ABOUT US

People with a passion for food beyond the knife and fork founded the Culinary Historians of Southern California in 1995 as an affiliate of the Los Angeles Public Library. Typical of library patrons, we sought an intellectual as well as gastronomic approach to food, but not at the expense of taking themselves so seriously that they would forget to have fun.

We currently have over 200 members, making us the largest culinary history group in the country, so we must be doing something right.

Our primary activity is monthly programs at the Los Angeles Central Library which are followed by refreshments illustrating the lectures. These events are free and open to the public. We also provide speakers on food history to various libraries and other venues in the area.

We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization which raises money to buy books of historical importance for the Central Library, which has one of the most extensive cookbook collections in the country, currently numbering over 18,000 books and manuscripts. It includes 1,000 cookbooks published in California and the largest collection of Mexican cookbooks and manuscripts in the United States. Over the history of our organization, we have donated more than $100,000 for this purpose.

We raise money for this purpose from our annual dues of $30, the proceeds of our eagerly awaited annual members-only historical potluck, and a series of dinners accompanied by informative talks that we organize at ethnic restaurants in the area.

Charles Perry

President

president@chsocal.org

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

• Members-only events, such as the annual historical potluck held at important sites such as the Gilmore Adobe, the Gamble House, Barbara Streisand Center, the Malibu Hills Vineyard, and Raleigh Studios

• Dining out at ethnic restaurants, often in conjunction with monthly programs

• Special excursions and tours, such as to the Getty Museum for “The Edible Monument” exhibit, and the “McDonald’s History Tour” with Chris Nichols

• Subscription to the bi-annual Culinary Historians of Southern California Food Journal newsletter and inclusion in the membership directory

• Discounts on CHSC products and events

• Occasional cooking demonstrations