The Sophie Cubbison Story

"My career began on my father's ranch in San Diego County where I was born. At the age of 16, I started to cook for my father, brothers, and their lima bean ranch laborers during the summer and early fall (in order to earn money to put myself through college, where I earned a home economics degree in 1912)."

"With one assistant, I cooked and baked for forty men in two mobile kitchens. As the harvest progressed through the day, the mobile kitchens were horse drawn, once or twice a day to keep in proximity of the harvester. This was for the convenience of the laborers at meal time, which occurred five times a day. Breakfast was served at 5 A.M...coffee break with a sweet snack at 9 A.M...dinner at 12 o'clock...coffee break with sweet snack at 4 P.M. and supper at 8:30 PM."

"I did not have mechanical kitchen equipment in those days. All the mixing was done manually. "The bread I baked was referred to as 'black bread,' made from 100% whole wheat flour. You see, my father was born in the Old Country.... My grandmother Sophie Huchting had taught my father as a young man while still at home in Bockhorn, Germany, how to make this delicious, nutritious Black Bread, and in turn, my father taught my mother and I how to make it.

Sophie remained a consultant to the company and maintained her interest in the stuffing business for many years. She was a remarkable woman and a true Californian pioneer. Sophie passed away at the age of 91 in November, 1982, just before Thanksgiving. The recipes that she developed and her concept of cooking are still being used today. And Mrs. Cubbison's products continue to maintain the tradition and high standards that Sophie Cubbison developed all those years ago.