Why
California cuisine
is special

California cuisine is an energizing, relatively new cooking style that has influenced cooks and diners around the nation.

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The six pillars that
collectively define
California cuisine

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Fresh quality ingredients

California cuisine chefs use ingredients that are fresh and from trusted, quality local farmers and ranchers.

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Innovative

Cooks are encouraged to try new combinations of ingredients, even if it seems odd to mainstream America.

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Unbound by written recipes

One seldom prepares anything exactly the same way twice. Because of this, it is difficult to create a meaningful compendium of truly iconic California cuisine recipes.

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Preserving character

Cooks try to maintain an ingredient's look and natural flavor. In doing the latter, they avoid using too many ingredients in the same dish.

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Presentation

Presentation and taste are on equal footing - colors, shapes and other visuals count highly.

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Quick-and-easy

Backyard grilling is a California passion and cooks prefer fast, not slow cooking. This explains why grilling is far more popular than roasting or charcoal-barbecuing meats.

Vegetables are more likely to be quickly steamed or parboiled than braised or stewed (and may seem undercooked by national values). Sauces tend to be simple, not involved.

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Click

California cuisine - Page two

for more pointers

What's good, what's bad about it

Creole & Cajun

Hawaiian

New England

Soul Food

Southern

Southwestern

Tex Mex + New York Ethnic

Penn Dutch + Midwest farm

Native American

Cowboy + Pioneer

American city specialties

World cuisines

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Clickable
American cuisine map

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©2012 HQP - Hillman Quality Publications / hillmanwonders.com