Not cole slaw, but a very popular slaw in my groups. You can make Napa Slaw head of time and quickly assemble before serving. Have fun! Napa Coleslaw NOODLE MIX 3 packages original flavor Ramen noodles -- crushed 4 tbls black sesame seeds 8 oz sliced almonds ½ stick melted butter THE DRESSING 1 c. peanut oil 2 tsp. soy sauce 1 c. sugar 1/2 c. rice vinegar 1/2 tsp. salt 2 flavor packets from the Raman noodles THE ASSEMBLY Napa cabbage (Bok Choy)  shred entire head for a party 1 bunch green onions  thinly sliced The Noodle Mix The Dressing FOR NOODLE MIX: Combine to coat with butter and heat in 300F oven for approximately 15-20 minutes, watching that the mixture does not get too brown. Cool. It keeps well in a zip-lock. FOR THE DRESSING: Combine and blend well. I use the stick blender. FOR THE ASSEMBLY: Make all components separately the day before. When ready to serve, combine cabbage, dressing, and noodle mix and toss. OPTION: Grilled chicken can be added to the salad to make a main course.

During your visit, it would be fun to throw a big cooler in the car on Saturday morning and take a food shopping trip to Allentown. You could fill it up with enough goodies for the whole week. IÂd recommend this route: 1. StravinoÂs (no web site - 269 5th St, Whitehall 610-432-255) for Italian deli items and excellent bread and cold cuts. 2. Less than a mile from there is Soumaya Middle Eastern bakery (no web site - 264 Fullerton Ave., Whitehall 610-432-0405) for freshly baked pita bread (with zataar on Saturdays), baklava, hummus, baba, tabouli, etc. Their meat and poultry items like shawarma are only fair  itÂs a bakery and thatÂs their specialty. 3. The main street in front of Soumaya leads directly to the Elias Market (no web site - 101 W Tilghman St, Allentown 610-776-1030), a Middle Eastern/Hispanic market thatÂs treasure trove of ME spices, hard-to-find produce, Bulgarian feta, Greek yogurt and items you wonÂt find in most grocery stores. 4. Next door is the Elias Fish Market (no web site and doesnÂt open until 10 A.M.) with the freshest fish for miles around. Note: Most fish are only sold whole and the lower prices per pound reflect this. You can have them filleted but have to buy a whole fish. The striped bass/rockfish are great and will save you a trip to New Jersey. 5. Next stop would be the Allentown Fairgrounds Market (website if you Google it  17th & Chew St.), which is a typical PA indoor market with produce, butchers and poultry purveyors, bakeries and prepared foods. One spot not to miss is DanÂs in the center of the market for their chicken pies. 6. If youÂre ready for lunch, The Ritz BBQ (no web site) next to the market is a bastion of home cooking with the PA version of BBQ (ham BBQ platter pictured below), hot beef or turkey sandwiches with gravy, old-time milkshakes and malts, and excellent pies. 7. Another alternative also only a couple of blocks away for the best burgers in the valley is WertÂs Café (no website - 515 N 18th St, Allentown 610 439-0951). Their specialties are stuffed burgers, hand-cut fries and masses of thin onion rings. Those items are wonderful but itÂs better not to venture into the dinner menu. 8. On the way back, IÂd include a stop at Crystal Springs dairy store (no website - 3550 Bellview Road Schnecksville) to pick up dairy products from the herd behind the store and a container of their pepper cabbage. IMO, they also make the best shoofly and custard pies in the area. I have included a link to a trip report I wrote on another site that included some of these places. If you search those forums for "Poconos", youÂll also find some restaurants closer to where youÂre staying. Here is a link that might be useful: Lehigh Valley food shopping

Westsider--Yes, I found a Pratt and Larson tile. I was supposed to get a couple of samples in the correct size and color last week, but they messed up my order again. I'll post pics when it gets here, unless they have another "miscommunication" at the showroom. The party was a success!! I'm not sure what happened with the people who made comments over the last months about arugula being a nasty weed and that capers were sickening, but everyone ate, and ate, and ate, and enjoyed the food! The woman who couldn't believe she ate capers stopped in her tracks when I told her that she also ate anchovies in that tapenade so loved so much. I received lots of praise during and after the party. Thank you all for your help. Most importantly, everyone, including me, had a great time. The group was smaller than expected as none of the husbands came, and a couple of families had the flu strike them at school that day. I think it all worked out for the best as we women just gathered in the kitchen to laugh, listen to Christmas music, talk, and eat apps while I finished plating and garnishing the main course. It was just how I hoped it would be. I ended up spending more time the night before on my son's project and having another commitment at my son's school that day, so I had to adjust the menu a bit to accommodate less cooking time. For apps I did a sour cream, herb, and cucumber dip with fresh veggies and blanched haricot verts and asparagus as suggested. I also did tapenade with crostini and Kathy Casey's sexy baked olives and feta. For the main course I did the cold beef fillet with sherry wine vinaigrette served on arugula with shaved red onions, haricot verts with walnuts and lemon vinaigrette, scalloped blue cheese potatoes, and the citrus salad with mint sugar. For dessert, I made the eggnog tiramisu trifle, cream cheese swirl brownies, and leftover lemon ginger cookies. We drank lots of prosecco, wine, and the hot buttered rum I made for the first time. The kids drank the spiced apple cider. I also had a beverage dispenser filled with water, lemons, and cucumber a friend termed "spa water." Sounds so snobby to me. ;) For compumom, here are the three recipes for which you asked. Eggnog Tiramisu Trifle http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tiramisu-Eggnog-Trifle-108981 Tapenade In a food processor, pulse 1 garlic clove and 1 t fresh thyme leaves until minced. Add 1 1/4 c pitted kalamatas, 4 drained anchovy fillets, 2 T capers, 2 t lemon juice, and about 4-5 T EVOO and process until coarsely pureed. It's best fresh, but can keep a couple of days in the fridge. Cold Fillet of Beef with Sherry Wine Vinaigrette

Thanks for the additional info. My son is allergic to tree nuts & peanuts (which includes legumes except green beans and wax beans) so I couldn't use chestnut flour, but I think he had water chestnuts before we knew about his allergies - they might be a vegetable and not a nut? Mentioning the tapioca flour got me thinking - there is a place nearby that sells gluten free rolls made with cassava flour (which is what I think you make tapioca out of?) and they are nut free too - only a few ingredients. I think there is cheese in them, but I think it is cheddar, which my brother can have. I may go buy some of those and leave it up to him if he wants to try one or not. otherwise my nephew that is celiac would eat at least one when I host that side of the family next Saturday. I have bought them for him before, but didn't think about it for my brother - thanks for triggering my memory!