Pastels and Shoulder Pads
Several years ago, a young woman commented that I looked just like Farrah Fawcett. Flattered (I had worked hard on my feathered waves) but surprised, I questioned if she even knew who that was. “Of course,” she gushed, “my mother loved the Golden Girls!” Fshhhhhhhhp… went my deflated ego and hair. I went from Charlie’s Angel to senior citizen in less than 60 seconds flat. I didn’t stick around to find out my character's fate. There was statuesque, acerbic Dorothy Zbornak; wide-eyed simpleton Scandi-American Rose Nylund; flirtatious Southern peach Blanche Devereaux and Dorothy’s sharp-tongued, wisecracking Sicilian-Brooklynite mother Sophia Petrillo.
The Golden Girls is unarguably one of the greatest TV shows of all time. The idea of taking four women, particularly four mature women, and giving them a voice – one that wasn't afraid to be sassy, sexual, and above all funny – was groundbreaking for TV at the time. In real life, we’re regularly given the impression that being elderly devalues us. The Golden Girls has always been a vivacious antidote to that: seniority reigns supreme here, and its four seasoned women lived, loved, and laughed to the fullest.
These women were at an age where they were alone and were likely to stay alone until they found each other. It showed that you didn’t need the customary, traditional relationship to be happy. It paints a picture of all the possibilities for family. The idea that whatever life threw at you, you could get through with the support of good friends and a slice of cheesecake. They were fiercely funny, unashamedly soppy, brazenly glamorous, and unapologetically outspoken. If there's one thing The Golden Girls taught viewers, it was that all of life's problems could be solved around the kitchen table. There is nothing more treasured than a female friendship, and today I got to spend it with one of the best.
Tonight I made a Puttanesca-inspired Seafood Stew, which I believe Sophia would have been proud to serve. While the 80s can keep their pastels and shoulder pads, I don’t mind borrowing Blanche’s irrepressible confident swish “Damn, I’m good!”
Rustic Puttanesca Seafood Stew
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 anchovy fillets
- 20 green olives, sliced
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
- 1 (28 ounces) can dice tomatoes, undrained
- 3 cups fish or chicken stock
- ½ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 tbsp drained capers
- ¼ tsp dried crushed red pepper
- 2 ½ lbs. mixed seafood (I used cod, scallops, shrimp, and mussels)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Toasted pine nuts for topping
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion, and sauté for 5 min or until golden. Add garlic and anchovy filets, and sauté 1 min. Add olives and the next 7 ingredients; bring to a boil. Partially cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 min.
- Add seafood, cover, and simmer for 10 min or until fish is opaque and flakes with a fork. Remove Bay leaf before serving.
- Season with salt and pepper and top with pine nuts.
- Serve with crusty bread the Italian way.
