Miss M rises to the occasion
C.J., Star Tribune
August 24, 2004
Now that Bette Midler has pointed out the deficiencies in Sylvia Kaplan’s cookbook collection, she can really get to sizzling. Midler accepted no money to come to the home of Sylvia and Sam Kaplan to cook, in a musical sense, at a $1,000-a-head fundraiser Friday for ACT, America Coming Together.
Ellen Malcolm, prez of this get-out-the-Democratic-vote organization, was there with about 230 others, who got to hear 45 minutes of “The Rose,”Wind Beneath My Wings” and other favorite songs of Sylvia. “She’s an authentic person. She’s not a glitzy Hollywood star. She’s not like that at all,” Kaplan said of Midler. “She’s able to relate. She came in and told me what’s wrong with all my cookbooks. This one’s no good. This one’s no good. What good is that one? She loves to cook. She’s a strongly opinionated woman.”
And after a quick examination of the Kaplan property, Midler decided to alter her entrance in a way that required the Kaplans’ cleaning person, Betty Weston, to tidy up unexpected areas. “Betty, a doll, spent hours cleaning my bedroom. Bette Midler was going to come an hour early and wait in my bedroom while all the people had cocktails,” Kaplan said. “Then she looked at the house and said, No, no, I go downstairs and come up. Of course, my messy teenage grandchildren from Israel [Shira, 15, and Hila, 17, offspring of Sylvia’s son Michael Chessen] have been trashing my lower level.” Weston panicked a bit but got the job done.
The Kaplans missed most of Friday’s retirement party at the Little Wagon for her ex, restaurateur Ron Chessen, because of the Midler commitment. “She was fabulous,” Kaplan said. “It was a magical evening. There were lots of nonpolitical people there, ’cause they just love her. You know there are always those people who come to things and are grumpy, always complaining. It’s almost like running a restaurant, doing fundraisers, because people always come up and tell you what you’re doing wrong. Everyone was happy.”
