When I was twenty-two and had my own kitchen for the first time, I knew absolutely nothing about cooking. Nothing.

So…I bought my first cookbook–a used copy of the 1963 edition of The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook. The book’s provenance is interesting. The name Sugar Bardy is written on the first page but that name is scrawled over another now-illegible name. Apparently, I’m the third owner of the book. (I do worry about Sugar, though. Why would she give up such a great cookbook? Is there a dispiriting disaster-of-a-recipe lurking somewhere in the book? If you are reading this, Sugar, call me.)

I still have that first cookbook. It is tattered and stained now but is the Mother Book in my cookbook library. It anchors what has become a 600+ (and growing!) cookbook collection. I have two new cookbooks on order–New World Sourdough (I will conquer my fear of flatbreads!) and Mandy’s Gourmet Salads (I love big entree salads.).

Damn. Maybe I need an intervention.

As a young cook, one of the first things I made out of the Good Housekeeping book was “Best-Ever Macaroni Salad” (page 454). The recipe was a variation on the Good Housekeeping “Old-Fashioned Potato Salad” recipe on the same page. (My cooking goals were modest in the beginning, to say the least.) I still make the macaroni salad but I omit the cheddar, leave the celery in (I love celery!), and add black olives and pimento.

Then, my cooking life changed forever. I saw a young Wolfgang Puck cook.

I was in love. He was, believe it or not, appearing at a cheesy Home and Garden convention at the Anaheim Convention Center. He made Ile Flottante. Ile Flottante is a French dessert that features islands of meringue floating in a sea of creme anglaise. Who knew such things were even possible?

My cooking journey was launched!

While Wolf will always have a special place in my heart, my list of cooking idols has grown over the years. There was Jacques, Julia, Alice and Julie Sahni. Today, there is Yotam and Dorie and the two Davids (Tanis and Lebovitz). Oh, and Hetty McKinnon for her inspired salad books.

Today’s recipe is for a decidedly-uptown macaroni salad for cooks who want to go beyond the traditional Good Housekeeping-esque recipes.

I can’t help but think that both salads would look pretty cool on a buffet once we can party again. Maybe I’ll invite Sugar.

Pasta Salad With Feta and Herbs

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

My Recipes My Lists My Calendar

Ingredients

• 1 lb. uncooked penne pasta
• 5 oz. feta cheese (crumbled)
• 3/4 C. buttermilk
• 1/2 C. mayonnaise
• 1 T. grated lemon zest
• 1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 t. kosher salt
• 1 t. grated garlic
• 1/2 t. black pepper
• 2 C. mixed (and chopped/torn) fresh herbs (basil, mint, dill and chives)
• 1 1/2 C. thinly-sliced celery
• 1 C. cherry tomatoes (halved or quartered)
• 1/2 red onion (thinly-sliced)
• Salted roasted sunflower seeds for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook pasta until it is al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Pat dry. Set aside.
2. Combine feta, buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, salt, garlic and black pepper. Mix to combine. The feta gives this dressing texture. If you want a smoother dressing, blend the mixture. You can add more mayonnaise at this point if you want a thicker dressing. Set aside.
3. Combine cooked pasta in a serving bowl with buttermilk dressing, fresh herbs (save some out for the garnish), celery, tomatoes, and red onion and toss well. I you use fresh dill in this recipe (and I think you should), be sure to chop it finely and remove any large stems.
4. Chill the salad overnight in the refrigerator.
5. Garnish with sunflower seeds and sprigs of fresh herbs before serving.

Nutrition

Calories

3157 cal

Fat

110 g

Carbs

433 g

Protein

108 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

7.8.1.2

245

https://bluecayenne.com/pasta-salad-with-feta-and-herbs

This recipe is adapted from a Mason Hereford recipe that appeared in the August 2020 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.

Sometimes the simplest things in life are the most elusive–a good toaster, a potato salad with a bright flavor and a really good vinaigrette, for example.

Although I cook a lot and put salads toward the top of the list of foods I enjoy, I confess that I’ve been trying forever to find a homemade vinaigrette that has a great taste and a bit of a bite.

I’m a devotee of Paris-based chef David Lebovitz. I’ve listed his site in the favorite links menu on the right side of this blog page. He writes beautifully about food and life and the sweet challenges of living as an American expatriate in Paris. I mention him because I recently discovered a delightful essay he wrote some time ago about making a classic French vinaigrette. The recipe is pretty wonderful and I thought I would share it with you. It is pretty, too.

Vinaigrette Recipe

1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/2 small shallot, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 teaspoon Maille Dijon mustard
4T (45 ml to 60 ml) olive oil
Chopped parsley or other herbs
Directions: Finely chop half a shallot. Put sea salt, chopped shallot and sherry vinegar in a bowl and let it marinate for about ten minutes. (You may substitute red wine vinegar.) While the shallots are marinating in the salt and vinegar, whisk 1/2 teaspoon of good quality mustard into olive oil. Mix the marinated shallots and their liquid into the mustard infused oil. Add chopped parsley or herbs of your choice. Adjust seasonings to your taste.

Makes enough dressing for one large salad.

Adapted from David Lebovitz’ recipe which appears in the article below. Here is a link to the article and the recipe:

I did use the Maille French Dijon mustard mentioned in the article. Maille, I found,  is a very smooth-textured mustard with a lot of flavor. It puts Grey Poupon to shame. The label says that the Maille mustard company was founded in 1747 and their website has a brief essay about the mustard’s history. Apparently, soon after the company’s founding, it became a favorite among the crowned heads of Europe. Think of yourself enjoying the same mustard that Louis XVI enjoyed before he lost his head to the guillotine!  Maybe not. Tellingly, the Maille website has an unexplained gap in its history essay for the period of the French Revolution. Apparently, the revolution’s radicals didn’t serve Maille’s moutard with the plate of”Liberte. Egalite. Fraternite.” that they promised the masses.  Incidentally, I found a jar of Maille’s Dijon for less than $5 at the Cost Plus World Market in Bella Terra Shopping Center, so you don’t have to be in the one percent to afford it. I’m still looking for a jar of the other mustard Lebovitz mentions (and favors),  Edmond Fallot.

I added some minced Italian parsley to my dressing. Be forewarned, this recipe makes a small amount of dressing and the dressing needs to be used the same day it is made. Otherwise, the shallots turn into mush.

If you see me outside swinging my salad greens with wild abandon to dry them en plein air as Lebovitz says many French do , be sure to wave.