Ann Romney’s Fluff-loving, down-home persona in new cookbook

Ann Romney, wife of former presidential candidate Mitt Romney, was known on her husband’s campaign trail as a woman of rather refined tastes, but the former would-be first lady touts a rather down-home palate in her new cookbook, “The Romney Family Table: Sharing Home-Cooked Recipes and Family Traditions.”

Romney appeared on USA Today’s “Capital Download” to talk about her book, which was released Monday, and her family’s favorite comfort food, Fluff.

“You haven’t had it have you?” Romney asked host Susan Page. “Well you haven’t lived.”

Romney says she helps make Fluff marshmallow cream-and-peanut butter sandwiches for her grandchildren (she now has 24), once a year when they all vacation on a lake. The book is full of what Romney calls “not fancy” meals with items such as the Fluff sandwiches, soups and more, as well as some family decorating traditions.

“It’s embarrassing to even put them in a cookbook, I thought, because some are just tomato soup,” Romney said.

There are also dozens of pictures of the Romneys doing everything from eating spaghetti on paper plates to making crisped rice treats. There’s even a photo of a blue sweater-wearing Mitt frosting a cake.

The book was Romney’s son Josh’s idea, and she says she just thought “that sounds like a fun project, I’d love to do that.”

Romney also discussed why she made pancakes for her family the morning after her husband lost the 2012 election.

“It’s just comfort food for me,” she said. “I mean who doesn’t love pancakes?”

After all the talk of pancakes and comfort food, Romney did talk a little politics. She revealed it would take quite an event to get her husband to run for office again.

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