My Mother's Southern Entertaining

It's no big secret that I just love Southern entertaining and I love a boy who loves his mama! So it is no wonder I am drawn to this book. Opening My Mother's Southern Entertaining by James Villas and his mother, Martha Pearl Villas is like going home. She passes the southern purity test by not putting sugar in her cornbread.


There is nothing more quintessentially Southern than a congealed salad. Since today is the day before the Super Bowl, I thought I would give you a recipe from Miss Martha Pearl's Super Bowl Buffet.

Congealed Football Broccoli Mold

One 10-ounce package frozen broccoli, thawed
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup chicken stock or broth
2/3 cup mayonnaise (Miss Martha Pearl prefers Hellmann's)
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced onion
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
One 4-ounce jar whole pimentos cut into thin strips

Grease a medium-size oval mold and set aside.

Cook the broccoli according to package directions, drain, chop finely and set aside.

In a small saucepan, soften the gelatin in the water for about 5 minutes, then add the broth and stir over low heat until the gelatin has dissolved completely.
pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, sou cream, lemon juice, onion and Worcestershire, and beat with an electric mixer till smooth. Chill the mixture till partially set, about 30 minutes, then fold in the broccoli and eggs. Scrape the mixture into the prepared mold, cover with plastic wrap and chill till firm, at least 2 hours
Unmold the oval onto a serving platter and use the pimento strips to simulate football laces. Keep chilled till ready to serve.

Ok, I haven't made a football oval since high school. Here in West Virginia I can't get NBC, which means NO Super Bowl even though our somewhat local team, the Pittsburgh Steelers are playing. But I wanted you to see just what a masterpiece this could be on your Super Bowl table, so here is a picture of Miss Martha Pearl's. Be a dear and help your mama make one this Sunday!