Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Product Review
California cuisine--with its goat cheese, arugula, and free-range chickens--took the culinary world by storm in the 1980s and '90s, but as Jacqueline Higuera McMahan shows us, "Rancho cooking" may be the original California cuisine. Descended from early Spanish settlers--known as the Californios--McMahan comes from a culinary tradition that spans backward through the gold rush and the missions to Mexico and Spain. In Rancho Cooking she tells the tale of the Californios' cuisine, and of her own family, through stories and recipes handed down for generations. "Chiles are in our blood, my grandmother told me," McMahan writes, "I pictured rivers of dark chile flowing in our veins." That river of chiles flows not only in the veins of the Higueras, but throughout the history of cooking in California. Beginning with the Spaniards who, by necessity, borrowed culinary traditions from everyone from the Moors to the Indians, and merging with Mexican food drawn from Aztec and other Indian culinary traditions, Rancho cooking evolved as it was carried north through the Spanish territories in California. The Spanish brought with them their favorite foods--tomatoes, squash, pumpkins, corn, and of course chiles, to name a few--and the settlers perfected the art of barbecuing, which was so well suited to their outdoor lifestyle.
What will strike readers first about this book is that the cooking represented is a far cry from the typical Mexican fare we're used to. This food has a sophistication far beyond smashed beans and rice. Olives, figs, fresh herbs, squash blossoms, and pumpkins appear with surprising regularity, and olive oil, not lard, is the fat of choice for cooking. Of course you'll also find many of the dishes that we think of as standard Mexican fare--enchiladas, tamales, quesadillas--but all have a distinctly Rancho touch. Enchiladas are filled with seafood and napped with a velvety tomato-chipotle sauce, quesadillas are stuffed with squash blossoms and epazote leaves, and tamale dough gets extra flavor from olive oil in addition to the usual lard.
As much a history book as a cookbook, Rancho Cooking belongs on the shelf of anyone who calls him- or herself a connoisseur of California cuisine. --Robin Donovan
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Library Journal
McMahan is a descendiente of one of California's original rancho families, Spaniards who came to California via Mexico in the late 18th century. In her latest book (some of the material is based on text from her California Rancho Cooking, but this is more a new book than a revised edition), she offers many stories about her grandmama and other members of her extended family, along with 150 recipes. Rancho food combined elements of both Spanish and Mexican cooking, using Latin American ingredients such as tomatoes, chiles, and corn and European ones like olives, figs, and olive oil. Sidebars and narratives "The Grandest Barbecue of All," "Maria Higuera's Wedding" are interspered throughout the recipes, and there are full-page color photographs of some of the delectable dishes. A unique look at a culture that no longer exists, this is recommended for most libraries.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: Rancho Cooking: Mexican and Californian Recipes (Paperback)
This Native Californian found this cookbook to be so much more than just a cookbook! Jacqueline Higuera introduces you to the history of California through her family history, through the lifestyle, and, naturally, through the cuisine. Besides the historical vignettes that she writes for each chapter, Jacqueline even includes a written description for each and every recipe! Here is one of my favorites which is for the Layered Spanish Potato Salad: This salad was called Spanish because anything that contained olive oil and olives was called Spanish by the Californios... Once, when upon arriving at our picnic spot it was discovered that the silverware had been left at home. Grandpa took us serching in the woods for perfect little willow branches. Using his pocket knife, he pared twig forks for everyone to use for eating their potato salad. Jacqueline includes many of the staples of the California diet, such as enchiladas, refritos (refried beans), chile rellenos, tamales, arroz con pollo, and so on. But you're not just getting a recipe when it comes to this book, you are getting a Higuera family recipe. An example of how this book has affected me so far: I was shopping for the ingredients for enchiladas. Her recipe calls for the flour tortillas, but I am accustomed to making enchiladas with the corn tortillas. However, the Higuera family limited itself to the flour tortillas no matter the dish. Somehow, as I was standing in front of the tortilla section in the grocery store, I found myself debating between the corn and the flour versions. As you might expect, I went for the flour. Because that's how the Higueras did it. And I know this woman knows what she's talking about just by how she warns us to save a couple of the enchiladas for breakfast. There is nothing in this world like an enchilada that has had all night to soak in the sauce. Two more recipes that I want to mention are the Fried Squash Blossoms and the Squash Blossom Quesadillas. Squash blossoms are the flowers that grow on the end of the yellow squash or zucchini. They are a delicacy here in California and, as Jacqueline writes, "It seemed as though the Californios loved the squash blossom more than the squash itself." I can personally attest to that! Another experience that I had as a result of this book happened last weekend as I was preparing for a last minute BBQ at the park. All I knew was that somebody was bringing the meat and I was to bring the Baby Weber. I hastily grabbed my copy of "Rancho Cooking" and found the recipe for Carne Asada. Generations of asadors are probably rolling in their graves as I write this... Whether the meat was beef or chicken, I knew that the Carne Asada recipe would be fast and a perfect surprise. From ingredients already in my kitchen, I prepared both the dry rub and the liquid marinade. Then off to the park we ran with our tiny BBQ, our rub and marinade, a freezer bag, a brush, flour tortillas, green onions, avocado, lime, and store-bought refrigerated salsa. Once at the park we found our friends and 3 lbs. of chicken breasts. We put the breasts in the freezer bag with the dry rub paste and massaged them together as the grill got hot. Then we tossed the breasts onto the grill and brushed the marinade (red wine vinegar, olive oil, and my addition of cumin) on each side. Once the chicken was ready, it was sliced up into strips and wrapped in the tortillas with the green onions, avocado, salsa, and a squeeze of lime. We had some visitors from France who were quite amazed by this technique! Thank you for the inspiration, Jaqueline! The next recipe that I am going to try is the Paella Salad. With a bottle of California red wine.
