I think because there is gelatin it will hold fine overnight. You will not get nice clean lines unless you layer before they firm up. My only worry would be some bleeding from the blueberry layer into the panna cotta layer.

I would make it as described. I would make the whipped cream as late as possible and add it to the parfaifs just before serving. They'd hold well as leftovers, but for the club, I wouldn't hold them longer than from made after dinner to serve at lunch next day. I think you do midday meals, right? The big issue I see is keeping them from acquiring fridge odors and condensation, or getting dried out by the evaporator in a newer fridge. The worst is scum! Plastic wrap over each will help, but I'd think putting it right down on the surface to keep air out would spoil the smootheness of the surface. Actually, the more I think of it, the more I think that the curd would be better off in its own container overnight, then added early enough to settle down while chilling before serving. Does the hostess have fridge space for these, or do you have to do coolers?

Yes, it is a luncheon. We arrive at the hostess’ house at noon. After cocktails, appetizer, salad/soup, and a main course, we get to dessert about 1:30 or 2:00. I usually bring things in a cooler if they need to be kept cool. From my house to the hostess’ house is about 7 minutes. I think it will be fine.

I will do the plastic wrap directly on the surface, as you suggest, plllog. Then top with the whipped cream and garnishes at the hostess’ house. However, the top isn’t seen. Although the recipe isn’t included on the blog post I linked, the actual cookbook calls for topping the parfait with ”Spiced Pecan and Pumpkin Seed Crumble.” It is going to be interesting. It is pecans, pumpkin seeds, oats, sugar, ground fennel, cayenne, and Worchestershire sauce folded into egg whites and baked. Then broken up and put on top of the parfait along with some fresh blueberries. I may end up serving that on the side or passed.

I’m not too worried about fridge odors. My fridge is pretty spartan.

olychick, I wondered too about the blueberry layer bleeding into the next layer.

I do not like this cookbook (Deep Run Roots by Vivian Howard), starting with the organization. It is organized by food. For instance, there is a whole section on blueberries, another on okra, one on sausage, another on peanuts, and so on. A lot of the recipes look like they were created simply to fill out the chapter.

I find the flavors too odd. Dessert last month was an Orange, Chocolate, and Beet Cake with a Chocolate Walnut Cream Cheese Icing. I love beets. I love chocolate and orange flavors together, but the 3 together simply did not work. The cream cheese icing may have been okay if the chocolate added to the cream cheese was a ganache, but it was cocoa powder. I found the flavor weak and the eye-appeal atrocious.

LOL! Y'know, a lot of people don't test recipes before publishing them.

Do you know the age of the author? I can never get these "generations" straight with their names, but I will never forget a dinner party I attended half a lifetime ago, in another state, and I don't remember if the creators of the sorbet were 10 years older or younger than I, only that we didn't have a lot of culture references in common. The main dinner, provided by the hosts, was fine, but these guests were so proud of their sorbet. It was icy, and tasted like Autumn yard debris starting to compost in a wet bag. I think it was supposed to be basil or something, but it had no sugar, salt or acid, and was neither tasty nor refreshing. Everybody else raved about it. I don't know if they were overdoing it, trying to be polite, or if they'd had too much wine to taste much of anything.... And I do remember so after meeting a lot of weird food combos from people similar to the lawn clippings sorbet people. Luckily, younger folks have mostly regained the senses that that cohort has lost, and while they may be lost in a giant vat of artisanal fermentation, their food tastes good.

OTOH, I think the crumble sounds like it might be good, though I'm not entirely sure of the W sauce. It does, however, read a little like one of those things one makes in a fit of madness when something tragic has happened to the planned dish and there isn't a lot to choose from for the replacement--but ended up being surprisingly good. I can't wait to hear how it turns out.

I actually advised against putting the plastic directly on the surface, but it could help, especially if you do the curd ahead. Anti-scum. The cream will cover it. If you're going the cooler route, I especially think you should add the cream when you're on site.

Can you make it a day ahead? I guess it depends on your self control ;-D

Was the vile sorbet an intermezzo? If so, that would kill a good appetite!

Vivian Howard is 44. She’s a trained chef who has worked in NYC but now owns and runs a restaurant with her husband in North Carolina. I think her schtick is ”modern interpretations of classic southern food.” One of the recipes is fried whole okra pods with Ranch Dressing ICE CREAM. Yes, I just shouted that. It is totally ludicrous.

“Giant vat of artisinal fermentation” 😂😂😂

I think the crumble might be good to snack on but I’m not sure about putting it on a parfait. I have some little cups for melted butter. Maybe a little cupful on the side of each dish. Let each person decide for themselves. I can make a better decision after I make the crumble and taste it.

I will have lots of ice packs in the cooler.

The hostess has a stand mixer. I’m going to whip the cream at the last minute. I hate to be underfoot, but she and I think that would give the best results. Thanks for the nudge to do that.

Good point, Colleen! HAHA!

Yay to the freshly whipped cream!

As long as the crumble tastes like crumble it'll be good on the parfait. Parfaits need textures. Otherwise you just have snooty jello. :D

Ranch dressing ice cream?? I'm guessing, then, she's from the lawn trimmings sorbet cohort. ;) If ranch dressing as a dip doesn't come out of a bottle, what's the point? If you're making ice cream, why not make something good? And how is frozen going to improve fried okra?

I think the crumble is going to taste like some sort of bar mix - you know, the stuff the bartender pushes toward you across the bar that makes you want to drink more?

I think Ranch dressing ice cream would just mess up perfectly good fried okra. The only accompaniment I want with my fried okra is a light sprinkle of salt and tall glass of sweet ice tea, extra lemons, please.

I find her food very gimmicky. Last month, I had to bring the side. I made the Charred Cabbage and Apple Cole Slaw. It starts with cutting a small head of cabbage into 12 wedges (go ahead, try that) then charring the sides of the wedges. Trust me, the wedges, even with a bit of core still attached will not stay in shape as wedges. Then you are supposed to toss the wedges with the apples and other things, again while keeping the wedges wedge-shaped. Then you are supposed to somehow eat raw cabbage cut into fairly good sized wedges. An ordinary table knife does not easily cut through raw cabbage. The charring does not in any way soften the cabbage. Raw cabbage has to be small to be chewed. I ate the other components and left the cabbage.

I don’t mind a challenge. Our first cookbook was Frank Stitt’s Southern Table. It was a challenge and a half, but it was doable and the food was delicious!

I was reading the other day that the Reddit crowd was in hysterics after they found out that ranch dressing has mayonnaise in it 😁

I’m scratching my head trying to figure out how they thought it was made. 😱

The ingredients of some bottled dressings list mayonnaise. Some say eggs, oil, vinegar, mustard, salt... Look familiar? I mean, that looks like mayonnaise to me, and I'm sure to the rest of you, but does the Reddit crowd know what's in mayonnaise?

I just checked the current Hidden Valley packet instructions. It calls for mayonnaise as well as milk (used to be buttermilk), but the Reddit crowd probably don't know the name of the ranch, that it came in a packet, and that you were supposed to mix with mayonnaise.

I wonder what they'd think if they knew blue cheese, 1000 island, and just about any other "creamy" dressing was mayonnaise based?

I think fried okra would be good with hot sauce or an herb vinaigrette, especially if it wasn't right hot out of the fryer.

How many bad dishes do you have to try before y'all throw out the cookbook and choose a substitute?

How many bad dishes do you have to try before y’all throw out the cookbook…?

Good question! We tried Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Table for a few months before jettisoning it (too ”semi-homemade”). So there is precedent. We have one member who is a very aggressive supporter of this cookbook. I can’t figure out why. I have thought about taking a sabbatical until the end of the year when we will change cookbooks, but I would really miss the friendship of the group. I’ll just tough it out and come here to moan and groan about the stupid book. 🤬

I discovered that adding a pinch of xanthan gum to cream as I whip it makes it last beautifully for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Might work on the other layers too.

I like the ranch dressing made with sour cream, not mayonaise.

Fillmoe, interesting to know about the xanthan gum. However, our group has agreed to make the recipe exactly as written.

Sheilajoyce, I’m one of 3 people in the US who does not care for ranch dressing, I think. However, I used to make it for DH. I used a Spice House mix that called for sour cream and mayo.

The thing about commercial ranch dressing, as purveyed by those who don't offer anything else (I.e., when I've experienced it), is that the only flavors are salt, acid and anonymous fat. One can see herbs but not taste them, I assume due to the salt level. I don't hate it, per se, but I don't care for it either, and will take just about anything else if there's a choice. My guess is that it's so popular because so many people oversalt their food that they don't enjoy the flavors in a salad without dropping a salt bomb on it. ;)