“the moody foodie”: brawley senior citizens club 1988 cookbook stirs up nostalgia

written by letty guerra, citizen journalist
edited by sarina e. guerra
website by justin orsino

Being the budget-minded adventurer that I am, I’m always on the lookout for thrift stores, yard sales, estate sales, and rummage sales. This is a skill I picked up from my six older sisters, and it’s a lifelong ritual I look forward to every chance we get. Usually, we all squish into one car, put the AC on blast, and make a quick stop at Starbucks before gleefully heading out in search of vintage, one-of-a-kind finds. It’s a wonderful thing to do with a group of like-minded treasure hunters, but I also regularly strike off on my own. Recently, I had seen a Facebook post by the Imperial Community Church that announced they were having a rummage sale, so without skipping a beat I leashed up my dog and headed out.

I arrived at the church and was greeted by my new friend, Linda from quilt club (Desert Quilters of IV). I turned to my left and immediately stumbled upon all sorts of things like cooking utensils, a few casual dresses for my girls, and a $1.00 garden themed jigsaw puzzle that reignited my passion for the familiar pastime over the last Christmas holiday. I quickly browsed through the book section, and a slightly stained white one caught my eye. “Brawley, CA Cook Book” it read in plain text. 

I opened the cover and discovered that it was created by none other than…

the
Get-Together
Senior Citizen’s
Club of 1988.

And with that, I was hooked. I took it to the front table to pay and told the ladies, “Who can pass up a Brawley, California cookbook?” Certainly, not me! When I arrived home, I settled into my comfy recliner with the doggos by my side and started flipping through it. In the blink of an eye, it was like I had traveled back in time. There were black-and-white ads in it for long-time Brawley businesses—some that are now closed and some that still exist! One was for a local favorite called On Line Video, Inc. 

Memories came flooding back to when VCR’s were the cool thing to have at your house and Friday nights meant cuddling up on the couch with chips and dip to watch the latest video cassette rental for that evening. Renting videos was a process and there was beauty in that.

It was
Intentional.

It wasn’t like today’s world, where we endlessly browse through multiple platforms to stream a movie or show that, if it doesn’t strike your mood, you can keep browsing (sometimes for hours) until something “hits”.

I continued reading and came across an ad for Lewman’s Floral, and suddenly I was back in high school getting all dolled up for prom. I’ve got to admit that it made me smile and chuckle to myself with nostalgia about those days. Back then, Lewman’s was the place where boys and girls would purchase the colorful boutonnieres and fragrant wristlets that you see in classic photos from that era. We were able to choose the color, the type of ribbon, and the flower we wanted to present our prom date with. It was another very intentional process. 

The book had ads for businesses in Brawley, El Centro and even Calexico, and I really enjoyed reminiscing. I glanced at an ad for White Cross Pharmacy and my mind took me back to countless Saturdays when my boyfriend at the time worked at that very store and I worked across the street at the Calico Teddy Bear Sewing shop. We would coordinate our breaks so that we could enjoy lunch together at the Brawley Fountain right between White Cross and Calico Teddy Bear on 6th Street. Who here remembers ordering a “suicide” soda? This was the owner Benny’s creation, where he would mix all of the soda flavors together creating a potion of sorts. It’s still one of my favorites! Of course, I now have to make it on my own at self-serve soda stations.

While Lewman’s Floral and On Line Video are no longer in business, White Cross Pharmacy is still in operation. Other businesses featured in the cook book that are still around include…

• G & W Tractor Repair
• R. Smyth Plumbing
• Kennedy for Tires
• Valley Transmission Service and Supply
• M. Mann Company
• Brawley Superior Furniture
• and Hawkins Towing

No doubt that all of these businesses are part of our little hometown’s history! And it wasn’t just the ads in the book that called upon my memory—there were also names of people I recognized too! Who were these members of THE Get-Together Senior Citizen’s Club of 1988? Keep in mind that this cookbook was compiled by a whole other generation and that I was just freshly out of high school at that time. Growing up in a small town, however, family names are often widely known and somehow or another it’s likely most have heard these names over the years. Often, I knew them because I went to school with their children!

The officers listed on the second page were as follows:

• Gladys Snowden (President)
• Goldie Edelson (Vice President)
• Luvenia Harrington (Secretary)
• Celestine Robinson (Treasurer)

There were 16 other members listed along with “Honorary Club Member”, Mary M. Garcia.

Sounds like this Senior Citizen club was hopping! I would for sure want to be a member. But without further ado…

let’s talk
Recipes!

There were the usual cookbook categories such as Pickles, Hors D’Oeuvres & Relishes, Salads Vegetable & Soups, Main Dishes, Breads Rolls & Cookies, Cakes & Pastries, and Candy Preserves & Jelly. Each recipe was credited with the name of the person that had shared it. While continuing to read, I came across even more familiar names of long-time Brawley residents! Norma Gibson, Irma Jones, Lila Adams, Lillie Hughes, Nellie Celis, Joelle Stearns, Bobbie Arterberry and someone simply named Dee Dee. Below, I will share a couple of recipes from two ladies that I know worked for the City of Brawley Parks & Recreation Department for years—Karin Morgan and Pat Dorsey.

Don’t these sound delicious? I will definitely have to make these treasured recipes myself! This cool rummage sale find has quickly become one of my favorites, and I’m so happy to add it to my LOCAL cookbook collection that includes things like the LDS Brawley Ward Relief Society Cookbook and The Fair’s Fare 95th Anniversary Collection of Recipes of the California Mid-Winter Fair & Fiesta. Some people see the value in collecting coins. Others might collect rocks and gems. As for me? I collect recipes from the humble farming community that raised me right here in our vallecito. Finding this cookbook was more than just a collection of cherished recipes, in my opinion—it was proof that good ol’ fashioned friendship and downhome cookin’ are exactly what make a dusty little place like Brawley, CA…

feel like
Home.