Take a peek http://www.youtube.com/user/RayBayFilmStudio#p/a/u/1/npdimW9nHFc

What Long Beach was cooking up in 1910!

These recipes are a sampling of the 125 recipes from Long Beach women in the 1908 cookbook. Delightfully provided by Charles Perry, President of the Culinary Historians of Southern California.

BANANA AND GUAVA SALAD (Alice Reynolds, General Delivery, Long Beach) -- Allow 1 banana and half a dozen guavas to each person. Halve the banana lengthwise and guavas crosswise. Place all on a bed of lettuce. Cover with mayonnaise, allowing the fruit to show through. Sprinkle with finely chopped almonds or walnuts.

FRIED SUMMER SQUASH (Mrs. M.E.R., Long Beach) – Cut nice young summer squashes into slices about ½ inch thick. Dip each slice into flour and fry in hot butter. Salt and pepper to taste, and pour over them a cup of sweet cream. Eat hot.

MACARONI SPANISH (Mrs. H.B. Root, RFD No. 2, Box 169, Long Beach) – Add ½ pound macaroni, 1 clove garlic to pot of salted boiling water; cook 15 minutes. [Drain pasta.] Three slices of bacon, cut in small squares, fry brown with 1 onion and 1 red pepper, cut fine. Then add 1 pint tomatoes, salt to taste. Place alternately in baking dish a layer of macaroni, then layer sauce, then layer grated cheese. Bake 1 hour in moderate oven.

PEARL CAKE (Mrs. M.D.R., Long Beach) -- To 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar, creamed together, add 1 cup sweet milk, whites of 5 eggs beaten stiff, 1 cup cornstarch, and 2 cups flour sifted 5 times with 3 teaspoons baking powder. Bake in 3 layers [in buttered and floured pans at 350 until layers spring back when lightly touched in the center and are starting to pull away from the pans, 20-30 minutes]. WHIPPED CREAM FILLING -- Beat 2 cups thick sweet cream one day old, with egg beater; when about half done, or quite light, add 1 cup sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla and finish whipping. Put between layers when cake is cold. FROSTING -- Beat white of 1 egg very stiff; add 11 teaspoons powdered sugar. Beat thoroughly and spread over top of cake.

DELECTABLE COOKIES (Persis Bergen, Box 223, R.F.D. No. 1, Long Beach) – Two cups sour cream, 3 cups brown sugar, 1 scant teaspoon soda, 1 scant teaspoon baking powder, 1 cup chopped raisins, 1 cup chopped nut meats, enough flour to make stiff batter. Drop from spoon onto buttered pans and bake in moderate oven [350 degrees]. Though baking powder and soda are not supposed to be used together, I have better success in using a scant amount of soda and some baking powder.

GRAPE DESSERT (Nina Bell Sherman, Long Beach) – Scald 1 pint milk, add 1 pint grape juice, tablespoon vanilla. When at boiling point, stir in tablespoon flour mixed with a bit of milk when cold. Cook until creamy; add pinch of salt, beaten yolks 3 eggs; cook until mixture coats spoon. Cool and freeze [in an ice cream maker]. Pack in mold and set in ice and salt 2 hours. Unmold and garnish with bunch of grapes.

The 2010 Restoration Trade Fair & Fundraiser is seeking participants—experienced tradesmen and artisans knowledgeable in using their skills to restore historic structures.

We’re gearing up for our annual one-day Restoration Trade Fair & Fundraiser again, slated for Sunday, September 19th, at Luther Burbank School, and are seeking participants! For two subsequent years, the RTF has reached 600+ homeowners living in historic districts in and around the Long Beach area. For our forthcoming fair on Sunday, September 19^th, we’re seeking experienced tradesmen and artisans knowledgeable in using their skills to restore historic structures. In addition to our current vendors, we’d like to include specialists in tile, tile repair, period glass, decorative arts, wrought iron, sheet metal/copper, masonry, plaster and cabinetry.

We’ve received raves from many of the participants from previous years, all attesting that this was a must-do event for them, and the result was heightened visibility for the businesses and services, as well as viable customer and project leads.

“I get loads of contacts from the event”, Barbara Paul of Barbara Paul Landscape Designs.  Good Home Construction’s owner, Chuck Kensicki raved how he got “many of his best projects last year” from the Restoration Trade Fair. Recently he shared that homeowners they met at last year’s fair, “signed, got their dream kitchen, and Cottages and Bungalows magazine included it kitchen in the current issue.  What a success story!!  The fair is truly an invaluable resource all around - for homeowners and trades people like us.” Chad Gingher of Coastal Paints adds, “I feel a part of a larger community of businesses that wants to restore Long Beach.”

This year’s theme is a “1910 Fair” with period costumes, music and spoken work. Please consider applying to be a vendor or sign-up for e-blasts as we approach the event date. Contact: info@rpna-tradefair or call 562-219-3516 to determine eligibility.

This post was submitted by Fernando Valdes.

Click the image below to open the PDF presentation in a new window.

Current exhibit at The Historical Society of Long Beach, 4260 Atlantic Avenue, Long Beach CA 90807