Rudy’s head, however, was not always so large.Photo Illustration: Everett Bogue; Photos: AFP/Getty Images (Giuliani), Hulton Archive/Getty Images (man sipping tea)
Yesterday’s post about the recent spate of folksy profiles about Rudy Giuliani in the media brought a response in the comments from a former Gracie Mansion chef, Linda Taylor. Taylor cooked during the Giuliani administration and now lives in San Francisco, but despite her location in a blue state, she remains a Giuliani fan, in no small part because, she says, he is folksy, although she refutes the AP’s portrait of him as basically a lumberjack in a suit. “I can assure you the Mayor never ate peanuts in their shells,” she said. “That was during the Dinkins tenure.” She went on to paint a picture of a kinder, gentler Giuliani:
The Mayor was a man of simple taste, but he could be pacified with a slice … He also liked to roam through the family fridge just as all folks do … By the way, this man was so docile at home, he always carried his plate into the kitchen and thanked whatever chef was on duty, with sincere compliments. He also made all of his Exec staff to bring their plates into the pantry for washing, which was pretty funny as these same people never lifted a finger when he wasn’t around … I saw him sit down at a tiny table to drinks tea and scones which I helped his young daughter Caroline and played basketball with Andrew in the ballroom.
Aw! Rudy, he’s just like us. But as we’ve said: People like us have no business running for president.
Related: Linda Taylor’s recipe for “Mafia Red Sauce” (seriously) [Italian Harvest newsletter]
