Donald O’Connor’s French Dressing

Just when I thought the Yvonne de Carlo Salome Salad Dressing was going to go on forever, I had the last few spoonfuls on some lettuce and was left without a huge vat of red goo in my fridge.*

First ingredient, 1 can tomato soup.  Yep, that’s right!

I’d been wanting to try Donald’s French Dressing for ages because it has Worcestershire sauce in it. I could drink spoonfuls of this from the bottle so if I ever spot it in a movie star recipe, it goes straight on the to-do list.

I needed some French Dressing for a Diana Dors Artichoke Bean Bowl

and I was slightly concerned that Donald’s dressing would usurp the Angela Lansbury Mustard Vinaigrette in my affections but although it was good, Angela’s dressing is more to my taste. I think this is because I am a vinegar head.

I realise now that I much prefer a dressing made with vinegar than lemon juice. But if you are of the opposite persuasion, do try Donald’s way of making a salad dressing.  I like to imagine you all possessed with his spirit and dancing around your house after you’ve had a tablespoon or two on your salad…

As someone who can barely put one foot in front of the other these days, watching this suddenly brought back a memory of when I took tap dancing lessons when I was in my early 30s.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?  One night my boyfriend at the time appeared at a small square window of the door to the class peering in.  Later he said he’d seen me concentrating so hard that I had my tongue sticking out.  It’s true.  During the very next class I caught myself doing it.
 
 
*the Yvonne de Carlo Salome Salad Dressing was made for the occasion of my Murder, She Wrote themed hen do.  This was over a year ago now, but it hasn’t quite taken this long to finish up the dressing.  This post has been stuck in the drafts folder for time (as the kids say).  But that salad dressing lasted me almost the whole of lockdown #1 – it was HUGE.
 

2 responses

  1. Well, I read your article and was interested in the Diana Dors salad, so decided to read/check out the articles that you had written about Ms. Dors and her recipes. I also decided to watch the episodes when she was on the morning show to talk about her weight loss. How she wanted to lose 52 pounds before her 52nd birthday, which would have been October of 1983. I quite liked her and the “Dors Dozen.” And then I made the mistake of doing a little more research and found out that she died in May of 1984, of cancer. And, all I could think was that she had ‘deprived’, and maybe that’s too strong a word, herself of the joy that good food can bring, and 7 months later she’s gone. Poor, Diana.

  2. Thanks for dropping by Betty. Yes, I think there was much sadness in Diana’s life, but from what I have read, much happiness too. I think there is a more sensible attitude to dieting these days, with the “a little bit of what you fancy does you good” being promoted in most diets. I am not sure if they are online, but Diana did some wonderful agony aunt spots on breakfast TV too so they are worth seeking out. She was a very wise woman! JX

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