Jun 4, 20223 min read

Bea Arthur Cook Along

This year marks Bea Arthur's centennial and it required a celebration.

Bea Arthur began acting on the stage and took home a Tony Award in 1966 for her turn in the musical "Mame". She became friends with television writer / producer Norman Lear who cast her as the nemesis to Archie Bunker on "All in the Family" in 1971 - 1972. This led to her starring role in the sitcom "Maude", which ran from 1972 - 1978. Bea Arthur is best remembered for her role as Dorothy Zbornak in the hit sitcom "The Golden Girls", which ran from 1985 - 1992. Overall she scored ten Emmy nominations and won the Best Actress Emmy award twice. Thirty years after the final episode, "The Golden Girls" has remained a cultural phenomenon and has spawned drag shows, products and an upcoming Golden Girls pop up cafe. Bea Arthur also left $300,000 to support a New York based foundation that helps to house LGBTQ+ youth.

The Episode

The Recipes

Lemon-Basil Cooler

It is already getting pretty hot outside, so this Lemon-Basil Cooler sounded great! It is cool, refreshing and easy to make. I opted to reduce the sugar, as I don't like my drinks too sweet. You can also add alcohol and make it a cocktail. It is easy to customize. I drank the whole thing on camera during the episode.

Yente's Jewish Penicilin

Presented by Danny Miller

Bea Arthur originated the role of Yente in the 1964 production of "Fiddler on the Roof" on Broadway. Danny wanted to make a chicken soup to pay tribute to that and her Jewish heritage.

Bea Arthur's Chinese Chicken Salad

Presented by Allison Francis

This recipe was handwritten by Bea Arthur on her personal stationary and up for auction on the website Worthpoint. The images were a bit blurry, so I typed out the recipe below:

Salad:

1 cup soy sauce

½ cup dry sherry

1 cup water

3 tablespoons sugar

2 anise star

Saucepan, simmer 10 minutes

2 whole chicken breasts, split & skinned

poach for 20 minutes

coat in liquid – shred meat

½ head iceberg – (cut) shredded

4-6 scallions – slivered

rice noodles in frying pan w/vegetable oil (lots

Remove w/ slotted spoon immediately

Dressing:

3 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Big Gay Ice Cream - Dorothy

Presented by Barbara Boyd-Doss

Barbara used the recipe on IamBaker.com and added dulce de leche/caramel and crushed vanilla wafers to make it the "Dorothy" from Big Gay Ice Cream in New York. She also added bananas to the ice cream since they go so well with the wafers.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups (476g) heavy whipping cream
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Place a 9x5-inch loaf pan in the freezer to chill.
To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the heavy cream. Start mixing at the lowest speed, and then gradually increase speed to medium until the cream starts to get thicker. (The gradual progression prevents you from spraying yourself with cream.)
The cream will thicken and start to peak. Mix on high speed until the cream is thick and stiff. This happens quickly, so watch it closely!
In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, salt, and 1 cup of whipped cream.
Gently fold the sweetened condensed milk mixture back into the mixing bowl with the rest of the whipped cream.
Pour the mixture into the chilled pan and freeze for at least 4 hours, or until fully set up, before serving.