Barbara Bush, a mother of six, was no stranger to cooking and baking ā casseroles and layer cakes, soups and taco salads, quiches and chocolate chip cookies. Good chocolate chip cookies. Ā Good enough, in fact, that The Houstonian hotel's pastry chef Catherine Rodriguez requested Bush's recipe, which involves oatmeal, in 2016. Bush gave her consent and the hotel now bakes them for special occasions such as Christmas parties, for new brides, private parties and for Houstonian club members. Ā The cookies have a special connection to The Houstonian. While George H.W. Bush served as director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Vice President, he and Mrs. Bush lived for a time at the Manor House, the John F. Staub-designed home on the grounds of the hotel that now serves as a restaurant and special events space. Ā The Bushes had a healthy appetite for good food including Tex-Mex, seafood, pizza, Chinese food and steakhouse fare. Their favorite foods were chronicled in 'The Bush Family Cookbook: Favorite Recipes and Stories from One of America's Great Families.' The author, Ariel De Guzman, was a personal chef for the Bushes who apparently enjoyed everything from simple everyday meals to elaborate dinners fit for residents of the White House. The cookbook's many recipes include lobster salad, buttermilk layer cake, Chinese chicken salad and hot seafood casserole. Ā For the full article click here.Ā Ā Ā Ā