Janet Klein joined me for a look at the life, career and cookbooks of Bebe Daniels.
Bebe Daniels started her career early in the silent era and starred opposite Harold Lloyd, Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. She made a successful transition to sound and is perhaps best remembered for her role in the musical 42nd Street. She married actor Ben Lyon and they moved to England where they had a popular radio show entitled "Life with the Lyons".
The Recipe
Bebe Daniels co-wrote the 1949 cookbook "282 Ways of Making a Salad, Including Some Special Salads, Salad Dressings and Favourite Recipes By British and American Personalities and Stars".
Chicken and Ham Salad
Ingredients
2 cups of chicken, diced
2 cups of ham, diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine
4 firm tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
2 cups of celery, finely cut
2 1/2 teaspoons of minced onion
1 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon of prepared mustard
6 green olives, cut in half
2 crisp lettuces
Parsley sprays
Salt to taste
Directions
Add 1/2 tablespoon of mustard to cup of mayonnaise. Mix well. Mix other ingredients together and chill (except chicken, ham, olives and lettuce). Line salad bowl with crisp lettuce leaves. Then add mixed ingredients, and place mound of chicken and ham on top. Cover mound with dressing just before serving, and garnish with olive halves. Sufficient for 6 people.
Special Guest
Ukulele Chanteuse Janet Klein is a band-leader, musical archeologist specializing in rare and wonderful early jazz of the 1920s and 1930s.
Joined by some of her L.A.-based band members—The Parlor Boys—She and her band have recorded 10 CDs with their spirited renditions of Tin Pan Alley, early hot jazz, vaudeville, and Yiddish novelty tunes, ragtime, and other rare and rustic gems.
When live concerts and tours were curtailed in 2020, Janet kept the musical cheer and “time travel entertainment” going by creating an online series called “Hit of the Week Parlor Party" and "Parlor Party Cartoon Screening Room" with fellow musicians, artists & historian pals.
The Final Product
I opted to skip the ham and olives, but this salad still turned out beautifully. It was tasty, light and a perfect summer lunch! I will definitely be making it again when the temperatures soar and I need something refreshing to eat.
I will plan to dive into more of Bebe's recipes in the future from this book. In the meantime, check out Bebe on this episode of "This Was Your Life" in 1954.
Here are some Bebe Daniels movies that you can find on DVD.