Kicking it off...!
Welcome to the GC Publications' first born! Santa Cruz Cooks! is a
labor of love (admittedly, often less love and more labor than we had
anticipated) - a collection of recipes from our favorite, uniquely Santa
Cruz restaurants, coupled with a peek into the world of dining out "GC
style."
But enough about the book. Wouldn't you really like to know more
about us?
GC Publications is the result of friendships formed at Branciforte
Elementary School 4+ decades ago when Santa Cruz was a sleepy
tourist town of 24,000. We are Geezer Chicks indeed. We were all born
and raised right here - and we've been pretty much eating our way
around the county ever since. We remember Pacific Avenue's
Delmarette and the mountains of pasta at the Santa Cruz Hotel.
We remember root beer floats at the A & W, and carhops punching out (ka-ching,
ka-ching, ka-ching) our change from those curious stainless-steel
predecessors of the fanny pack. And speaking (writing?) of change, we
remember when a budget-busting abalone dinner on the wharf cost
$9.99.
Looking back, our best memories of that Santa Cruz childhood all
seemed to have some connection to food. And fun. And friends. We
realized the memories we're creating now haven't changed all that
much. Sure, those few dozen restaurants have grown into a few
hundred and our palates have significantly matured, but Santa Cruz
is still about food, fun and friends. And what world-class food it is! So
that, ladies, gentlemen and gender neutrals, is how the little twinkle in
Geezer Chick Kathy's eye gestated into Santa Cruz Cooks!
Santa Cruz County is a culinary melting pot. We have some of the
world's best chefs creating the best dishes right here in our own back
yard. Sure, we could stay mum and keep them for ourselves, but we
believe we have an obligation to share these recipes with the millions of
people who eat out of cans and microwaves every day of their lives. Do
you realize that today nine out of ten Americans still cook with aluminum
pots? And that there are stores still selling coffee in vacuum-sealed tins?
Good food is our heritage, our legacy. Many of our restaurants now sit
on the very land that once grew the country's first strawberries, Brussels
sprouts, oranges and avocados. When those Neocolonialists were agog
over maize, we were already adding artichokes to huevos and creating
the earliest-recorded frittata. And that vaunted first Thanksgiving? Santa
Cruzans were already dining al fresco year 'round! Our Founding Padres
were growing cilantro while your Cajun chefs were still arguing over
how to spell coriander and the East Coasters were debating if Cape Cod
was named after the fish or vice versa. Now, Geezer Chicks are
intelligent women. We do realize outsiders might actually think they're
eating well, but that's only because they've never been exposed to Santa
Cruz area cuisine. Face it, everyone secretly wishes they could eat like
us. And now they can.
But what does make Santa Cruz dining so exemplary? Opinions
vary. One school credits the climate. Another believes the
preponderance of skin-art aesthetic on fellow diners stimulates the taste
buds. Still another contends that with all the wine/weed produced and
consumed here, everything tastes better. (Curiously, no one has ever
suggested these chefs were lured by our low cost of living.) Geezer
Chicks have their own theory. Our research has revealed the Santa Cruz
restaurant renaissance precisely coincided with the designation of Santa
Cruz as a nuclear-free zone. Who knows what subtle toxins and taste
twisters were drifting off all those ABMs onto our calamari? Crazy?
So when's the last time you saw Love Canal Canapes Cookbook or Three-Mile Island Cooks Organic? We rest our case.
Whatever the reason, Santa Cruz County is home to a remarkable
number of creative chefs, a wide range of dining choices and
unique venues. Santa Cruz Cooks! started with
a list of our favorite
restaurants. Some were familiar to all three of us; others were closely
held "special places" begrudgingly given up for the sake of The Book and
the credibility of GC Publications. Some made the list because the food is
extraordinary, some made the list because we simply love the physical
place, and some offer both exceptional food and a unique dining
experience. That original list was eventually pared down, but in truth,
we still have our personal favorites and haven't always agreed. We are,
after all, Geezer Chicks, not Borg.
As you read your way through this book, you'll notice improbably
shod feathers adding their two cents' worth to the narratives. So what's
up with that? Well, for all we have in common, we are three Geezer
Chicks with independent opinions, favorites, memories and perspectives.
But how best to identify our individual interjections? A conundrum.
We considered getting professional head shots, but decided the cost
of air brushing and retouching said photos would be exorbitant.
We considered using our baby pictures. This option guaranteed a
Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval and ensured our mothers would
buy our books by the gross, but was ultimately nixed when we realized
all babies really DO look alike.
Three women, each clever, each a bubble off plumb, but with
distinctly different styles. Hmmmm. As we kicked this around, (can you
see where we're going here?) we almost simultaneously realized we
were kicking with decidedly unique footwear: Kathy, our no-nonsense
corporate alpha Chick in exquisitely tooled cowboy boots; Jane, our
practical, detail-minded Earth Chick in broken-in Birkenstocks; and
Michele, our gregarious, "do I have time for a pedicure?" Chick in strappy
stiletto sandals. The seed was planted. The feathers were then a no-brainer.
Chicks, writers, quills, yadda, yadda. Presto, consensus-o: three
different feathers wearing three very different pairs of shoes. And
speaking their minds. What could be more logical?
It is our hope you will enjoy reading our book, dazzling family and
friends with these recipes, and, whenever possible, visiting our
participating restaurants.
We encourage you to embrace the essence of Geezer Chick life -
good food, good fun, good friends. Enjoy!