Mothers Club Cook Book

     Mothers Club Cookbook, Northwest Pasadena (1980s?). Organized by Mara Moser in 1961, the Mothers Club began as an informal gathering of women, many of whom were raising kids on their own, either as single moms or because their partners were incarcerated. By its second year, the group had founded an early childhood program that soon grew into a co-op preschool, with funding from Pasadena City College and elsewhere. 

 

     Priding itself on the philosophy that “everyone has something to learn,” Mothers Club incorporated both child and adult education into its programming. This cookbook grew out of a Club cooking class. 

 

Today, the Mothers Club continues to serve the Northwest Pasadena community as the Families Forward Leaning Center.

 

From the cookbook's introduction:

 

"WHAT IS A MOTHER'S CLUB?

 

A number of years ago an enterprising Quaker Lady got a few lonely women together for a Christmas party wtih their children. From this humble beginnng Mothers' Club has grown into an inter-racial five morning a week program in Pasadena, combing [sic] a nursery school and adult education. Support for the program comes from Orange Grove Friends, Pasadena City College, the Ecumenical Council of Pasadena Area Churches, Pacific Oaks School and federal funding. 

 

One of the current activities of Mothers' Club is our cooking class, where mothers share recipes from a wide variety of cultures. We are proud to share the results with you."

 

The cook book is divided into the following sections, and contains photographs of mothers and children:

 

"Mexican Recipes"

"Middle Eastern Recipes"

"European Recipes"

"Oriental Recipes"

"Soul Food Recipes"

"Melting Pot Recipes"

Recipe for "Pink Eggs," contributor unknown. 

Hardboiled eggs are soaked in a mixture of beet juice and spices, giving them a deep pink color on the outside.

 

The specifics of this recipe likely have roots in the Pennsylvania Dutch, but pickled eggs exist across many culinary traditions, as the method is a cost-effective way to store eggs for long periods of time.

 

This dish also brings to mind Chinese red eggs (紅雞蛋) which are sometimes served at first birthday parties. These eggs are wrapped in wet, red caligraphy paper to dye their outsides a similar, bright hue.