Dish towels can double as napkins
Dear Heloise: Every holiday, I have a lot of relatives over for a sit-down dinner. It’s not uncommon to see 10 or 12 relatives at the main table and nearly as many at a children’s table. This always meant two large table- cloths and many napkins to wash. Yes, I could use paper napkins, but still, we went through a huge number of those, too.
Finally, I discovered colorful cloth dish towels (that look like thin place mats) and decided to use those instead of regular napkins. Being so large, they served well, and we didn’t have to use ecologically wasteful paper napkins. — Kim D., Yonkers, New York
Vinaigrette pasta salad
Dear Heloise: About two years ago, I made your Vinai- grette Pasta Salad at a family dinner, and my relatives have mentioned it several times since. They loved it, but no one more than my father- in-law. He absolutely raved about how tasty he thought it was. I’ve misplaced the recipe, but would love to make it for him when we have him over for dinner in a few weeks to celebrate his 80th birthday. Would you reprint that recipe for me? — Barbara M., Titusville, Pennsylvania
Barbara, the Vinaigrette Pasta Salad is one of those recipes that can be enjoyed all year. I’ve always loved the taste, too, so here it is: ½ cup distilled white vinegar
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup lemon pepper 1 teaspoon fresh dill (or ½ teaspoon of dried dill) Combine all ingredients in a small bowl or jar, mixing vigorously. This makes 1 cup. Set aside to use shortly. The rest of the ingredients follow: 1 pound fettuccini, cooked, drained, cooled
6 ounces sliced salami, cut
into ¼-inch strips 6 ounces sliced cooked ham, cut into ¼-inch strips
6 ounces thinly sliced fresh spinach (romaine or escarole)
⅓ cup grated parmesan cheese
Combine all ingredients except vinaigrette in a large bowl. Pour vinaigrette over pasta; toss until well-coated. Makes 8 servings.
If you really enjoy a tasty treat or something that will wake up your taste buds, then you’ll love my pamphlet “Heloise’s Fantabulous Vine- gar Hints and More.” To get a copy, just go to www.Helo- ise.com or send $5 along with a stamped, self-addressed, long envelope to: Heloise/ Vinegar, P.O. Box 795001, San Antonio, TX 78279-5001.
Make your meals memo- rable with one of my reci- pes! —