Date Nights With My Parents
I am what was considered "a late in life child". My parents were in in their late 30s when I came into the picture and back in the early 70s that was way past the point of bringing a baby home. So I went out with them, a lot. I have been told I spent many a Saturday night perched at the table with them at the Elite or at the Sahara, and was nestled on beds of coats at cocktail parties. My mother recently told my two children that once, when I was about 4, someone asked me if I had enjoyed my aunt's party the night before to which I replied, " I was not invited and I am furious."
I remember the nights at the Sahara. We always sat in the booth underneath Fob James' portrait; they had the Alabama Governors' portraits lining the walls. I ate pizza or spaghetti, always a cup of gumbo, and dipped my Melba toast into my Co'cola. My parents would order exotic things like salad with thousand island dressing, shrimp Athenian or a crab meat omelet, always with a cup of gumbo.
When we moved to Greenville, Alabama, the restaurants were limited; very limited. So, our date nights were usually spent at the Greenville Country Club. They had great cheeseburgers that tasted even better when eaten by the pool. But on those Saturday nights, we ate in the dinning room and since I was now a big first-grader, I could go to the salad bar all by myself. The salad bar was a 6-foot banquet table covered in a table cloth; the iceberg lettuce, shaved carrots, thinly sliced radishes and cucumbers, diced cheese and tomatoes placed in individual bowls with table spoons from which to serve. The dressings at the end with the most exotic topping of all, Bac-Os. I was fascinated by Bac-Os. They smelled just like bacon, but something told me that they weren't really bacon. I would douse my custom made salad with thousand island dressing and top it generously with this strange condiment.
I made a salad recently that called for Bac-Os. I have to admit that, now, Bac-Os are not a regular part of my pantry. When I opened the package, the smell took me back to that 6-foot table salad bar and date nights with my parents.
Broccoli Salad
1 bunch fresh broccoli, cut to bite size pieces
2 - 3 shallots sliced fine
Craisans
Bac-Os
Toasted pecans (spread out on a plate and about 30 seconds in the micro)
Mix the first four ingredients together, amounts can be adjusted to your liking.
Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
whisk these ingredients together until sugar dissolves.
Toss salad with dressing about 30 minutes before serving. Add pecans just before serving
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| Neighborhood party. I am on the far left, my parents in the middle. |
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| I took this picture, and several more that day. My dad looks tired of my game! |
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| I was part of the party! |
I remember the nights at the Sahara. We always sat in the booth underneath Fob James' portrait; they had the Alabama Governors' portraits lining the walls. I ate pizza or spaghetti, always a cup of gumbo, and dipped my Melba toast into my Co'cola. My parents would order exotic things like salad with thousand island dressing, shrimp Athenian or a crab meat omelet, always with a cup of gumbo.
When we moved to Greenville, Alabama, the restaurants were limited; very limited. So, our date nights were usually spent at the Greenville Country Club. They had great cheeseburgers that tasted even better when eaten by the pool. But on those Saturday nights, we ate in the dinning room and since I was now a big first-grader, I could go to the salad bar all by myself. The salad bar was a 6-foot banquet table covered in a table cloth; the iceberg lettuce, shaved carrots, thinly sliced radishes and cucumbers, diced cheese and tomatoes placed in individual bowls with table spoons from which to serve. The dressings at the end with the most exotic topping of all, Bac-Os. I was fascinated by Bac-Os. They smelled just like bacon, but something told me that they weren't really bacon. I would douse my custom made salad with thousand island dressing and top it generously with this strange condiment.
I made a salad recently that called for Bac-Os. I have to admit that, now, Bac-Os are not a regular part of my pantry. When I opened the package, the smell took me back to that 6-foot table salad bar and date nights with my parents.
Broccoli Salad
1 bunch fresh broccoli, cut to bite size pieces
2 - 3 shallots sliced fine
Craisans
Bac-Os
Toasted pecans (spread out on a plate and about 30 seconds in the micro)
Mix the first four ingredients together, amounts can be adjusted to your liking.
Dressing
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
whisk these ingredients together until sugar dissolves.
Toss salad with dressing about 30 minutes before serving. Add pecans just before serving
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