8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 2-8, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Recipes for Living in Big Sur was first published in 1981 with the goal to support the then-fledgling Big Sur Historical Society, founded in 1978 to preserve and promote Big Sur’s rich cultural heritage. Still relevant, it’s now in its fifth edition. In 2025, the group released a new book, Recipes for Surviving in Big Sur, filled with previously unpublished community-provided family favorites, next to a fresh batch of stories. While the first book focuses on the early history of Big Sur and its families, the second volume celebrates the spirit of survival, much needed in those who live in the place where fires, road closures, mudslides and big storms happen often. The new book commemorates resilience in disasters, pulling people and resources together to help fight the elements or evacuate those stranded during the 1973 Coast Gallery slide, the 1985 Rat Creek Fire, the storms of 1995 or the 2016 Soberanes Fire. You can cook your way through them, finding reports from the disasters and personal memories appearing next to appetizers, soups, entrées and desserts. Some recipes seem outright awkward—Calgary Hamburger Soup, Jack’s Belly Packers (pancakes with wheat germ), golden milk—others just intriguing, such as Palo Colorado Canyon Winter Style Breakfast Burrito, courtesy of Big Sur postmaster Andrew Luersen, or Big Sur Steelhead Trout Rillette from Big Sur Lodge. How about Partington Pie with meat and lentils? Or “Hermit” cookies from Immaculate Heart Hermitage in Big Sur? It’s hard to glance over Chocolate Destruction, a cake that gets “demolished in seconds,” as the recipe’s author promises. Some dishes were invented during a disaster, for example, a vegetable omelet improved with a can of lima beans or a mushroom soup enriched by a can of condensed milk. No water, no heat and prolonged isolation call for culinary innovations. Big Sur Historical Society President David Wood—his favorite recipe is the lemon meringue pie—shared that more than 100 individuals and organizations contributed recipes and 70 contributors provided narratives. Another 20 people offered illustrations and photographs related to wildfires, slides and Highway 1 closures. “It is a tribute to a community that has persevered and thrived in the face of adversity,” Wood says. The book is a treasure of stories from Big Sur and its institutions, starting with the Big Sur Fire Brigade and the Carmel American Red Cross Ambulance service. There are stories of potlucks, brave volunteers, unusual Thanksgivings and resourceful animals, such as Jack, the cat who during a fire swam the Big Sur River. Thanks to his frantic meows, he was found many days later, skinny and stuck in the hollow of a redwood tree. There is also a story of the Big Sur library, a project started by Anne Hadden in 1913. Hadden would haul books on mules to make sure the community was exposed to literature and educational materials. Describing the 2013 Pfeiffer Fire, survivor Peggy Goodale recalled how she was awoken at 11pm by the sound of exploding ammunition from a neighbor’s property. “I ran uphill to see where the massive cloud of smoke was coming from,” she said. Radio broadcasts reported that the fire was starting to cross over Pfeiffer Ridge. She grabbed some essentials and drove out the emergency road exit. “Home burned to the ground. Life goes on,” Goodale said. Of course, that includes food. The book project was assembled by Wood, whose grandparents lived in Big Sur and who has many childhood memories from the area, plus a handful of other society members (there are 160 members total). The book culminates with tips, information about survival basics and resources. There is a list of notable fires and highway slides since 1981, as well as “the essential surviving Big Sur supply inventory,” advising on all the items you should keep in your pantry. There is a shorter list of absolute musts, which includes olive oil, salt, pepper, rice, pasta, soy sauce, lemons, garlic, herbs, hot sauce and—always— flowers on the table. Recipes for Surviving in Big Sur is available online at bigsurhistory.org and in select local stores/gift shops, such as Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur. Survival Mode A new book shares stories of the resilience—and food— of Big Sur residents during disasters. By Agata Popęda “It is a tribute to a community that has persevered.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS David Wood, president of the Big Sur Historical Society, shows off a copy of the group’s new book, Recipes for Surviving in Big Sur. Members dedicated hundreds of hours compiling the contents of the book. CLAIM YOUR BOOTH! EXHIBITOR REGISTRATION NOW OPEN Connecting businesses throughout Monterey County THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2025 1:00 PM - 4:30 PM DEL MONTE SHOPPING CENTER EXPO BUSINESS monterey bay 2025 PRESENTED BY REGISTER NOW AT MONTEREYCHAMBER.COM
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