Chapters (33)

Now she was awake and he was asleep. Cypress decided that she could sleep too, because all she needed, she had. Nothing bothered her, because everything was fine. If they ever got up she was going to cook a meal that all Carolina would envy.

CYPRESS’ MEAL FOR MANHATTAN NIGHTS

Barbequed Lamb Manhattan

3–4 pound leg of lamb	1 lemon, quartered
¾ cup blackstrap molasses	2 teaspoons chili powder
2 cans tomato sauce	1 teaspoon hot dry mustard
2 stalks celery, cubed	Dash of Worcestershire
1 medium onion, diced	Red pepper, salt, black pepper
1 green pepper, diced	to taste

Score lamb crossways, one inch deep & one inch apart. Boil remaining ingredients for barbeque sauce. Marinate the lamb with 1/2 of your sauce for about 45 minutes, then place lamb in roasting pan in 300° oven for 1½ to 2 hours, basting every 15 minutes.

Nighttime Potato Salad/ ’Cuz There’s No Time to Cool

6 good-sized potatoes	½ teaspoon dry mustard
3 hard-boiled eggs	1 cup mayonnaise
1 onion, diced	Salt & pepper to taste
1 stalk celery, diced	Paprika to sprinkle over top
3 tablespoons prepared sweet relish

Boil potatoes till tender. With old-fashioned potato masher, break into smaller chunks in mixing bowl. Chop eggs, celery, onion & add to potatoes, along with the other ingredients. Mix well. Check to see if it’s too dry. If so, add a little more mayonnaise. Sprinkle paprika over the finished salad. Serve.

Easy Asparagus

½ pound baby asparagus (16)	¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
1 lemon

Wash asparagus. Slice off bad ends if they are tough or brown. Sprinkle ginger over the asparagus. Squeeze lemon over the asparagus. Chill and serve.

Chapter 15

Cypress dear,

Where you’re living sounds so wonderful, but I’m not sure I understand what a loft is, exactly. Is it just a big room, or something more special? Then too, you musn’t brag about how much you’ll get for something later. You shouldn’t let everyone know how much store you set by something . . . and I definitely believe you should speak with your landlord about this fixture fee business—sounds crooked to me. Who ever heard of paying for a toilet and tub . . . in decent lodgings the management always supplies such. I know New York is different and that you’ve more experience with some things than I have, but mark my words. Somebody’s gypping you.

If it’s just a big room, how did you manage to have a duplex living quarters? I guess I can’t quite imagine seeing the Hudson River and New Jersey from one window and walking ’cross a floor to see the Empire State Building. Is Macy’s big enough to see from where you live? I’ve wanted to go to Macy’s ever since Miracle on 34th Street. Let me know, will you?