph shows an unknown White House kitchen staff member preparing food for German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard's state visit. Chancellor Erhard is most famous as the chief architect of Germany's post-World War II economic recovery. He served as economics minister from 1949 to 1963 and as chancellor from 1963 to 1966.

This photograph shows an unknown White House kitchen staff member preparing food for German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard's state visit. Chancellor Erhard is most famous as the chief architect of Germany's post-World War II economic recovery. He served as economics minister from 1949 to 1963 and as chancellor from 1963 to 1966.