In the 1989 Boca Beacon article, Pete
reported that he came to the island at the age
of three in 1928. His father, J.E. Hawkins, was
an electrical contractor. Pete recalled a story
about the 1920s, when the “island’s power
plant would blink its lights at a quarter to 11
to warn residents that they had 15 minutes
before power would be shut off until 6 a.m.
the next morning. During the Depression,
electricity cost 15 cents per kilowatt-hour,
compared with a much cheaper six cents
nowadays” (in 1989).
“People collected rainwater in wooden
cisterns to be used for drinking, because the
well water on the surface was so brackish.
To keep the mosquitos away from the open
water tanks, some people would pour
kerosene in the tanks. The kerosene would
fl oat on top and wouldn’t disturb your water.”
Helen Betty’s grandparents, John and
Mary Riley, continued to live on the island as
their children and grandchildren grew older.
82 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE • November/December • 2021
John Riley ran the theater and his daughters
worked there as well. Aunt Ikey (Elizabeth
Riley Catlett) sold the tickets and Aunt
Marie collected them. Riley especially liked
westerns, so he programmed Gene Autry
and Roy Rogers movies regularly. Mary Riley,
Helen Betty’s grandmother, ran the bathhouse
at The Gasparilla Inn’s beach pavilion. As
guests came to the beach, she passed out
towels and keys for the changing cubicles.
In her 2012 oral history, Helen Betty told
many more stories of the island, including
horse stables at the Boca Grande Hotel,
mosquitos, an island bowling alley, Boy and
Girl Scout lodges, a rope swing out over the
bayou and Murdock’s statue.
If you’re interested in more information
about Helen Betty and the Riley family, the
Boca Grande History Center can be reached
Monday through Friday at (941) 964-1600.
Grilled Steak Tataki - Recipe
continued from page 16
Shiitake mushroom salad:
6 large Shiitake mushroom caps (thin,
julienned)
1 cup butternut squash, small diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
½ cup sugar snap peas, snipped &
julienned long ways
½ cup watermelon radish, julienned
1 cup Napa cabbage, julienned
½ cup of thin bias cut of green onions
or scallions
In a small non-stick sauté pan over
medium heat, add sesame oil and
butternut squash. Lightly caramelize
the squash to a light golden brown.
Season with salt & pepper. Cool and
put aside.
Ginger Lime dressing
4 tablespoons canola oil
Zest and juice from one lime
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon pickled ginger juice
1 ½ tablespoon honey
1 ½ tablespoon Yuzu Vinegar or rice
wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
In a small stainless-steel bowl combine
all ingredients and whisk together.
Season with salt and pepper and
put aside.
Garnish:
Fried wonton
shaved scallions
Preparation:
Preheat your grill to 400-500
degrees. Oil grill grates. Place the
steaks on the hottest part of your grill.
After about 30 seconds rotate steaks
90 degrees to get your crisscross
marks. Turn over and repeat (the 30
seconds can be adjusted pending
your steak’s thickness). Steaks should
be cooked rare. Once the steaks are
cooked, remove from grill, set aside
and brush a small amount of the truffl e
teriyaki sauce on top. Let rest.
Place all the mushroom salad
ingredients into a bowl and blend
in a small amount of the ginger-lime
dressing to coat ingredients.
Place the rare steak on a cutting
board and with a sharp knife cut the
steak into small cubes, and/or slice
thin. Using an offset spatula place
the steak on a plate, drizzle the truffl e
teriyaki sauce over the steak and
plate. With a large spoon, place the
seasoned mushroom salad over half
of the steak, leaving the half open to
show grill marks.
Garnish with a drizzle of the ginger
dressing around the plate, top off with
shaved scallions and fried wontons or
rice paper.