“Hollywood 10” history with a recipe
A frittata seasoned a history lesson during this 1980 San Francisco brunch
Moving to San Francisco offered a long ingredient list of unexpected benefits. Already mesmerized by both food and history when I arrived, the “City by the Bay” inspired me to combine these passions into what would become my major career theme.
In my early 20s, newly married, I spent my first San Francisco month living in the historic Palace Hotel, courtesy of my husband’s new corporate employer.
Dazzled by my new city and this “dream-come-true” hotel, I made friends with one of the young chefs. “Chef” nicknamed me “Newbie” and trust me, he faced an eager student during our short orientation meetups when he brought me up-to-date (sometimes introducing me) to international, national and Bay Area culinary matters, including ingredients and recipes.
Meeting daily in our chosen quiet corner of the Palace’s Garden Court, one day Chef introduced this “new-to-me” American brunch specialty known as a frittata. When the session ended and I referred to this egg blend as an “Italian open-faced omelet,” he politely corrected me.
“It's thicker than an omelet,” Chef had said, adding that the Italian classic was often served at room temperature.
Fritatta Recipe Meets History
A decade later and newly single, my Russian Hill apartment became a regular weekend brunch alternative for friends and neighbors. When I tied the welcome ribbon around the door knob, it served as an alert that I looked forward to sharing results with everyone from my weekend kitchen whirl.
When I served dandelion frittata wedges to a roomful of friends and their guests during a long-ago brunch, a neighbor introduced me to his friend. At the time, I had no idea about Lester Cole’s amazing place in history.
Later, I learned that Lester Cole was a screenwriter and a founding member of the Writers Guild of America. I also learned that “sweet and funny,” Lester had been black-listed by the House Committee of Un-American Activities as a member of the "Hollywood Ten” before most of us were born. (See note.)
Decades later, his August 16, 1985 LA Times obituary offered an example of his continuing troubles with regard to screenwriting credits. For the 1965 Born Free hit film, Cole was forced to use “Gerald L. C. Copley” as his pseudonym.
Today marks a good time to review these issues and consider how the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) figures into current events.
And as regular Skillet Diaries readers have probably come to expect, we’re not ending this newsletter without offering a recipe related to this serious taste of serious history with relevant culinary notations.
For one thing, consider Lester Cole’s ability to identify most of the spice blend ingredients after sampling the frittata in my tiny Russian Hill condo.
He may have written more than 40 screenplays before he was blacklisted in 1947. (See note.) But after continuing our herb, spice and seasoning discussion, I recall Cole’s broad smile when giving “all the credit” for his culinary acumen to his Polish grandmother. I also remember him describing his vivid “little boy memory” when he “relished” his grandmother’s Dandelion and Beet Greens specialty.
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." ― Winston Churchill
Skinny Dandelion Frittata
1 container (16 ounces) egg whites or 10 egg whites, with yolks reserved for another purpose
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning blend
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 cup cultivated dandelion greens, or blend of baby turnips, arugula or spinach, shredded
1/2 cup chopped or shredded cooked turkey
Berry Salsa, recipe follows
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk egg whites and seasoning blend together in a small bowl; add the egg white mixture to an oiled skillet over medium high heat. Let eggs cook until they set, about 2 minutes. Add the turkey and arugula, rotating the skillet to spread the mixture as evenly as possible.
Lower the heat to medium. Cook an additional two minutes. Transfer to oven. Cook until frittata begins to lightly brown around the edges and completely sets, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven; let rest 2 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.
To prepare Berry Salsa (photo above): stir together 1 tablespoon honey, juice of 1 small lime, 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon each ground: allspice, ginger, mace. Pour this over 1 cup fresh, trimmed strawberries and 1/2 cup each: trimmed blackberries and blueberries in a bowl. Let stand at room temperature until ready to serve.
Sources and Notes:
Make use of the information and links below to supplement your knowledge about Lester Cole, The Hollywood Ten, Dandelion Greens and Frittatas.
From NY Times obituary:
Lester Cole, a screenwriter who was one of the 10 Hollywood figures sent to prison in 1950 for refusing to testify before a House committee investigating Communist influence in the motion-picture industry, died of a heart attack Thursday at the University of California-San Francisco Medical Center. He was 81 years old and lived in San Francisco.
The Hollywood 10:
Robert Adrian Scott, Edward Dmytryk, Samuel Ornitz, Lester Cole, Herbert Biberman, Albert Maltz, Alvah Bessie, John Howard Lawson and Ring Lardner Jr. Link to Hollywood 10 Biographies