As the sun rose in the east, a gentle ray of sunlight peeked
through the windows at the Cobb Mansion. I decided to get ready and head
downstairs to hang out with Paul in the kitchen while he prepared a gourmet
breakfast. As I tip-toed downstairs, not wake the other guests up, I could
already sense the aroma of baked goods. The formal dining room was set
perfectly as if royalty was expected. As I came into the kitchen, Paul pulled
the brioche from the AGA Range with shiny, dark brown exterior. Cinnamon rolls
were proofed in the wine cooler overnight and were ready to be baked. Parfaits
were being assembled in the butler’s pantry. After the cinnamon rolls were
ready, Paul crisscrossed icing on top. As he cooked, Paul talked about
different cooking techniques he’s picked up over the years on his travels. He
loves cooking and could definitely be a chef if he wanted to.
While Paul continued to finish with the breakfast
preparations, two fur babies were walking around when the bacon started to
cook. These pups are well-mannered and so cute. One of them was relaxing in the
living room as I snapped a photo.
At 8am, Paul rang the “Hop Sing” gong and breakfast was
served. The brioche had a nice crispy outer layer with chewy interior. The
cinnamon roll was fluffy and packed full of cinnamon and sugar goodness. A
parfait of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, honey Greek yogurt, and
homemade granola were layered in a crystal wine glass. The fruits were ripe,
juicy, and sweet. The Greek yogurt added a creamy texture to contrast the
crunchy texture of the nutty granola. Eggs Benedict was beautifully plated with
smoked salmon, poached egg, homemade hollandaise sauce, bacon, and edible flowers
from their herb garden. It was the nicest and fanciest breakfast I’ve ever had.
After breakfast, Paul prepared the 1950 Chrysler Town and
Country as the rest of the guest picked out a hat for a tour around town.
Unfortunately, we were unable to partake since we needed to hit the road for
our long journey back home. We packed up the car and we were on our way.
About 4 hours south of Virginia City on Highway 395 is the
Manzanar National Historic Site. We had seen it on the way up to Virginia City and wanted to stop. It was a
little past high noon when we arrived, the sun shone bright and it was a very
hot summer day. In 1942, the U.S. government order more than 120,000 Japanese
American citizens and resident aliens (men, women, and children) to leave their
homes and were detained in remote, military-style camps. Manzanar Relocation
Center was one of ten camps where they were interned during World War I. The
original barracks are long since gone, but the National Park Service rebuilt
three of them in Block 14 to show you what they looked like inside and out. As
I walked through the first barrack, I could feel the heat just blazing through
the walls. The windows really didn’t help to keep it cool as the air outside
was hot as well. I closed my eyes and imagined what it would have been like
with bunks stacked closely together and so many families packed inside. Being
of Japanese descent myself, I could not imagine losing my home and living in a
space the size of a closet. There were no interior walls so simple privacy
became a luxury. Most lived here for 3 years with hot summers and cold winters.
- Tip: When in a national park or historic site, treat it as if you were in a library. Use low voices and respect the exhibits and land. There are many families of internees that visit here to pay respect to their family members.
The mess hall was a building just like the barracks but
instead of bunks, there were picnic tables and kitchen at one end with
cafeteria-style service. Food at the camp was diverse with many Nisei (second
generation) favored hamburgers, hot dogs, and soda pop. Most Issei (first
generation) preferred soba (buckwheat noodles), sukiyaki (beef stew), and tea.
Even though the army concluded that it would be impossible to satisfy both
groups, on January 1, 1944, a “full Japanese Meal” was served to the remaining
5,549 internees including mochi (pounded-rice cakes) and ozooni (soup). But
every day meals were not like that:
- On Tuesdays, they served what was nicknamed “slop suey” because the food was soup-like and runny.
- Boiled mutton was another meal that when prepared smelled like urine and was hard to digest. The grade of meat was a grade below what was provided to U.S. soldiers, even though the WRA employed Japanese American “cowboys” to manage a 200 head of cattle at Manzanar.
- Some chose to just eat rice with shoyu (soy sauce).
Internees
pickled, dried, and stored a variety of vegetables. Root cellars stored excess
from bumper crops, while Manzanar’s livestock fed on locally grown feed. There
was an early version of a CSA between War Relocation Centers. For example,
Manzanar would send carloads of carrots, swiss chard, honeydew, and watermelon
to Tule Lake. Tule Lake would send back carloads of cabbage, turnips, and
spinach to Manzanar.
1,100
internees worked in mess hall. Various jobs included chef, time checker,
waitresses, cooks, cooks helpers, kitchen helpers, and dishwashers. Japanese
American teenagers earned $12 per month as kitchen helpers in the staff mess
hall.
Here’s the
schedule of a typical day in the mess hall:
- 3:30am – Eggs gathered at the chicken ranch
- 4:00am – Tofu staff begins daily production
- 4:30am – Breakfast chefs begin cooking
- 7:00am – Breakfast served
- 9:00am – Garbage collected to feed hogs
- 10:00am – Morning meal served for infants and toddlers
- 11:30am – Early lunch served to hospital, police, fire department staff
- 12:00pm – Lunch served
- 2:00pm – Afternoon meal served for infants and toddlers
- 3:00pm – Fresh tofu café served
- 4:00pm – Garbage collected to feed hogs
- 5:00pm – Evening meal served for infants and toddlers
- 5:30pm – Dinner served
- 8:00pm – A mess hall might host a dance, movie, or meeting
The
Manzanar cemetery is a grim reminder that Japanese Americans died in the camp.
A monument built by Ryozo Kado remains. Strings of origami and offerings have
been left by survivors and visitors.
As we left
the grounds, an elevated guard station serves as a reminder that this was a
prison for many Japanese Americans who lost everything and had to rebuild their
lives once WWII was over.
Fifteen
minutes south of Manzanar, it was time to stop for gas and lunch in Lone Pine,
CA. Frosty Chalet serves up burgers, cones, and shakes. They have a small
interior seating area with A/C unit. We got some Double Cheeseburgers, Onions
Rings, and large sodas. It was so hot at Manzanar, a large ice cold soda really
hit the spot. The Double Cheeseburgers were pretty good for a road side stand.
The patties were grilled on a flat-top making a nice caramelized outside topped
with a good amount of lettuce, tomato, and pickles. The onion rings serving was
a little small with only 7 rings to share. Probably would get fries next time.
Three and a
half more hours and we were finally home. This road trip was filled with
adventure, historical sites, lots of fun, and great food. I can’t wait until my
return to Virginia City, NV.
To view
additional photos, please visit OC Food Diva’s Facebook page.
For more
information:
18 South A
Street
Virginia
City, Nevada, 89440, United States
+1.775.847.9006
Trip was
sponsored in part by Virginia City Tourism Commission
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