Southern salads beyond Jell-O and mayonnaise

Cookbook a gastronomic journey" through the south and its delicious salads

Ask anyone what they think of when they are asked to conjure up a Southern" salad, and two descriptions come to mind: congealed and full of mayonnaise. Most non-Southerners envision Fruit cocktail suspended in Jell-O and chicken salad dripping with mayo when they think of southern salads. Vicky Moon, who has chronicled the lives of the famous and the infamous of Middleburg, VA for People and Town & Country, dispels the myths of southern salads in BEST DRESSED SOUTHERN SALADS: 101 Sumptuous Southern Salads from Key West to Washington, D.C, just released by Capital Books.

At first glance it may not seem that theres a difference between a salad in New York and a salad in Palm Beach," Moon says. Sure, Caesar salads in all restaurants are the similar. But for our purposes, were talking about homemade salads. Salads for the garden club luncheon, salads for a classic dinner party for eight or a brunch by the pool. These are regional specialties that can be found on the table of any southern hostess."

BEST DRESSED SOUTHERN SALADS is a gastronomic journey of the south. It begins in Florida, with Key West Conch Salad (and several delicious dressings named for streets) and ends in Washington, D.C., with a recipe for Champagne dressing served by the White House social secretary. Along the way Moon introduces recipes from Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia-with not a congealed salad to be found.

Recipes such as "South Beach" present a surprising blend of brown sugar, celery seed and dry mustard with red wine vinegar and olive oil. Served over Bibb lettuce, Florida oranges, Florida avocados and sliced tomatoes (from Florida, of course), it's best nibbled while watching the world go by in one of the liveliest neighborhoods imaginable. Mrs. Gotrock's Palm Beach Fruit Salad Dressing" is said to be a secret mixture from one of the most famous hostesses of all time. Meander along the trail with "Buckhead Champagne Dressing" from Atlanta, "Delicious Dandelion Salad" from Charlotte and classic southern specialties such as Peanut Butter dressing "Caper and Caviar Dressing."

Along the way, Moon provides insights and advice about the history, characters and places that make these southern cities special.

Vicky Moon has chronicled the lives of the rich, the not-so-rich, the famous, and the not-so-famous for People Magazine and the Washington Post. She has also written about the hunt balls, steeplechase races and parties in her hometown of Middleburg, Virginia for Town and Country, Veranda and Southern Accents magazines. A native of Fort Lauderdale, where she spends "as much time as possible in the winter", she has also served as a contributing editor for House and Garden and whoanews.com. A life long equestrienne, she is a co-author and editor of The Official Middleburg Life Cookbook. Her previous book for Capital Books was The Middleburg Mystique: A Peek Inside the Gates of Middleburg, Virginia.