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California Home Cooking: 400 Recipes that Celebrate the Abundance of Farm and Garden, Orchard and Vineyard, Land and Sea
A comprehensive and authoritative cookbook covering California cooking and California cuisine, one that unites several different cuisines: Spanish, Mexican, Asian, and Italian, and that makes use of California's year-round harvest of produce. To pull together four hundred recipes, the author combed through old and current newspapers, cooking magazines, and restaurant menus, and talked with home cooks.
528 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
May 15, 2022
Blueberry Coleslaw!!!
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Jordan, a food writer and prolific cookbook author, has written about California cooking before, in A Cook's Tour of Sonoma (Addison-Wesley, 1990). Her latest book includes 400 recipes for the casual but often elegant food she likes to cook for herself and guests: Monterey Artichoke Risotto, Chicken with 100 Garlic Cloves (40 aren't enough in California?), Bing Cherry Compote. Alice Waters, the "doyenne" of California cooking, and M.F.K. Fisher are influences, and they, along with Jordan's fellow Californians Betty Fussell and James Beard, are mentioned often in the readable headnotes and informative sidebars. Occasionally, California's abundant produce seems to have gone to Jordan's head? Do we really need Blueberry Coleslaw or Chicken and Raspberry Sandwiches?? But most of the recipes sound delicious.
Library Journal
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Gotta have it
I looked at two bookstores today and didn't see it and you wouldn't believe the panic I was starting to feel when they didn't have it in stock (no pun intended) - the thought of life without Satan's Lily Soup or the Salmon Chowder (and I don't typically like seafood) and so on was *just* too bleak.
I love gourmet cooking, and ocassionally take on challenging cooking projects; what I love about this cookbook is that the recipes go together so quickly, I can get the satisfaction of a big cooking project with a fraction of the effort. The flavors are fresh and the combinations wonderful. Oh, and have I mentioned that this is a great cookbook?
Anonymous
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5.0 out of 5 stars my favorite cookbook
I cook alot and I have many cookbooks, but this one has become my favorite. Of the many recipes I've tried from this book, all have been successful and required very little tampering to adjust to my personal taste.
My husband and I now make Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Sauce every week, although in the winter we saute the shrimp instead of grilling.
Other recipes we've enjoyed include Asian Cucumber Salad, Ginger Beef Stir-Fry, Lima Beans baked Baked with Jack Cheese and Chiles, and Linguine with Chevre Herbs and Tomatoes. Next on the list is probably Roasted Salmon with Thai Chile Sauce. If you like simple recipes that use a variety of flavors and fresh ingredients, you should buy this cookbook. It will keep you busy for a long time trying out all the different recipes and you'll probably find a few favorites of your own.
Stevie
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Her Major books
A Cook's Tour of Sonoma 1990
The Good Cook's Book of Oil and Vinegar 1992
The Good Cook's Book of Mustard 1994
The Good Cook's Book of Tomatoes 1995
Polenta 1997
California Home Cooking 1997
Salt and Pepper 1999
The San Francisco Seafood Cookbook 2000
The New Cook's Tour of Sonoma 2000
The BLT Cookbook 2003
More than Meatballs 2014
A Sensual Tour: A Readers Bibliography to the Works of MFK Fisher (in preparation)
---
Jordan, a food writer and prolific cookbook author, has written about California cooking before, in A Cook's Tour of Sonoma (Addison-Wesley, 1990). Her latest book includes 400 recipes for the casual but often elegant food she likes to cook for herself and guests: Monterey Artichoke Risotto, Chicken with 100 Garlic Cloves (40 aren't enough in California?), Bing Cherry Compote. Alice Waters, the "doyenne" of California cooking, and M.F.K. Fisher are influences, and they, along with Jordan's fellow Californians Betty Fussell and James Beard, are mentioned often in the readable headnotes and informative sidebars. Occasionally, California's abundant produce seems to have gone to Jordan's head? Do we really need Blueberry Coleslaw or Chicken and Raspberry Sandwiches?? But most of the recipes sound delicious.
Library Journal
---
Gotta have it
I looked at two bookstores today and didn't see it and you wouldn't believe the panic I was starting to feel when they didn't have it in stock (no pun intended) - the thought of life without Satan's Lily Soup or the Salmon Chowder (and I don't typically like seafood) and so on was *just* too bleak.
I love gourmet cooking, and ocassionally take on challenging cooking projects; what I love about this cookbook is that the recipes go together so quickly, I can get the satisfaction of a big cooking project with a fraction of the effort. The flavors are fresh and the combinations wonderful. Oh, and have I mentioned that this is a great cookbook?
Anonymous
---
5.0 out of 5 stars my favorite cookbook
I cook alot and I have many cookbooks, but this one has become my favorite. Of the many recipes I've tried from this book, all have been successful and required very little tampering to adjust to my personal taste.
My husband and I now make Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Sauce every week, although in the winter we saute the shrimp instead of grilling.
Other recipes we've enjoyed include Asian Cucumber Salad, Ginger Beef Stir-Fry, Lima Beans baked Baked with Jack Cheese and Chiles, and Linguine with Chevre Herbs and Tomatoes. Next on the list is probably Roasted Salmon with Thai Chile Sauce. If you like simple recipes that use a variety of flavors and fresh ingredients, you should buy this cookbook. It will keep you busy for a long time trying out all the different recipes and you'll probably find a few favorites of your own.
Stevie
---
Her Major books
A Cook's Tour of Sonoma 1990
The Good Cook's Book of Oil and Vinegar 1992
The Good Cook's Book of Mustard 1994
The Good Cook's Book of Tomatoes 1995
Polenta 1997
California Home Cooking 1997
Salt and Pepper 1999
The San Francisco Seafood Cookbook 2000
The New Cook's Tour of Sonoma 2000
The BLT Cookbook 2003
More than Meatballs 2014
A Sensual Tour: A Readers Bibliography to the Works of MFK Fisher (in preparation)
May 22, 2016
I can't say this is an authoritative guide to Californian cooking, but it is quite large and has some references too.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews