Specialties of the House: Recipes for Busy People on the Go!
By Sandy Freedman
Seaside Publishing/$14.95
Even if you've been around long enough to remember life before Dick Greco, you might not recognize former Tampa Mayor Sandy Freedman on the cover of her new cookbook. To those who didn't know her personally, she was a stern if competent mayor, somewhat impatient and sharp. She wasn't the kind of woman you would picture wearing an apron. So I was startled to find the Softer Side of Sandy — looking all warm and fuzzy — on the cover of a cookbook. In the photos, she's smiling, virtually beaming over a veritable cornucopia of fruits, vegetables and herbs. Given the title of the book and her somewhat dour public persona, I frankly wasn't expecting much in the way of tempting taste treats when I opened the book. Maybe casseroles made with canned cream of mushroom soup and mushy string beans.
But the recipes in Specialties of the House show a surprising culinary finesse and gusto. Most feature fresh, quality ingredients and a variety of textures and flavors that yield imaginative meals of simple elegance. Freedman's apple-arugula salad, for example, sets the pungent green leaf against the tart, sweet crunch of apple and toasted pecans, dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice and finished with a good imported Parmesan cheese. Her roasted tomato sandwich on baguette is bistro worthy. Party dishes and serving suggestions reveal a flair for entertaining and a true appreciation of food prepared to nourish the epicurean eye and discriminating palate. And, best of all, most of these recipes are fairly simple and virtually foolproof. Even a novice cook could impress, entertain and possibly seduce anyone from Billy Bob Thornton to the Duchess of York with this cookbook. I'm making Sandy's snapper Provencale for my next dinner party.
—Susan Edwards
This article appears in Feb 13-19, 2002.