Long Live Ham Biscuits!

Max, we all have Senior Moments, Minutes, Hours, and sometimes Days. Unfortunately, they seem to be happening more and more often. Of course, you sent me the Parmesan Salad Dressing recipe.

Ah, yes, the Finger Sandwich. Staple at every tea and wedding reception of our youth.

You are right. I checked some of my cookbooks. The mandatory first chapter on teas and receptions did disappear in the ’70’s. When the Hippies became fashionable, ladies’ teas went out the window. Along with culture, refinement, and a few other things.

Just had an idea for a wildly popular Reality Show. We collect the Rosie O’Donnell’s, the Paris Hiltons and friends, and a collection of red neck trailer trash, and we try and turn them into proper ladies. Can’t you see an Emily Post type trying to teach them to make and serve Finger Sandwiches? Martha Stewart would make a good hostess for this show. I’ll bet she could whip even Paris Hilton into Miss Manners. Rosie O’Donnell? Maybe. There isn’t much there to work with. Could be great fun.

Of course any tea or reception of that era was not complete, at least here in the South, without Ham Biscuits. By the way, there still appear on many buffet tables. They were one of the finger foods that we had at Rachel’s Reception.

Ham Biscuits:

Make or buy small Parker House Rolls in the number you need. Purchase thinly sliced deli ham if you don’t want to mess with cooking and slicing a full ham. Split the rolls, and cut the ham so that there are several layers on ham on each biscuit. Some cooks spread on a little mayonnaise or spicy mustard, but traditionally these were nothing but ham and roll. They were usually served cold, or room temperature.

Originally, I am sure, Baking Powder Biscuits were used instead of rolls. When serving a crowd, the purchased rolls were simply easier. If made with real biscuits, the Ham Biscuits can be reheated in the microwave just before serving