The Villette Society

Hijacked from the Falcon's nest

The Kaiser — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:05:00 GMT

    When the Falcon speaks, we listen.

    Um....sometimes.

    So after she recommended "Appassionata" last month and after she chose next month's book, too, (how on earth did that happen???) maybe it's time to go public with some of Falcon's other great ideas.

    She forwarded these reading suggestions to the Villettes recently from the National Reading Group Month's Great Group Reads. Sponsored, it looks like, by the Women's National Book Association, they picked the following:

Appassionata by Eva OK, fine, we're done with this one.

They also thought people should take a gander at:

The Unit by Ninni
The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë by Syrie James - Hm! Villettes like Bronte!
The Fortune Street by Margot Livesey
Perfection: A Memoir of Betrayal and Renewal by Julie Metz
While I'm Falling by Laura Moriarty
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson - Is this guy a man? If so, nothing doing for a club meeting.
Cost by Roxana Robinson
Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie

    They say they picked 'em for their "potential to open up lively conversations about a host of timely and provocative topics, from the intimate dynamics of family and personal relationships to major cultural and world issues."

    Whew. What a mouthful.

    Well, judging from the hoo-haw over "Appassionata" during Frenchie's delicious lambchops at Sunday's night's meeting, some of these could be worth a look.

Off the dusty shelf or "vom staubigen Regal"

The Kaiser — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:15:00 GMT

    How wierd to see the German perspective in a vintage Kaiserly romance novel "Geliebte Petruschka" by Lotte Gummert.

    Don't bother trying to find a copy - I'm sure this is the only waterstained, moth-eaten hardback by this author to survive the '50s. But Kaiser is happy to lend any Deutsch-speakers her entertaining volume in which Americans are portrayed as chubby sausage-manufacturers with silly, irresponsible, spoiled wives who leave their jewelry cases open and un-guarded on transatlantic voyages to Europe.

    The heroine? A tall, thin, very organized and efficient (of course) German ex-pat working as the sausage mogul's au pair. She finds out after she wins $10,000 on a TV quiz show and after she sets sail that she has another, "real" name, that her parents aren't her parents and that she might be minor royalty.

    Ooooohhh, can't wait for the ship to reach das Mutterland......

A passionata for drink

The Kaiser — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 21:59:00 GMT
    So, forgive me, if one of my favorite lines in this novel about:

    the value of classical music in contemporary society
    terrorism
    marriage
    the consequences of sleepovers with dark, swarthy, mysterious strangers

is this, four pages from the predictable and lame conclusion: "Wine is extremely important in times of decline."

    Can't wait for Sunday's book ~~bashing~~ chat.

Distractions

Jersey — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:00 GMT
Let's be honest here. Belonging to a book club comes with very few rules and responsibilities. Numero uno: READ THE DAMN BOOK.

Everyone knows that dutiful members begin next month's book the day after last month's meeting. (Unless they're too hungover.)

They make notes in the margins as they read, conduct an obligatory Google search on the author and arrive at meetings with their ~~wine bottles~~ well-thumbed copies in hand, ready for ~~dinner~~ a spirited discussion.

Sad to say, every book club has a slacker. Or two. (It's in the bylaws, look it up.) These clowns are the "readers" who get the new book, study the cover, read the first page, frown and go read something else.

Something like Greg Iles' "The Devil's Punchbowl." Not only is it not a Villette selection. It's 580 pages long and it's written by - gasp - a MAN. Still, Jersey will tell you this page-turner has everything: Murder, torture, river boat gambling, dog fighting, tenacious journalists, honest and corrupt politicians, tarts with hearts and pit bulls.

Best of all, Iles (born in Germany, like the Kaiser) does what good authors do: turns the setting of his story into a major character in the book.

Hello, Natchez.

Did you know that in 1840 Natchez, Mississippi "had more millionaires per capita than any city in America"? Did you know it survived the Civil War "intact" which means the place is loaded with antebellum mansions that were never sacked or burned by marauding Yankees? Did you know the Mississippi River is a mile wide in Natchez? Yep, Jersey is going there in December to see for herself. And yes, she'll take pictures.



The best part of this particular mystery? It was a gift from Jersey Junior who managed to snag a signed copy (thanks Square Books!) and then she took the time to inscribe it herself.

Is there anything better than an inscription in a hardback book? It's a sure sign that the person who gave it to you knows you well. She knows what you've read and haven't read. What you'll enjoy and what you won't. And she knows she's given you a book that will never, ever find it's way to a used book store.

But back to the rights and responsibilities of book club members...Once the punchbowl was empty surely it was time to pick up "Appassionata," right?

Not so quick.

You see, for months an enticing novel a neighbor dropped off - you'll love it - has been sitting on the nightstand, begging to be read.

Hence, "The Help" has been occupying Jersey's spare time all week.

This memorable first novel is set in Jackson Mississippi (yes, a trend here) in the mid-1960s. It's the story of an unlikely relationship - not a friendship, exactly - between a young college-educated white woman and two black maids, set against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement.

Would the Villettes like it? Who knows. This one did.

With just three days till the monthly gathering, time to tackle (speaking of tackles, college football is something else that interferes with autumn reading) "Appassionata" and the kind of brainy, slightly mind-numbing literature that the smarter members push on the dumber one from time to time.

Featuring sentences such as this:

Passages from a Bach Partita peregrinate through her mind, steady and ceremonious.

Peregrinate? Please.

Wethinks Ms. Hoffman is showing off. But what do we know, we're still on page 11.

It gets better. Right? Right?

Mystery solved

Jersey — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 10:00:00 GMT
Well, this is embarrassing.

Remember back in June when Jersey was frantically looking for a book she'd read years before that was set in Mobile, Alabama around the time of a Jubilee?

She was desperate to find the novel for two reasons.

1) She really liked it.

2) Jersey Junior's Cute Alabama Boyfriend had arrived and Jersey wanted to share the book with the college kids.

She remembered a few key things about this particular novel.

She knew it was written by a woman and that her copy was waterlogged because she'd left it outside on an Adirondack chair during a freak - or was it freaking - summer storm. She also remembered loaning it to another Villette who NEVER BOTHERED TO RETURN IT.

Ahem.

So, imagine Jersey's surprise when, in the course of cleaning JJ's room, something caught her eye. Over there, in the bookcase.

Yep. It was THE book. And oh look, it does not have "Jubilee" anywhere in the title.

But it is, indeed, waterlogged.

Jersey's going to reread it and if "This One and Magic Life" is as compelling as she remembers, she'll recommend it.

And, as penance for accusing her pals of stealing her book, she will offer to loan her long-lost personal copy to anyone who wants it. Although, considering its condition, who'd really want to touch it?

So, she may just tuck it in her suitcase next weekend when she heads to Oxford to see JJ and JJCAB at the Ole Miss-Alabama football game. Hey, they're in college. They're used to handling items that are saturated.

PS If there is a stupid-Ray-Ban-Wearing emoticom in the text, don't blame me. It arrived unsummoned and keeps coming back no matter what I do to lose it.

Kaiser Siegt!

The Kaiser — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:33:00 GMT

    After ~~brashly~~ carefully selecting a novel from her mother's bookshelves, Kaiser is happy to report that after ~~weeks and weeks~~ a brief interval, she has ~~finally, mein gott!~~ handily finished her return visit to "Die Muschelsucher."

    Thank goodness, every step of the way she ~~faintly recalled~~ again enjoyed the story.

    In addition, she must admit - and Kaiser rarely admits anything - that rereading Rosamunde Pilcher's 700-page saga in translation gave her native vocabularly a swift kick in the Hosen.

Meet the Villettes: Jersey

The Falcon — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:46:00 GMT
Finally, the profile everyone has been waiting for -- our last installment of Meet the Villettes: Jersey. As is often the case, the best has been saved for last. Also, since Jersey is our only blogger (with the exception of Kaiser), we couldn't help it. And we couldn't expect her to write her own profile, now could we? Jersey would be much too modest about her many accomplishments. So we just had to bite the bullet and ~~get off our rears~~ stop reading long enough to do Jersey justice.

Wait, you say that's not Jersey but ace reporter Katherine Hepburn in "Woman of the Year"?

Same thing. Only Jersey is cuter, her quill sharper, and her newspaper columns more popular. She even gets fan mail from around the world.

As insightful readers may have guessed, Jersey is from well...Jersey. But not just any part. The nitty-gritty part. Trenton. The town that makes what the world takes ... as Jersey is fond of reminding us. That's what makes her such a tough reporter. That and the disgusting Taylor Pork Roll she keeps threatening us with.

Her newspaper column makes local mayors and city councils quake in their ~~filp-flops~~ boots. And keeps them honest. And has brought justice to many (especially when the Dancing Bears -- as she is so fondly refers to our elected leaders -- keep their heads in the sand).

Did I also mention that Jersey honed her formidable newspaper skills at a big-time Washington newspaper? And that she spent a couple of years writing for the Irish Press (in Dublin, no less)? During "The Troubles." She even risked her life associating with wanted IRA members -- all in the line of duty.

But, deep down inside our tough reporter is an elegant, sensitive soul who can do it all: manage deadlines; take loving care of two smart children (both in college), a "judgmental" husband (it's his livelihood) and 3 poodles (obviously restraint is not one of her virtues); and exercise like a demon (did I tell you she's getting ready to run a marathon?!). Not to mention host fabulous book club meetings with yummy food, a beautiful table, great wine (not that we care about wine), and riveting conversation. OK, so she does use the occasional Reddi Whip -- but she's from Trenton, so whaddya expect?

And about her husband. He's a model book club spouse: he grills, cleans, serves wine, and actually reads books (just not ours).

The Villettes count on Jersey to keep us honest. No sneaking in any male authors on her watch. Or trying to skip a month. Or, heaven forbid, avoiding a cookie exchange around the holidays. We wouldn't dream of any of those things with Jersey around.

Pretty formidable, isn't she? But what do you expect? She's a Villette.

Whipped Cream: A Lesson

Jersey — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:00:00 GMT
A troubling thing happened at last week's meeting.

It was such a monumentally disturbing development that it took Jersey an entire week to wrap her head around it. (Or she was too dang busy to write until today, take your pick.)

The incident occurred after she cleared the dinner plates and swept the remnants of the incinerated chicken into the trash, while the other Villettes were ~~swilling wine~~ discussing "The Little Stranger" in the dining room.

The ever-helpful Falcon appeared in the kitchen.

"What can I do?" she chirped as Jersey began to slice a key lime pie, which was not as bad as the blackened chicken.

"Whipped cream!" a grateful Jersey replied, tossing Falcon a can of topping.

The Falcon froze. Smiled weakly. Held the can with two fingers like it was a cold, dead rodent.

"How does this thing work?" she finally asked.

"You've never used canned cream?" Jersey screamed.

"Never," she confessed.

Friends, we are left to ponder the Falcon's childhood. Sure, she had Central Park at her doorstep and a wonderful close-knit family, but think about it: She never once experienced the clandestine thrill of opening the refrigerator door when her mother wasn't looking, basking in that blast of cold air and then shooting Reddi Whip directly into her mouth.

Poor, poor Falcon.

And apparently, until last week, this cosmopolitan woman had not knowingly ingested mono and diglycerides, carrageenan, high-fructose corn syrup or vanilla flavoring. Worse, she hadn't shivered over the naughty excitement that comes with using nitrous oxide as a whipping propellant.

The Falcon actually thought whipped cream was something you MADE BY HAND.

To spare others the same embarrassment the Falcon experienced in Jersey's Shortcut Kitchen, we've prepared a pictorial lesson. Followed carefully, it could prevent serious canned cream accidents and humiliating situations at fancy dinner parties where hostesses serve whipped cream. From a can.

First, look for a red lid and a can that somewhere, in the teeniest print, mentions "Real Cream."

Shake it, baby.

Next, remove the cap. And do not look at what passes for a manicure on our hand model.

IMPORTANT STEP: Invert the can, placing your pointer finger on the nozzle of scrumptiousness.

Press. Squirt. Eat.

Whipped cream makes everything delish. Even tomatoes.

Next time: Better living through Velveeta.

Road-weary ears

The Kaiser — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 00:25:00 GMT
    Last weekend Kaiser took a wind-swept drive to the barbecue-rich South.

    She watched the bird-laden sky above the traffic-heavy highway while listening to plot-poor "Off Season" by Ann Rivers Siddons, an event-free, boredom-inducing, compound adjective-rich read.

    How ever, she wondered dully, as the narrative-heavy tome went on and on and on, did this make it into a CD-laden book on tape?

Summer Nights

Jersey — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT
You visit some people's homes - Jersey's for instance - and wonder why anyone would want Owen Wilson as their decorator.

You enter others and marvel at the artistry.

"It's like a still life," gasped the Kaiser, as six Villettes - Frenchie was doing that Grecian thing - settled into the Captain's quarters.

This sort of Flemish setting BEGS for a high-minded literary discusssion, no?

Proof, that even when the host hasn't read the book she can still set the mood.

The conversation? Tepid. There was a general concensus that the Potato Peel novel was interesting. Red, Falcon, Kaiser and The Cajun get a shout out for at least reading it. They liked it. They seemed to learn a bit about geography. They agreed that the ending was "predictable."

Meanwhile, the Captain and Jersey busied themselves with finger food hoping no one would notice that they had nothing to say.

With the obligatory book chat behind them, the Villettes were able to turn their attention to their real love. Wine. Sangria. And food.

Wait. Let's pause for a moment to admire this very Southern centerpiece.

Lemony magnolias. Those of us who unfortunately grew up north of the Mason-Dixon line can't get enough of these June blooms.

First course? A refreshing salad made with beans and lemon and cilantro. Odd, though, when the Captain was asked for her recipe, she smiled mysteriously.

Dessert? You have to ask?

This one was provided by Red and topped with a scoop of coconut ice cream. If you do a little geometry you can visualize the six missing slices.

It's a fact that the Villettes insist on dessert, eat every speck and sometimes beg for seconds.

And yet they all have great legs.

Say hello to the Falcon's...

Proof that life isn't fair.

A Taste of Trenton

Jersey — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT
Whaaa? You were expecting an account of last night's book club meeting?

Hey, those meeting updates can't be rushed. All those action-packed photos to ~~develop~~ upload. The prose that must be composed to perfectly capture the lofty literary discussion that transpired.

Mouthwatering descriptions of the food. The wine. The sangria.

Hangover? Who said anything about a hangover?

OK, feeling a little fuzzy this Friday. So the much-anticipated meeting update will appear Monday.

In the meantime, we offer a tantalizing preview of the victuals awaiting Villettes who make it to next month's book club:

Meet Taylor Pork Roll. The pride of Trenton.

It may not look like much in it's raw, virgin state. But cut into thick slices, tossed on the grill, topped with melted cheese and served on a bun...

Delish.

Jon Bon Jovi reportedly demands it at his concerts. Frank Sinatra must have sampled it. No doubt Bruce Springsteen has consumed tons of the delicacy.

A prediction: By the end of July, the Villettes will be fans.

Another Book We Won't Be Reading

Jersey — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:24:00 GMT
It's a new book.

Written by a woman.

With a sassy, if somewhat windy, title.

Question is, will the Villettes pick it as their next month's book?

Not a chance. No matter how much wine is quaffed tonight.



This tome proves - if proof was needed - that absolutely ANYONE can get a book published. Even if they're famous only for being shot in the face by their husband's teenaged lover AND THEN TAKING THE LOSER BACK.

Yup, meet Mary Jo Buttafuoco, author.

You remember the Long Island Lolita? Well, the wife in that sordid saga has penned her memoir, lovingly entitled: Getting It Through My Thick Skull: Why I stayed, What I Learned. And What Millions of People Involved with Sociopaths Need To Know.

Whaddya say we wait till it turns up in Border's $5 table? We're guessing sometime in August...

Reading on Deadline

The Kaiser — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 12:05:00 GMT
    Eleven hours until the monthly ~~pig out~~ book discussion.

    Having found Susie and promptly lost her, having "Return(ed) to Sullivans Island" only to read bad writing and pap there, the Kaiser will now throw herself onto the stationary bike and hope to finish her potato harvest in 274 pages, 12 miles, or less.

    Cliff Notes, anyone?

Books We Won't Be Reading...

Jersey — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

What is it with celebs and children's books?

Seems like every famous and semi-famous person in the world - from Sarah Ferguson to Dionne Warwick to Henry Winkler - has churned out a kids' book. (Click the link for a list.)

Now retired ~~Supreme Court Justice~~ Cowgirl Sandra Day O'Connor (hey, that's how she describes herself) has joined the club. This is her second effort - she penned another piece of kiddie lit a few years ago.

To be fair, O'Connor DID lead an interesting life even before she was appointed to the Court - and not because she married a royal, knew the way to San Jose or played The Fonz on Happy Days.

Not sure what "Finding Susie" is all about other than a Western childhood. We know one thing: it will get the Kaiser's juices going. She's probably read the galleys already.

Meanwhile, some of us are still slogging our way through "Up To Our High Heels in Potato Peels" or whatever this month's offering is called...two more days.

Three Days...

Jersey — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT



Notice anything unusual about this particular copy of "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"?

Nothing gets by you. Yep, this is a pristine, unread edition. The cover is slightly bent, to aid in balance only.

Unfortunately, this also happens to be Jersey's untouched copy. She's taken it to the beach a couple of times, but was embarrassed to be seen reading it. (This, on a stretch of sand where every other sun-baked person seemed to be reading a Nicholas Sparks novel or People.)

She planned to tackle this cutesy piece of chick lit last weekend, during a 10-hour road trip to Greensboro, but Annandale Man ruptured three discs in his back and couldn't drive.

So it was John Grisham, redux.

Three days to go. Question is, will she read it?

Jubilee Mystery

Jersey — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT


There are darned few advantages to newspaper work these days.

Job security? Gone.

Pay raises? Please.

Expense accounts and travel to exotic locations? You're kidding, right?

But one little perk remains: The book corner.

It's where the features editor stacks the new books that publishers send in, hoping to get a favorable review.

Every newspaper in the world has such a pile and the rules are universal: Free books. First come, first served.

You didn't think Jersey PAID for that "Southern Belly" restaurant guide, did you?

Every time Jersey passes the table she scans it for books by, well, women. She dreams of someday suggesting a novel that doesn't cause the rest of the Villettes to engage in a group eye roll.

Hey, "Lives of the Monster Dogs" was ages ago. Forgive and forget guys.


Well, a couple of years back, Jersey found a book set in Mobile, Alabama. It was a magical story that centered around something called a "jubilee." It's a moon-or-tide related natural event that causes millions of silvery fish and crabs to beach themselves in the middle of the night.

Apparently Mobilians can't predict a jubilee, but when one happens word spreads and coastal dwellers rush out into the moonlight to watch the shimmering seafood on the sand.




(This is a jubilee photo from NOAA. Not quite as romantic as Jersey pictured it from the novel. And what's that slimy translucent thing in the front...an eel?)

Jersey distinctly remembers loaning this waterlogged novel (she left it outside on an Adirondack chair during a freak summer storm, don't judge) to another Villette. That person didn't much like it. But didn't return it either.

Suddenly, with Jersey Junior's cute Alabama boyfriend living in the guest room, Jersey has a desire to reread the novel and to share it with the kids.

She'd happily buy another copy if she could only remember the title. Alas, she can't. And a hundred different Google searches have failed to reveal it.

Very frustrating.

Soooo. If you have this book on your shelf, please toss it on Jersey's porch in the dark of night. No questions asked.

Or if you remember the title, do tell!

Did Jersey mention that there's a generous reward for the identity of this novel?

Well, there is.

Secret Vice

The Kaiser — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:56:00 GMT
    So Jersey, who is nosy beyond belief, had the nerve to ask the Kaiser what she was a reading. And Kaiser, put on the spot, instantly confessed:

    A children's book. Well, middle grade novel, to be exact.

    Jersey was, for once, quite speechless.




    Kaiser has no idea why kids' books are appealing.

     But every now and then she reaches for one to enjoy a sort of commercial break in her busy life.

    They're short, sweet, and require almost no thinking. This one was the last in a cute series by British author Hilary McKay.

    Kaiser would love to shorten the hunt for this adorable series about the Casson family for you but is forbidden by the tyrannical Jersey from doing so....children's titles are not to be mentioned here.

    So Kaiser will not.

    Don't wait for a picture of it either. Kaiser, remember, does not know how to post pictures on the blog so is ever at Jersey's mercy. No telling what Jersey would do. So Kaiser won't ask.

    Sigh. On to the Potato Eaters, or Peelers, or Mashers....

Potato Peels? Please.

Jersey — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

First of all, apologies for this truly inferior piece of book art. It came from Amazon - hey, we're Amazon Associates, they won't mind - which means it includes that dopey "Look Inside!" label.

A dedicated book blogger would take her dog-eared copy to her in-home studio and shoot an original photo in just the right light.

Dedication is overrated.

But why write about this month's book BEFORE a meeting? Shoot, before some of us - ahem - have read even 10 pages?

Just wanted to get it on the record that "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" starts out with multiple strikes against it.

First, there's the cutesy title. C'mon, admit it, this one SCREAMS "chick book."

Second, there are two authors. One is usually enough. I mean, Jane Austen didn't need help. Neither did Dickens. (Yeah, yeah, one of these two died. Look, sometimes works were MEANT to be unfinished.)

Third, it's another gimmicky offering. It looks like the entire book is an exchange of letters.
Hey, wasn't that DONE with those silly "Griffin and Sabine" books back in the '80s?

Didn't Helen Hanff write "84 Charing Cross Road?" in 1970 in the same style?

Was the world really crying out for another correspondence novel?

Just asking.

That said, Jersey's trying to keep her mind open as she reluctantly soldiers on.

Still, don't you wonder if this novel wasn't written with the lucrative women's book club market in mind?

Almost Heaven...

Jersey — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Eight hours out. Eight hours back.

So how was your weekend?

Yep, Jersey and her college-bound son headed to the farthest reaches of West Virginia Saturday, where her ~~baby~~ man-child is getting a head start on his freshman year.

Seems like it's only been a week or two since he graduated from high school. One of the perks of going to a boarding school? Traditions. Like the one where every grad gets a cigar.

To protect Jersey's kid's privacy, we'll make no mention of the name of his new school, other than to say he's now part of the Thundering Herd.

And that Jersey was feeling warm all over just thinking about Matthew McConnaughy as she drove through the mountainy terrain.

The good thing about having mature offspring is that they can share the driving.

The bad part is that no matter who's at the wheel, it's damned tough to take a decent picture through a bug-encrusted windshield.

Has Jersey's kid inherited the family's lead foot? Could be. That welcome sign blew by pretty quick.

The best part of having a son at the "We Are ...." school is that close friends live on a nearby mountaintop. A free place to stay with a million dollar view!

They don't know it, but if they invited Jersey to move into their little guest house, she'd be there in a West Virginia minute.

This is where she'd spend every single second:

Or maybe in one of the rockers on the front porch. With this view.

Almost heaven? Nah. This IS heaven.

On Sunday, Jersey and her kid ran back and forth to Wal-Mart buying things like pillows and fans and a ~~beer~~ soda fridge. They watched, bemused, as the kids who had not already spent four years away from home clung to their mommies and daddies.

Jersey's kid was all, "See ya, Shorty," when it was time to say goodbye.

Last she saw, he was crossing the street - not looking back - on his cell phone with an upperclassmen who'd gone to his school. They were about to go to the older guy's apartment to "chill."

Jersey didn't want to know...

Which left her with eight long hours alone in her husband's fancy-pants car.

Was it depressing?

Not at all. Look who was riding shotgun:

Yep, it's studly novelist John Grisham. (This is NOT the fancy-pants sedan. Grisham-on-the-seat has been recreated for artistic purposes in Jersey's European clown car.)

Back to John Grisham. He's enough to make Jersey question the Villette's women-authors-only rule.

"The Summons"? Grish at his best.

Jury's still out on "The Brethren." (Five more CDs to go. Road trip, anyone?)

The Dressing Revealed

The Kaiser — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 20:15:00 GMT
    Ok, so the Captain requires the Creamy Citrus Dressing (wonder who, whom she's entertaining????) that goes on the aforementioned Very Very Green Salad that was - may we say it? - such a huge hit at the Kaiser's.

    Dear readers, here it is:

    Creamy Citrus Dressing

1 cup mayo (Yes, real mayonnaise. Get over it!)
1/2 cup orange juice (I used ready made but am sure that fresh squeezed would be exceptional!)
2 tsp honey
1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt (i used plain yogurt to keep the Villettes lean)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar (yes, bought a whole bottle just for this! But you can use any other white vinegar, too))
1 tsp dry mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley (this is always so puzzling to Kaiser...but measure the parsley BEFORE chopping)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine, mix well, and season to taste. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. If dressing is made more than a few hours ahead, add green onions and parsely just before serving.

Makes 2 cups (Use all of it on one Very Very Green Salad) (From "Best Summer Weekends Cookbook" by Jane Rodmell, Cottage Life Books, 2004)

Bon appetit!