Monday, March 1, 2010

THE POTATO EATERS


I’ve always thought that two of the most extraordinary-looking women in the history of the world were Kay Kendall, see below


and Slim Keith, also below, who was also known as Slim Hawks for a while when she was married to movie director Howard.


Both women had those fine chiseled angular faces that don’t seem to exist anymore, and it’s hard to believe they ever did. Now, it doesn’t surprise me to discover that Kay and Slim knew each other. But given their ethereal slenderness I never imagined they were great eaters. But now I find this in Keith’s autobiography “Slim: Memoirs of a Rich and Imperfect Life.”


She writes, “Kay always supported my theory of entertaining. That is, the greatest compliment you can give your guests is to serve them what you most like yourself. If you love brisket of beef or corn beef hash, that’s what it should be. … In Kay’s case, I always served the same thing whenever she came for dinner: smoked salmon with hot boiled potatoes served in their skins with hickory salt and two small dishes on either side, one of sour cream and the other marinated raw onions. Kay would at this dish for first course, the main course and for dessert.”


I’m not sure what I find more amazing, that Kay Kendall and Slim Keith ate a lot of potatoes or that they didn’t worry if their breath smelled of raw onion. Either way, I very much like that in a woman.

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