American Regional Cooking Library: California

Children's Literature

If California style food is what you want—this book is for you. As you look at these recipes in light of the "melting pot" of cuisine you will see Spanish, Indian, and European seed and agricultural techniques. There is the use of fresh, locally-grown fruits, vegetable, nuts and herbs, as well as quality meat, seafood, and dairy products. As a result of more recent immigration, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine has come into the mix. "California fusion" is used to describe the energy of the "marriage" of multiple cooking styles with diverse fresh ingredients. How about Glazed Granola, Hangtown Fry, Energy in a Glass, Mesclun Salad, Herbed Tomato Slices with Feta, Sushi, Paella, and Fig Cake? Each recipe is laid out in a simple but attractive format on the page under "Ingredients and Directions." In a small insert, the "Cooking Utensils You'll Need" are listed and on the opposite page is a beautiful picture of the finished product. The size of the book is nice for laying on a counter or for propping up. The color and design of the whole book is magnificent. The front of the book contains an "Introduction"; "California Culture, History, and Traditions"; "Before You Cook" with safety tips; a "Metric Conversion Table"; "Pan Sizes"; "Useful Tools, Utensils"; a "Cooking Glossary" and "Special California Flavors." At the back are further reading and information sources, an index, and credits for the author, recipe tester/food preparer, consultant, and recipe contributor and picture credits. This book is part of the "American Regional Cooking Library: Culture, Tradition, and History" series. The series' consultant is The Culinary Institute of America. 2005, Mason Crest Publishers, Ages 12 to 18.
—Naomi Butler