O P P O S I T E : A U T H O R’ S C O L L E C T I O N / A B O V E : G E O R G E W. B U S H P R E S I D E N T I A L L I B R A R Y A N D M U S E U M
maintenance, from upkeep and cleaning of the cabins to cooking for all the people stationed there. I worked mainly with chefs Mike Hadley and Ronnie Mills, great guys and talented chefs who were used to cooking in large quantities for sailors on ships. They were willing and able to learn all they could from me about the likes and dislikes of the Bushes and to help prepare foods that gave the first family a familiar taste of home. My managing of food and entertainment also took some of the pressure off the staff. As far as I can tell, I am the only civilian to have been at Camp David on a regular basis to cook for a president. At the White House the food was prepared by a team of trained chefs and was a bit fussier. It had to be, as the meals were prepared not only for the family but also for world leaders, staged as large formal events. But at Camp David, the Bushes wanted relaxed, casual food. To get ready for weekends at Camp David, my routine was to first find out
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what guests would be there and then send Mrs. Bush’s assistant suggested menus. Mrs. Bush then made the choices, and I sent the menu to the chefs at the camp to give them a heads-up. Shopping choices were limited in Thurmont, so I often brought hard-to-find items with me from D.C. The staff at the camp would always be on the lookout for fresh vegetables from farmers’ markets when they were available. But the growing season in the mountains of Maryland is very short compared to central Texas! As time went on, Mike and Ronnie got to know the preferences of the first family, and I trusted them to make the right choices.
THE DAYS AFTER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 On the morning of September 12, 2001, I rode a nearly empty bus to the White House. That morning, and every morning afterward, I scanned the bus for anyone who looked suspicious. Like everyone else, I was on edge, the more so
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