Happy Birthday, Jolie Gabor
Jolie Gabor’s Famous Hungarian Butter Cookies
I know it’s been a hot minute since we’ve made a post. Life has been crazy busy in all the good ways. Unfortunately, it meant that The Gaboratory had to be on the back burner for a while. But we are back and hopefully back on at least a bi-weekly basis.
I did find an afternoon during this period to try a recipe from Jolie Gabor’s Family Cookbook.
I flipped through the book with one goal in mind: To satisfy the better half’s belly. You see, this guy’s heart is directly connected to his stomach. On the rare occasions that I do cook, I like to keep his stomach satisfied. The recipe I settled on had the right ingredients to make this happen: Butter and Sour Cream: Famous Hungarian Butter Cookies.
The beauty of this recipe was the three sticks of butter and full tub of sour cream that it called for. My husband would be in heaven with this cookie. So I pulled all the ingredients and followed the instructions in the photo. I did have to google what “cut in” meant (I’m so not a chef) and how to do it. I settled on the “shredding” method.
After about 20 minutes I had cookies!
I did end up burning the edges. I later learned that I need to adjust my oven temp down (is there a handbook for that?)
The cookies were a hit. The actual consistency is somewhere between a cookie and a cake, more like a tea cake than a cookie. The husband loved them. Bonus points because he had to eat them over several days due to the richness of the cookies.
I think the next recipe we are trying is the Dobos Torte – if time permits. If not, then it will be Zsa Zsa’s Dracula Goulash for Valentine’s Day. A Valentine’s gift of pork, beef, sausage, and sour cream may not sound romantic but I promise it’s almost as much of a turn on as a negligee for my guy.
January 24, 1950 – Eva Gabor Makes Her Broadway Debut in The Happy Time
On January 24, 1950, Eva Gabor made her broadway debut in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, The Happy Time, in the role of Mignonette. The production was staged at the Plymouth Theatre and ran for 614 performances.
Eva was asked to read for the role by Richard Rodgers after he saw her performance in L’Amour the Merrier on television. Eva read for the role a few days later at the Majestic Theatre. She then flew to Boston to read for the director, Robert Lewis.
Eva devotes a whole chapter to The Happy Time in her autobiography, Orchids and Salami. Her memories of the production are positive. The cast enjoyed each other and were very supportive of each other on-stage. “Every day was Christmas. Everyone was helpful, no one was jealous.”
Eva’s program bio lists a few of the stage productions she was in while in Hollywood, including The Farewell Supper, The Play’s The Thing, and By Candlelight. Eva has an extensive theatrical resume, something that I find completely fascinating. I would love to have a complete list of her theatrical credits, along with any taped footage that might exist.
Inside the Playbill is an ad for the Jolie Gabor Pearl Salon, aka mom’s store, featuring a photo of Eva wearing a cultured pearl necklace. This ad MADE the program for me. The fact that her mother bought an ad in the program of her daughter’s Broadway debut caused me to laugh out loud. Jolie was a self-admitted stage mom and she proves it with this ad for her ADULT daughter’s show. Believe me when I say I am going to use this as a selling point for program ads (if it is good enough for Eva’s mom, then it is good enough for your mom!).
Merry Christmas, Darlings!
Here’s wishing you and yours a Merry Gabor Christmas. Thanks to all of you for dropping in as this blog builds.
Happy Thanksgiving – US Holiday
I wish to express my appreciation to those of you finding your way to this blog.
There are many reasons to be thankful this year, among them discovering my fascination with the Gabor family. I am enjoying my journey researching articles, interviews, books, and films about the Gabors. These women were so much more than the images projected to the public.
Jolie Gabor: Both a product of and a woman ahead of her time. She built successful business in two countries in a time when women stayed at home.
Magda Gabor: The least known of the sisters, she was a true hero. Her actions saved lives in World War II.
Zsa Zsa Gabor: Confident, out-spoken, fiery. There are so many stories about her bad behavior and many marriages. Yet, there are blogs and comments scattered about the web describing her friendliness and generosity.
Eva: My favorite Gabor. Very driven and underrated as an actress. I love the sense of self she presented in interviews during her latter years.
I hope those of you celebrating Thanksgiving have a wonderful day (I hope the rest of you also have a great day). Let me know who is your favorite Gabor and why. I’d love to discuss.
Happy Birthday, Jolie Gabor
On September 30, 1897( or 1896 or 1900 or 1930, does it really matter?), Jolie Gabor Szigethy (Janke Tilleman) was born in Budapest.
Jolie loved parties. She was quoted as saying, “Maybe you wonder why always I go to so many parties,” she said to me in a touching confidence. “You have many parties yet ahead. I, not so many.”
Take some time today to find your own party and celebrate the birth of Mama Gabor.
Jolie Gabor
Jolie Gabor is the mother of Eva, Zsa Zsa, and Magda. She was born Janka Tillman on September 30, 1896 in Budapest, Hungary. Jolie was married three times to Vilmos Gabor (father to Eva, Zsa Zsa, and Magda), Howard Peter Christman, and Count Odon Szigethy.
Jolie had a string of jewelry shops in Hungary, which she was forced to close during the German Occupation in WW2. She opened a shop in New York shortly after immigrating to the US. Later, she opened a shop in Palm Springs.
Jolie passed away at the age of 100 on April 1, 1997.