Посмертная память Долли Партон: от легендарных рецептов до филантропии

Unpopular opinion: I do not like the movie “Steel Magnolias.” So much overacting and overplaying into stereotypes. Plus, Julia Roberts … not a fan (except for “Pretty Woman”). There, I said it. And I hope I haven’t lost too many readers because of it. But the movie does have a few saving graces. First, M’Lynn’s (Sally Field’s) ridiculously funny and melodramatic scene after Shelby’s (Roberts’) funeral. If I come across the movie on TV and there’s nothing else on and I have nothing better to do, I’ll sit through it for that scene alone. Clairee’s (Olympia Dukakis’) “Hit this! Go ahead, M’Lynn, slap her! We’ll sell T-shirts sayin’, ‘I Slapped Ouiser Boudreaux!’” line slays me every time. But the biggest draw of Steel Magnolias is, of course, Miss Dolly Parton. I could watch her do a dramatic reading of the phone book and still be mesmerized. And I clearly am not the only one. Imagine living a life so beautifully that when you die at 80, the whole world mourns and still feels it was too soon. Indeed, we lost an icon when Dolly passed last week. Luckily, she leaves behind a legacy of music, movies and, most importantly, philanthropy. Dolly used her success to expand opportunities for others, particularly children and families in Appalachia where she grew up. Her Dollywood Foundation has supported education, scholarships and community initiatives, and her celebrated Imagination Library has distributed hundreds of millions of books to children around the world. Dolly also supported victims of disasters like the 2016 Smoky Mountains wildfires and contributed $1 million to Covid-19 research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center that helped support development of the Moderna vaccine. And I’m sure there are other examples that we haven’t heard about and maybe never will — ones that didn’t get much media attention, if any, but made an equally profound impact on someone somewhere. So, this week, let’s celebrate Dolly who, in addition to being the undisputed Queen of Country Music, also was the queen of simplicity — maybe not when it came to her wigs, her makeup or her outfits but definitely when it came to cooking. The three recipes I found from her cookbook, “Good Lookin’ Cookin’: A Year of Meals — A Lifetime of Family, Friends and Food,” (which I think is her only official cookbook among a whole slew of them “inspired by” Dolly and Dollywood) are all beautifully simple and to the point. The dishes fill you up and make you feel good without a lot of fuss. The 5-Ingredient Casserole is the kind of creamy and comforting dish you can whip up any day of the week at home or when you need a reliable crowd-pleaser to bring to a potluck. My only change would be to add something green — spinach, peas, broccoli — or a bunch of canned or frozen mixed vegetables. All you’d have to do is change the name. If you’ve seen “Steel Magnolias,” you know the recipe for Dolly’s famous Cuppa Cuppa Cake before you even read the ingredient list. It’s the cake that her character, Truvy, famously says is so easy “you don’t even need to write it down.” A cup of flour, a cup of sugar and a cup of fruit cocktail (juice and all) get stirred together and baked until golden and bubbly. It’s humble, a little retro and v-e-r-y sweet — especially if you serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which I highly recommend. Finally, there’s Dolly’s Macaroni Salad. I took a few liberties with this purely out of convenience, using red bell pepper instead of green, which also gives it a nice pop of color, and sliced sweet gherkins and their juice in place of sweet pickle relish, which I didn’t have on hand. But that barely matters, since the real magic that sets it apart from other macaroni salad is the dressing, which combines mayonnaise, sour cream and milk for an unexpectedly light and bright tang. The dressing might seem a little liquid-y at first, but it firms up nicely after sitting in the fridge for a while. With few exceptions, I don’t easily let myself get starstruck mostly because our idols, who after all are just people, tend to let us down the more we get to know them. But I think Dolly is a pretty safe bet. For decades, she showed us you can enjoy your success, be unapologetically larger than life and still understand that we’re here to care for one another and help where we can. Maybe that’s why losing her feels so personal to so many people who never actually knew her. Before we close out this little tribute to the queen, my favorite Dolly Parton song is “Hard Candy Christmas,” with “Jolene,” “Backwoods Barbie” and “Dumb Blonde” tied for second. Do you have a favorite? Let me know! I love to hear from our readers.