The Valley Line: Les Fleurettes provisionals, a recipe for elegance

A lot has happened since I last chatted with you. The film award season is upon us with all its Red Carpet excitement.

The Golden Globe Award ceremony was just a warm up for bigger things to come. Of course it is a fashion parade that I never want to miss on the TV coverage. Yes, the dresses with their decolletages cut down to the waist and the hemlines that are also cut open to the waist do get a lot of attention by the fashion police.

What I loved the most in this year’s couture collection was seeing how many of the evening gowns had pockets. That is the best idea ever. Forget those fancy, tiny handbags that won’t even hold a tube of lipstick! Now that lipstick and other necessities can fit perfectly in the pockets of a full-skirted ball gown, the stars won’t be fumbling with an awkward handbag.

Last Thursday, the nominations for the 2016 Academy Awards were announced. Now we just have to wait until Sunday, Feb. 28 to see who the Oscar winners will be.

Also coming up are the USC Scripter Awards, which will be announced at a black-tie gala on Feb. 20 in the Edward L. Doheney Memorial Library.

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The beautiful white ball gowns of the 2015 Las Fleurettes debutantes of the La Cañada Thursday Club had barely hung back up in their closets before the 2016 Les Fleurettes provisionals had a really fun club outing this month.

The five young women comprising this current deb group — Kelly Delaney, Sarah Lam, Lauren O’Brien, Maggie Rouleau and Kylie Smith — are already involved in numerous learning and charitable activities before they make their bow to society next Dec. 30 at the annual Bal Blanc de Noel.

Jody Platisa, who was co-chair of the 2015 debs and is also on this year’s committee, invited the girls to learn how to make tea sandwiches. In March these provisionals will be introduced to Thursday Club members at a special tea held in their honor. The Thursday Club has become known over the past several decades for the wonderful homemade tea sandwiches and cookies members take turns preparing and serving during their monthly tea meetings.

Jody said she told the five teens that the secret about tea sandwiches is to “think small, beautiful and delicious!” The girls cut the bread into circles, squares and ribbons, and they also made the delicious fillings for the sandwiches. They also learned how to set a lovely tea table with bouquets of flowers, napkins, and the sandwiches set out on beautiful silver trays.

In today’s fast-paced world, taking the time to sit down and sip tea and nibble on beautiful little sandwiches is practically a lost art.

These new debs had a wonderful time with this project and their finished sandwiches were enjoyed by their mothers and some of their friends.

Here are just a few of the fillings that were used for these pretty little bites. You might want to save some of them for your very own tea party:

Chicken salad with cranberries and almonds

11/2 cups cooked white chicken meat

¼ cup slivered almonds, coarsely chopped

¼ cup dried cranberries (or any dried fruit such as golden raisins, dried apricots, currents, etc.)

¼ cup finely diced celery (optional)

11/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (or favorite herb)

6 tablespoons mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

Finely dice the chicken, add almonds, cranberries and tarragon. Mix the mayonnaise and sour cream and toss with the chicken. Then spread on the pre-cut bread.

Turkey and Pesto Sandwiches

Use your favorite sliced turkey

sliced cheese (mozzarella or provolone are good)

3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise

basil and/or roasted red pepper pesto

Combine softened cream cheese, assemble sandwich with turkey and cheese, top with another slice of bread spread with pesto mixture.

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

2 English cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced

1 5.2-ounce package of Boursin cheese or any garlic and herb flavored semi-soft cheese, softened to room temperature

5 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill (optional)

Combine Boursin cheese and cream cheese and add a tablespoon of dill. Spread on a bread slice. Top with slightly overlapping sliced cucumbers. Sprinkle with remaining dill and slice into bite-sized sandwiches.

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JANE NAPIER NEELY covers the La Cañada Flintridge social scene. Email her at jnvalleysun@aol.com with news of your special event.