Endangered Treasures
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills
Los Angeles, California, June 8, 2003

THE MENU

The following menu items were developed, in part or whole, from historic California cookbooks and each book is credited after each respective component of the menu.

Hors d’oeuvres

Scuffled Potatoes: “San Diego Cookbook,” Ladies of the First Methodist Episcopal Church, 1905.

Grilled and Smoked Shrimp with Bay Laurel: “El Cocinero Español,” Encarnación Pinedo, 1898.

Ham Croquettes: “San Diego Cookbook”

Mock Oysters: “Los Angeles Cookery,” The Ladies’ Aid Society of For Street M.E. Church, 1881.

A Selection of California Cheeses: Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam, Cypress Grove Midnight Moon, and Fiscalini Cheddar

Timber Crest Farms Olives

Kennedy Farms Dried Fruit

Barbagelata Farms Almonds

La Brea Bakery Breads

First Course

White Celery Soup with Parmesan Cheese Straw: “Joe Tilden’s Recipes for Epicures,” Collected by A.M. Robertson, 1907.

Second Course

Baccala Cake with Pepper Cress & Red Chile Sauce, Artichoke, Potato and Chervil Salad Wrap: “El Cocinero Español” and “Physiology of Taste: Harder’s Book of Practical American Cookery, Volume I (Treating of American Vegetables, and All Alimentary Plants, Roots and Seeds,” Jules Arthur Harder, 1885.

Third Course

Trout Baked in Paper with Almonds, Olives, Chilies, Capers, Oregano and Lucca Olive Oil: “El Cocinero Español”

Fourth Course

California Poussin with Roasted Tomato Sauce, Cauliflower Fritter, Grilled Swiss Chard: “Clayton’s Quaker Cook-Book,” H.J. Clayton, 1883. “El Cocinero Español” and “Physiology of Taste”

Parker House Rolls and Graham Brown Breads: “How to Keep a Husband or Culinary Tactics,” 1872.

Dessert

Cream Biscuits with Seasonal Berries: “How We Cook in Los Angeles,” Ladies’ Social Circle Simpson M.E. Church, 1894.

THE EVENT
The Culinary Trust’s second annual Endangered Treasures benefit raised $18,000 for the preservation and restoration of old cookbooks at a dinner emceed by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger at the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles on June 8, 2003. Guest speakers included the late Julia Child, CCP and author Barbara Haber. Proving that old cookbooks offer “new” inspiration, Four Seasons chefs cooked an exciting five-course menu from 19th and early 20th century California recipes researched by Amelia Saltsman. Founding sponsor KitchenAid again offered generous support, as did sponsors Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles; Festival of Arts, Pageant of the Masters; and Zov’s Bistro. (All photos by Patricia Williams)

The “Too Hot Tamales,” Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger emceed the evening with humor and passion for The Culinary Trust’s fundraising dinner, Endangered Treasures: A Celebration of Cookbook Preservation. 

On display was the only copy, in the U.S., of the extremely rare Manual del confituro y pastelero…Paris, Libreria de Rose, Bouret y Co., 1858, perhaps the earliest Mexican book on pastry and confectionary, which was restored by the Los Angeles Public Library with a grant from The Culinary Trust’s Library Fund.

The late, Julia Child, CCP, exhorted the audience to grow the cookbook preservation project as Stephanie Hersh looked on. Julia’s surprise attendance made the evening even more memorable!

(Left to right) Amelia Saltsman, event co-chair; Justin Newby, The Trust’s Immediate Past Chairman and Endangered Treasures co-creator; and Barbara Haber, keynote speaker and Endangered Treasures co-creator, took a moment to share in the excitement of a successful evening.

Endangered Treasures committee member and presenting sponsor, Zov Karamardian and Julia Child, CCP, posed for the photographer.

Silent Auction Chair Heidi Carey thanked Jim Dodge for contributing to the auction. We owe a special thanks to all of the silent auction donors.

(Left to right) Table hosts Martha Rose Shulman and Clifford Wright shared a moment with Nancy Zaslavsky and Barbara Fenzl at the June 8th event.

Four Seasons Chefs, (Left to right) Los Angeles Executive Chef Conny Andersson, Newport Beach Executive Chef Michel Pieton, and Los Angeles Pastry Chef Donald Wressell, tipped their toques after guests had consumed the remarkable meal, which was prepared from historic California recipes.

Star of the television series “Hope & Faith,” actress and table host for Endangered Treasures, Faith Ford, turned out to be the grand door prize winner!