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The Barbara Ann Cohen Katz Memorial Fund
Little and Big Things You Might Not Have Known About Our Mom
- She was the first left-handed graduate of Forsyth Dental College of Tufts University. She almost didn’t get admitted because of her left-handedness until she committed to practice right-handed.
- She dated Ali Khan. But he wasn’t the "nice Jewish boy" from the neighborhood her parents had hoped for so that ended quickly.
- President John F. Kennedy spotted Mom in a crowd holding little Debbie in her arms and he came by to say hi, remembering her as a former neighbor from Brookline, Mass. and gave Debbie a big hug.
- Because she was often mistaken for Jackie O. lots of lines immediately got shortened like at Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park when police officers profusely apologized for not recognizing her on line and admitted her post-haste.
- She was one of the original women of distinction in the wine, food and hospitality industry to be inaugurated into Les Dames d’Escoffier of New York. Additionally she held memberships and titles in The International Wine and Food Society, The Wine and Food Society of New York, The International German Wine Society and The German Wine Society of New York, La Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, and Les Tastevins to name a few.
- Her baking feats of extraordinary distinction included a Dobish torte each year for Debbie’s birthday and Dacquoise for Nancy’s—both eight layers of complete wickedness that took days to mastermind but were soooo worth it.
- A typical site in our kitchen was homemade caramel dangling from a broomstick balanced between two countertops to dry; hand cranked gefilte fish; matzo balls made from scratch; fresh ground horse radish that got hotter each Passover and brought guests to tears as they reached for their crystal water goblet; masterfully crafted eight course meals while everyone else we knew was eating pizza for dinner.
- Aaaah yes let’s not forget the "pistachio years" when she worked with the California Pistachio Commission creating recipes to help them market better: pistachio chicken, pistachio stuffing, pistachio muffins, pistachio bread, pistachio pudding… they were everywhere and they were yummy!
- She held court with Moshe Dayan on one of her many trips to Israel. Her favorite place to travel though was Morocco and loved to "negotiate" at the bazaar. Nancy still has a magic carpet that flies supposedly.
- She took Debbie at age 5 and five of her little friends tethered together by rope to the Beatles concert at Shea stadium while seven months pregnancy with Nancy.
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