httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs2wDEntEbc
There won’t be a Desserts are Fun episode this month as I am working on something exciting (at least it is in my mind). Stay tuned for more details. Desserts are Fun will be back soon.
I love Waldorf salad. My first time eating it was at Helenka’s when she gave a dinner party for four at her place (I think it was a birthday party several years ago). I was so taken aback by this salad that I just had to recreate it (it just took me a few years). The freshness of the fruit and nuts along with the mayonnaise dressing made it such a joy to eat.
The version I’m using was modified (of course) from a recipe I found.
Stay Warm!
Enjoy B&H =:)
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Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil mayonnaise
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 Fuji apples — peeled, cored, and chopped
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sugar, lemon juice and salt.
2. Stir in the apples, celery, walnuts, grapes and raisins. Chill until ready to serve.
Helenka’s Notes:
I believe I may have already mentioned that one of the spectacular parties I’ve hosted (and the one to which Brian alluded above where he had his Waldorf christening) was this one, held in March of 2007. I called it “Honouring Titans” (as I’d cast the four of us as real life heroes from the Titanic). And, yes, I definitely was Margaret (not Molly) Brown. For my source cookbooks, I used Last Dinner on the Titanic, Dinner at Buckingham Palace as well as Paul Burrell’s book, In the Royal Manner, on Royal entertaining. [Right … as if I were ever going to be preparing a casual luncheon for 300!]
I also pored through my all-time favourite and eminently reliable source of recipes, namely The Joy of Cooking which is where my recipe originated. The guest of honour had always wanted to eat certain dishes and I did my best to fulfill that request, even though I’d never made any of them before in my life (okay, with the exception of asparagus)! You know how traditional advice says to never present dishes at a party that you’ve never made before? Ha! That’s never deterred me from venturing forth full of confidence. Though, now that I think of it, I believe I reduced the cubed bacon for the roast sirlion sauce down to nothing (hey, I didn’t know I could do that) and even burned my wooden fork; so it’s a good thing I had extra bacon and could start all over. Whee! Isn’t live cooking exhillirating?
This is the final menu I served:
Mushroom and Cheese Puffs,
accompanied by a sparkling rosé wine;
Mary Tudor Aspic (tomato aspic, flavoured as a Bloody Mary);
Waldorf Salad;
Vichyssoise;
Roast Sirloin with Sauce Forestière (lots of wild mushrooms),
Fresh Asparagus with a Lemon and Herb Sauce,
accompanied by a Merlot Cabernet;
A pink frosted chocolate cake decorated with maraschino cherries and pink pig sprinkles; the cake was doctored up with rum, walnuts, chocolate chips and the maraschino cherry liqueur, accompanied by a titch of Grand Marnier.
One of our guests made the soup, Brian made the cake and I made everything else (!!!) with the exception of the appetizer which was courtesy of President’s Choice. I was very proud of pulling off such a grand party. The only regret was that I decided at the last moment to drop Yorkshire Pudding off the menu. Just too few arms, too many ouchies and not enough time. Isn’t that usually a fact of life?
Anyway, I’m sure you can guess what my first comment will be about this dish. Yep, what did I know from Waldorf Salad (despite my frequent visits to NYC in the past), considering my Polish background. So I was really surprised to see how quick and easy it was to make (taking into account how long some of the other dishes needed). Combine celery, apples, walnuts and grapes, glomp together with mayonnaise … and I’m done? Really? So I was both impressed and happy to know that I could include a dish that was prepared in advance. And tasted yummy. And is so refreshing to anticipate eating on a sweltering day. So I’m thrilled that Brian remembered it over three and a half years later and wanted to make his own!
Variations:
The recipe on which Brian based his salad contained raisins, while mine had grapes; so we had both. And my taste-buds danced from the inclusion of lemon juice, salt and sugar (or, in this case, Splenda). Brian’s recipe already gave suggestions for other substitutions (cranberries or craisins in place of grapes) and the addition of rotisserie chicken to make the dish more substantial (as an entrée rather than side dish). I piped in with my usual cold roast beef option. And, just now, I thought of using cold shrimp (perhaps broiled first with lime juice and black pepper). I always like the idea of serving a non-leafy salad on a large leaf of contrasting colour (such as boston or radicchio) and think it would be unique presented as an appetizer stuffed into endive leaves.
Even though this dish has a revered origin, there is no disrespect in making changes and trying out new combinations (as long as the core ingredients remain as the foundation). So I hope you will use our recipe as the template for your own unique creations. It’s so much fun!