Nearly 40 years ago, this eponymous club decided to collect and print recipes from its members in celebration of the Golden Age of Carmel Valley and the women who lived, and worked here, sustained its growth, supported its schools, ran many of its businesses, celebrated its successes and established its reputation as a no-nonsense, live on the edge, can-do group of individuals with a different take from the rest of the world. These Valley ladies, as they were known, knew how to celebrate! They knew what to do with the products their husbands brought home, especially from the hunt. In many cases, game of a different hue. And they documented the prep and presentation
of these unusual animals in dishes that will inspire you—or will at least draw awe. They celebrated their successes with the same wild and wooly passion that drove their lives and interests. Some of the interesting recipes have an otherworldly aura about them. There are directions for brews and punches that would make the heartiest of us blanch. These interesting recipes are contained in chapters for appetizers, soups, salads, and veggies, entrees, breads and rolls, desserts and of course, ubiquitous liquids to drink—or try to. And so this little 1980 cookbook went to press and took its place among the cookbooks of the world, holding its own, and offering a rich interpretation of what it meant to be a Valley lady.
And so it is, that nearly 40 years later, a new group of CVWC Valley stalwarts is ready to present to the public a signature cookbook that will fulfill the role of a fund-raising vehicle for the organization, yet will brim with the same gusto, adventure and charm as the original. So hang on and get ready for a wild ride, because we’re all in-vited to get involved!
HERE’S a fast, fun and facile way to raise money for the CVWC Foundation. Create a version of this iconic 1980 cookbook which will contain on one side, all the old recipes from the adventurous chefs of yesteryear, and on the other, a volley of new and exciting experiments from our present population.
That’s where YOU come in! It can’t happen without your input. Take the time to comb your files and find something special—hopefully unique to our area—that will alert the media and bring new pride to our peerless group of talented women. Current chapters consist of appetizers, soups, salads and veggies, entrees, breads and rolls, desserts, and, of course, ubiquitous liquid refreshments.
We’ll present the same concept in the new cookbook. Once the creation is ready for print, the idea is to plan a formal grand unveiling gala in a restaurant (in Carmel Valley, of course), with a local chef providing a menu for a four-course meal consisting of recipes from the book. We will hope to have a few food critics on hand, looking for a new angle to the old recipe story. The star of the show will be the book, ready for purchase and delivery. This event will need plenty of lead time, and is tentatively planned for fall of next year.
This fund raising idea was presented to the Club a few years ago, and many members have already submitted recipes. However, there were other projects going on at the time, including the formation of a foundation, and the idea was never brought to fruition. At its last meeting, the Club board approved the pursuance of this idea, and Judy Proud plans to announce it at the upcoming Holiday Extravaganza. Both Pinkie Terry, Gwyn Romano and yours truly have shown interest in forming various committees, which will need plenty of people. The tasting committee, alone, will require a great deal of courage.
With ticket prices at a respectable amount, and enough press, this could be a very positive, new event for the club This is not your mother’s recipe book., and it never was, if you’d care to take a look at the original. Right now, Pinkie has the only one extant. But if there are any others from long-time club members, please let us know!
Let us take up the culinary cudgel!
À votre santé!