It is with great sadness that we share New York Dame Beth Allen passed away after a fall. Beth was very special: a gentle lady, southern through and through, ever so polite, always ready for a good time, and generous to a fault. Her full name was Elizabeth Alva Allen and she often referred to herself as Mrs. Allen.
Beth was the president and owner of Beth Allen Associates, Inc. A cookbook producer with over 40 years of experience, she produced over 22 books for major publishing houses. Beth was highly respected for her attention to detail. Her books were top-quality illustrated books that were well researched, professionally developed, always a great read, and renowned for the reliability of the recipes.
Beth coauthored Junior’s Home Cooking and several Junior’s cookbooks, including Junior’s Cheesecake Cookbook. She also produced The Quick Cook cookbook series and wrote the Good Housekeeping Great American Classics Cookbook. Other books included Readers’ Digest Perfect Pies, A Cozy Book of Tea Time Treats, and Down Home Cooking, The New Healthier Way. She also contributed to The New York Times, Woman’s Day, Self, and Chef Magazine, just to name a few.
Beth was a president of Les Dames d’Escoffier International and the New York Chapter. She was also president of the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance and a member of its board of directors for nine years. Beth was a member of the American Book Producers Association and an active member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She had a master’s degree in advertising from the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in food science/home economics and consumer food business from Iowa State University. She studied culinary science at Ecolé de Cuisine La Varenne in Paris, France and at the Antoinette Pope School in Chicago, Illinois.
Beth was one-of-a-kind. She never forgot a birthday, was always dressed to the nines, was bubbly and enthusiastic, and a devoted friend to many. She was a regular at Carnegie Hall, saw every Broadway show, and was an avid concert goer—the best seats in the house were a must. She was also a superb Southern cook and baker. Beth didn’t know what it meant to cook up a meal for just a few. Cooking for her meant a whole delectably juicy ham basted with cherry brandy, a mound of melt-in-your-mouth biscuits served on one of her mother’s silver trays, piles of crispy fried chicken, and featherlight lemon-glazed angel food cake. She and her husband, John, tooled around in a baby blue 1986 Cadillac named Blue Bonnet, a gentle nod to her Texas roots. She will be greatly missed.
