Word has it (Serious Eats blog) that gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo is dating Semi-Homemade semi-cook Sandra Lee and that there was a lasagne cook-off between Ms. Lee and Mrs. Mario Cuomo.
Yes, Ms. Semi-Homemade vs. a true Italian Mom, Matilda Cuomo. I’m glad I’m not in NY State working the phones, lit drops et al for the Dems this year because simply by his choice of this blonde bimbette living in the governor’s mansion would be enough for me to vote for another candidate.
Please, on a photo shoot she had two spoons in front of her, one plain and one slotted. She was asked to pick up the slotted spoon and had to ask which one that was. I don’t know if she can even read a book yet read one aloud as New York’s “first lady” to a library full of poor pre-school children.
I do know that she has her staff (those poor set decorators) change the decor every time she films. I don’t believe KitchenAid even makes mixers in those colors. That’s OK, she’s never used one and it’s probably just a prop, minus the motor. Who needs a motor when you can open up a can of this and a box of that?
Perhaps she set herself up as the gracious loser in this cook-off (or her staff did) by using cottage cheese and canned tomato soup.
Ms. Matilda, you certainly don’t know it but I lived directly across the street from the governor’s mansion when you lived there. We were burglarized twice and had to leave. But I’d walk across the street or fly across the country for your lasagne, veal parmigiana or spaghetti and meatballs.
Your son is in a serious business and is old enough to know that in this business of politics which I lived for many years he has to convey that he is settled in his personal life. While I certainly don’t expect him to be flirting underneath airport bathroom stalls, the thought of a semi-homemade partner may not sit well with the voters. Oh, I don’t expect him to tell people from my neck of the woods about gingham dresses either, for what it’s worth Ed Koch. Yes, I ran into Gov. Carey at 4:00 in the morning running down the back steps of the Capitol after the Speaker rang the gavel and announced that year’s session closed, so I’ve been around a while.
Cheers, in the spirit of good cooking and interesting politics, Dee
Cooking with Dee 
I was running down the Capitol steps, not Gov. Hugh Carey. He was en route to greet the legislators, and I was home desperate after weeks of near round-the-clock work, for sleep.
We still used travel agents back then and I asked about a beach and she gave me couples resorts then told me I’d be uncomfortable there with my stack of unread books. She tried so hard to book me into a singles place that I stayed home and read my books there.