The Cuisine of California

Chapter 9 The Cuisine of CaliforniaAmerican Regional CuisineCalifornia CuisineCompared to the United States as a whole, California has a relatively young cuisine, the foundation of which is innovation. The third largest state in America and with the largest population, it has a wide variety of microclimates and geography, making it well suited for growing and raising foods of all kinds. Agriculture is the core of the state’s economy and California produces more crops than any other state. Californians’ inclination toward a healthy lifestyle has encouraged the development of California cuisine. Foods grown and harvested naturally, prepared simply, and without preservatives and fats, along with the constant flood of aspiring chefs bringing their culinary heritage, have ensured California has its share of creativity with regard to food and food-related products. Chefs today recognize they have a commitment to the environment, to their community, and to using their talents to continue to lead the nation in fresh, new ideas that change the culinary landscape.Californian Cuisine Cont.The History of CaliforniaThe first settlers to arrive in California were the Spanish, mostly Catholic missionaries who traveled to California to “civilize” and convert the natives to Christianity. The food in the missions reflected the Mexican and Spanish influences in the area. Along with the missionaries, a group of people known as “Californios”—Spanish-speaking people from Mexico or Spain––came and established sprawling ranchos, or cattle ranches, along the California coast. Some made wine and grew citrus fruits, which were exported.The Gold RushIn 1848, shiny particles were found near a sawmill owned by German-speaking Swiss immigrant John Sutter. The particles were gold, and it was not long before more gold was found by other workers at Sutter’s mill and news of the chance discovery began to spread. As gold fever traveled eastward, overland migration to California rose from 400 people in 1848 to over 44,000 by 1849.The rest of the world caught gold fever as well. Among the “forty-niners”—the prospectors who came to California in 1849—were people from Asia, South America, and Europe. The discovery of gold revolutionized California’s economy. The Transcontinental RailroadEven after the gold rush, California remained the fastest growing state in the nation. Entrepreneurs Charles Crocker, Mark Hopkins, Collis Huntington, and Leland Stanford—known as the “Big Four”—joined together to join the eastern and western railroad lines. When they needed workers to lay the track, they hired primarily Chinese immigrants. By 1869, when the railroad was finished, 10,000 Chinese workers had helped to build it. After completing the job, the Chinese turned to the agriculture, mining, and manufacturing industries for work. They lived in their own neighborhoods, establishing large Chinatowns in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and other cities.HollywoodIn the early years of the 20th century, moviemakers found their homes and fortunes in California. Southern California made outdoor filming possible during the winter months, and striking landscapes soon turned it into the glamour capital of the world.Catering to the movie studios and its stars, restaurants such as the Cocoanut Grove, the Brown Derby, and Chasen’s opened and quickly learned to provide high-quality food with excellent service, setting the trend for today’s modern California cuisine restaurants.The California CoastlineThe coastline of California stretches 1,264 miles from the Oregon border in the north to Mexico in the south. More than half of California’s population resides in the coastal region. Most live in the major cities that developed around harbors at San Francisco Bay, San Diego Bay, and the Los Angeles Basin. San Francisco Bay, one of the finest natural harbors in the world, covers about 450 square miles and is famous for its ocean breezes and the fog that rolls in from the sea. The Los Angeles BasinThe Los Angeles Basin is the largest lowland area in California this bustling port overtook New York City in 1994 as America’s premier gateway for foreign trade. Mountains cover most of California and guard the rich agricultural valleys from the intense heat of the desert to the east and shield the coastal valleys from the Pacific Ocean and its winds to the westThe Geography of CaliforniaThe Central ValleyThe Central Valley lies between the coastal ranges and the Sierra Nevada. With the rich soil washed down from the surrounding mountains, this is the most productive agricultural area in California. The great Central Valley Project, constructed in the mid-20th century, established a series of dams, reservoirs, and canals and guaranteed sufficient water for the diversification of crops. The Desert TriangleMuch of the eastern half of Southern California is a large desert triangle. Among the deserts of California are the Mojave and Colorado, as well as the notorious Death Valley.In 1849, California visionary Oliver Wozencraft had a creative irrigation plan that, over the subsequent years, was modified into a chain of levees to bring water to the valleys from the Colorado River. The settlers found that in this desert area of California they could raise crops, harvest them, and sell them in the market before their competitors in the north.The Geography of California Cont.Modern California CuisineCulinary professionals credit Alice Waters for her role in the development of California cuisine. After studying in France she returned to America and opened her own restaurant, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley, in 1971, and partnered with local growers from Northern California. She used a single fixed-price menu that changed daily. This menu format allowed her to focus on serving not only the highest-quality products but also only when ingredients were in season, understanding that the dish is only as good as its components. About ten years later, Austrian-born chef Wolfgang Puck, the chef at Ma Maison in Los Angeles, a popular hangout for Hollywood celebrities, became one of America’s first celebrity chefs. In 1982, Puck opened his own restaurant in Los Angeles, called Spago, and became known for his designer pizzas and specialty pasta dishes. He brought a lighter style of cooking to California cuisine and added an entertaining and energetic atmosphere emphasizing an “open kitchen” where guests could watch the chefs prepare their food.Fusion cuisine has become a popular innovation originating in California. Using a creative mix of flavors, techniques, and ingredients of more than one region or international cuisine, California chefs began creating dishes that both represent and serve the diverse people and cultures in the state today.Modern California Cuisine Cont.Wine in California The early Spanish missionaries were the first to produce wine in California from local Mission grapes. However, it was not until after the 1849 gold rush that the wine industry took root. A Frenchman living in California, Jean-Louis Vignes, recognized the value of the soil and the climate, but he felt that the wines would improve if the European grape varieties grown in France could be transplanted to California.Later, Hungarian Agoston Haraszthy took note of Vignes’s success in growing French grapes. He established the first California winery, Buena Vista, in 1857. In 1861, he traveled to Europe to buy cuttings and brought over 100,000 vine cuttings representing over 300 varieties of grapes. He planted them in Sonoma Country and became known as the father of California’s wine industry.Wine in California Cont.Wine making in California prospered until 1916, when the vines were almost wiped out by a vine-killing root louse called phylloxera.Added to that were the 14 “dry” years during the era of Prohibition, from December 1917 until February 1933. Most of California’s 713 pre-Prohibition wineries closed their doors, but a few wineries stayed in business by making legally sanctioned sacramental and medicinal wines. Public opinion eventually turned against Prohibition and the act was repealed in 1933.The California wine-making industry recovered by the 1940s; however, the existing grape-growing and wine-making techniques produced many low-to average-quality wines. After experimentation throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, wine making in California began to reach its maturity, now yielding high-quality wines that can compete with many older, more established European wines.Community Supported Agriculture/CSAThe idea that evolved into CSA began in Japan, in the mid-1960s by Japanese women that approached a local farm family with an idea to address these issues and provide their families with fresh fruits and vegetables. They made a contract with the farm to finance the farm in the beginning of the season; in return, they received fresh, local produce throughout the growing season. In 1985, the first CSA program was established in the United States in Massachusetts, where it was renamed Community Supported Agriculture. CSA may be formal and legal arrangements, in which members become shareholders of the farmland or garden and share in the cost of the raising the food and share what is produced on the community farm. CSA members may be required to pay for their anticipated harvest for the year up front.Hangtown FryHangtown was a town in California noted for the many public hangings held there during the California gold rush days. The dish was created when a successful miner brought a sack of gold to the local restaurant and asked for the most expensive meal in the house. The chef suggested oysters and eggs, two very high-priced items at the time. Bacon was added at the miner’s request. San Francisco CioppinoCioppino is a famous seafood recipe that originated in the North Beach and is basically a West Coast version of French bouillabaisse. Cioppino is typically served with San Francisco sourdough bread.The fish and shellfish listed in this recipe are our choices, but you can substitute different varieties of seasonal fresh fish and shellfish Tomato Panna Cotta with Candied Tomatoes and Bacon FoamTo serve the panna cotta, unmold the panna cotta onto plates, spoon the bacon foam on the panna cotta, then top with the candied tomato and crisp bacon bits. Fennel and Sweet Onion PizzaMonterey Jack and Green Chile Polentawith Grilled VegetablesBaby Greens with Goat Cheese CroquettesCalamari, Artichoke, and Penne Pasta Monterey-StyleDuck and Pine Nuts with HoneyMuscovy duck has a unique taste: it is lean, meaty, tender, and flavorful. It also has the highest yield of any duck—50 percent more breast meat than other ducks. Plus, the skin of the Muscovy duck has 50 percent less fat than the Moulard or Pekin varieties.