Locatelli's Famous Cheese Spread

The Ford Treasury of Favorite Recipes
from Famous Eating Places

Newly donated to the Museum Collection is this great little book of Recipes from Famous Eating Places. The book was published in the 1950s by the Ford Motor Company and contains over 250 recipes from restaurants all over the United States.

On page 223, is a recipe for Cheese Spread from Locatelli's Inn in Boulder Creek, California - now Scopazzi's Restaurant and Lounge.

Giuseppe (Joe) Locatelli began construction of the inn in 1915, and it opened as the Italia Hotel. The dining room was added in 1924 and Joe Locatelli's wife Catherine managed the restaurant.  Her food was praised by KCBS radio broadcaster Jim Grady in his show This is San Francisco, especially her “famed salads with Roquefort cheese, her raviolis, and preparation of brook trout.”

From page 223 of the book, a painting of the
Dining Room at Locatelli's Inn by Amber Eustus.

Cheese Spread

1 pound Roquefort or blue cheese
5 tablespoons lemon juice
5 tablespoons Worcester sauce
2 tablespoons A-1 sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon pepper
4 cakes Philadelphia cream cheese or 1 pound of cottage cheese

Cut the Roquefort cheese in small pieces. Place in electric mixer bowl. Add lemon juice, sauces, mustard, and pepper. Beat, using low speed, till light and smooth. Add cottage or cream cheese. Beat again to the consistency of heavy whipped cream. This spread can be kept for weeks in the refrigerator in a tightly covered jar.

Tool or Toy

Artifact of the Week

This week New Leaf Community Market in Boulder Creek held a Community Day for the Museum. The Museum stationed a table with literature about the Museum and a few examples of local history books from the Museum store, including Santa Cruz Trains by Derek Whaley.

A visitor to the table, a railroad enthusiast, gave the volunteers this yellow object, which they passed on to me. I must admit I first thought it was a child's toy. A plastic, replica tool with which a three year old might play.

But the markings gave it away - no not a toy, but a tool.



This is a Millerfelpax locomotive reverser handle. It is made of Versylon, which is according to Miller Felpax an "Impact-Modified 6/6 nylon." It is strong, hard, and dense and so lends itself to tough environments such as railroad use.

The reverser is a tool that determines the locomotive's direction. It has three positions - forward, reverse, and neutral. If it is in the forward position and the throttle is opened the locomotive will move forward, if it is in the reverse position it will move backward.

These tools are used on steam locomotives and diesel locomotives. Older tools were made of metal, such as bronze. It is a standard size as the tools are required to fit all locomotives regardless of the manufacturer. It is removable - a safety feature. Removed whenever the locomotive is not in operation.

From the Collection

Artifact of the Week

2011-018-0001 - Front
San Lorenzo Valley Museum Collection 

This is a hand-made, hand-tooled baby carrier from the 1970s hippie era.

Strollers and baby carriages of the time just didn't work well here in the Santa Cruz Mountains and so new mom Estelle E. Fein, who wanted to carry her newborn son, Ariel, around on walks and while doing chores at home, contacted a friend who knew how to tool leather.

2011-018-0001 - Back
San Lorenzo Valley Museum Collection

Together they created this baby carrier, with a leather seat backed by embroidered cotton, denim straps, and leather cord with beads and bells.