California and Hawaiian Cuisine

California and Hawaiian cusines are uniquely different from one another, but the regions are similar in climate and share many of the same agricultural products.  California and Hawaiian cuisines are presented together in this chapter because, geographically, Hawaii is closer to California than other regions of America. 

California:

California with respect to America as a whole has a relatively young cuisine, the foundation of which is innovation.  California is geographically the third largest state in America, and has the largest population.  It has a wide variety of climates and geography making it well suited for growing and raising foods of all kinds.  In addition, California is the home of the largest irrigation systems built in America, allowing farmers even in the most remote deserts the opportunity to raise and harvest significant quality crops.
Many peoples and cultures have impacted the cuisine of California, starting with the Spanish, whose cuisine had already changed from its original form over the more than 200 years of interaction with the natives of South and Central America before coming to California.  The Gold Rush of the mid-1800’s brought immigrants of varied ethnic backgrounds from all points of the continent seeking fortune, and laid the foundation for the cultural and culinary diversity California is known for today.
The San Francisco Bay area is a perfect example of diversity in both cuisine as well as culture.  The first restaurant to open in San Francisco was the Tadich Grill, which was founded in 1849 by three Croatian immigrants and featured grilled seafood and dishes such as cioppino.  Italian fisherman who settled in the North Beach area in the late 1800’s brought the tradition of hearty Italian cooking.  The first Italian restaurant opened in San Francisco was Fior d’Italia in 1886.  Nearby in Chinatown, Asian influences from Korea, Japan, China, Thailand, and Vietnam are evident in the different cooking styles. Not far away are predominantly German, Russian, and Polish neighborhoods, which add their own cultural influences to the area’s cuisine.  Needless to say, the Spanish influence had the first and largest impact on California cuisine as a whole due to the close proximity of Mexico and other Latin American countries, and the large quantity of Hispanic residents who immigrated to California over the last three centuries.
Many of today’s common food staples have their origin in California.  One such example is the orange.  The first orange grove of any size was planted in 1804 at the San Gabriel Mission, east of Los Angeles, by a group of Franciscan Monks.  The seedlings from the Mission were then used to plant several of California’s first sizeable crops, including the first commercial crop in 1841.  After the Gold Rush the brand new state with its swelling population created a huge demand for oranges, that were grown in the region.  By 1873, orange groves were common from San Diego in the south to Sacramento in the north.   The newly established community of Riverside would become famous for its unique orange crop—the navel orange.  Today, California produces over 160 varieties of citrus fruits including 18 types of navel oranges, 11 varieties of Valencia oranges, 16 kinds of grapefruits, and 16 varieties of lemons, just to name a few.
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 began to take root.  In 1833, over one hundred varieties of French vines were transplanted to northern California by a Frenchman from Bordeaux named Jean-Lois Vignes.  Later, a Hungarian man named Agoston Haraszthy took note of Vignes’ success growing the French grape varieties and brought back from a trip to Europe over 100,000 vine cuttings, representing over 300 varieties of grapes from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, and planted them in Sonoma County.  Haraszthy went on to establish the first California winery called Buena Vista, which still operates today.  Winemaking in California prospered until 1916 when the vines were almost wiped out by a vine-killing root louse called phylloxera.  The California winemaking industry recovered by the 1940’s; however, the grape-growing and wine-making techniques produced mainly low- to average-quality wines.  Since experimentation and trial and error throughout the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, wine making in California has reached a level of maturity yielding quality wines that are quite competitive with many, older more established European wines.
Gallo, the largest winemaking company in the world, was founded in 1933 by two Italian brothers, Ernest and Julio Gallo.  Today, one out of every three bottles of wine sold in America carries the Gallo label or one from it’s other brands.  Gallo is primarily a winemaker and typically buys its grapes from California growers.  At one time, it was not unusual for Gallo to purchase over 40% of all grapes grown in Sonoma County and 20% of the Napa Valley crop.  Although Gallo typically produces wines that appeal to the American mass market, they now own five vineyards in northern California from which they produce high-end quality wines in the artisan fashion.  The largest and most famous wine growing area of California is Napa Valley; however, high quality wines are also produced in Sonoma, Carneros, Monterey, the Central Valley, and Santa Barbara areas.
The largest farming state in America is California and the largest of California’s agricultural industries is dairy farming, which today produces over 3 billion dollars of dairy products each year.  The cheese industry of California reflects the diversity that exists in the state.  Common to the cheese producers of the state are the small, local artisans who make prize-winning, hand-crafted quality cheeses that compete well with the older more established European counterparts.  There are also high-tech cheese factories, which produce hundreds of millions of pounds of cheese each year.  However, only one of three cheeses invented in America is from the state of California and is called Monterey Jack cheese.
Agricultural innovation in California began with a horticulturist named Luther Burbank, who moved to California from New England in the late 1800’s.  Burbank was one of the early agricultural scientists working in the state and developed many new foods, including the Shasta Daisy and Burbank potato.  From this original research, California scientists began to develop new varieties of produce carefully selected for their resistance to disease, bugs, and extreme weather conditions as well as for their characteristics of size, color, flavor, and shelf life.  Although there is a significant amount of controversy surrounding these selectively bred fruits and vegetables, and now some that are being genetically modified, one thing is for certain: the technological advances started by Burbank in California allowed the state’s produce industry to not only supply America, but also the world.
Another California visionary was Oliver M. Wozencraft, who in 1849 became convinced that a 2000 square mile area of the Colorado desert in the southeast corner of state, known as the most desolate part of California, could be irrigated and turned into a thriving farmland.  By 1902, 15,000 acres of land in the Imperial and Coachella valleys were growing large amounts of carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and squash.  This man-made intervention was due to Wozencraft’s irrigation plan, which brought water to the Imperial and Coachella valleys from the Colorado River and stored for irrigation by the Hoover Dam.  Many settlers soon moved to the valleys as farming was made easier and more profitable from the constant sunshine, inexpensive water supply, and rich soil.  The settlers found in this desert area of California they could raise their crops, harvest them, and sell them in the market before their competitors in the north.  Indigenous to the Coachella valley in California is the nation’s only commercial date palm grove growing out of this desert oasis, just like in their original groves in the Middle East.
Hollywood impacted the cuisine of California with the opening of the Coconut Grove in 1921, conveniently located near the movie studios.  Hollywood stars such as Charlie Chaplin, Carole Lombard, Judy Garland, and many more patronized the restaurant.  The Coconut Grove retained the services of a French chef who was known for creating unique dishes in the classical style, but using local ingredients indigenous to the region.  Other famous Hollywood restaurants of the era were the Brown Derby, which founded the Cobb salad, Don the Beachcomber, Romanoff’s, Perino’s, Schwab’s Pharmacy, and Chasen’s.  Chasen’s chili was so popular among the rich and famous that Elizabeth Taylor had it flown to the movie set of Cleopatra while filming in Rome and Richard Nixon was known to have Chasen’s chili served at dinner meetings with political dignitaries at his “western White House,” located in San Clemente.  These first California restaurants learned quickly to provide high quality food, prepared uniquely and with excellent service, setting the trend for today’s modern California cuisine restaurants.
Few culinary professionals could dispute Alice Waters’ role as the innovator who brought America what we know today as California Cuisine. While studying in France, Waters learned about quality ingredients grown by local farmers and used as the foundation for cooking.  She returned to America and opened her own restaurant, Chez Panisse, in Berkeley in 1971.  By utilizing what she learned in France and ingredients from northern California by growers she partnered with, Waters created the cooking style known as California Cuisine.  Due to Waters’ philosophy about food, many artisan producers began to propagate in California finding opportunities to specialize in certain products and to sell them to the many restaurants in California that followed the cooking concepts started by Waters.
About ten years later, an Austrian-born chef named Wolfgang Puck, the chef at Ma Maison in Los Angeles, a 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 well known for his designer pizzas.  Puck brought a somewhat lighter bill of fare to California cuisine and added a fun and energetic atmosphere enhancing the dining experience.  Recently fusion cuisine has become a popular innovation in the California region.  Fusion cuisine is a cooking term used to describe the combination of flavors, techniques, and ingredients from two or more cuisines.  The use of fusion cuisine in restaurants got its start from California chefs, no doubt, due to the huge diversity of people and cultures, which co-exist today in California.
California has certainly had its share of innovation with regard to food and food-related products.  A few examples of firsts coming form the Golden State include the popsicle, invented by Frank Epperson in 1905; the hot fudge sundae, first made at C.C. Browns in Hollywood in 1906; fortune cookies, made in Los Angeles in 1916; the cheeseburger, created by the Rite Spot in Pasadena in 1920; the chili size from Ptomaine Tommy’s in Los Angeles in 1920; the double decker hamburger, made famous by Bob’s Big Boy in Glendale in 1937; doggie bags from Lawry’s Prime Rib House in 1938; the “surf and turf” meal in the 1960’s; and the California sushi roll in the 1970’s.
Immigration to California continues today, with a steady influx of eastern Europeans, Asians, Africans, and South Americans.  They bring with them new culinary traditions and techniques, which will allow California to continue to lead the nation in food innovation, from both the farming and cooking perspectives.

Hawaii

Hawaii is the youngest of the American states, becoming part of the United States in 1959.   However, this does not mean that the cuisine of Hawaii is not mature. In fact, when Captain James Cook landed in Hawaii in 1778, he discovered that the Hawaiian culture did indeed have a cuisine based on the products indigenous to the land and seas of the islands.
It is believed that the first voyagers to Hawaii were from the Marquesas and Tahiti islands and arrived in approximately 800 AD.  They brought with them plants and seedlings, such as the taro plant and breadfruit, as well as small pigs to start their new life in Hawaii.  Other than taro and breadfruit, some of the first foods introduced to Hawaii include sweet potatoes, bananas, coconuts, sugar cane, and pineapples.
To sailors, Hawaii was originally known as the Sandwich Islands and was a stop over point for sea voyagers traveling from the Americas to Asia.  In Hawaii sailors could rest, enjoy a luau and resupply their ships while in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.   A luau is a traditional feast of celebration in Hawaii to commemorate events such as a marriage, birthday, or graduation.  The Hawaiian luau which typically features a whole roast pig as the main dish is every bit the tradition that the clambake is in New England or the barbeque in the Tex-Mex region.  Similar to the clambake, a pit is prepared and lined with rocks heated from a fire made from the stumps of banana trees.  A pig is placed in the pit and covered with banana leaves and a wet burlap cloth, then cooked slowly for several hours.  Today, luaus featuring a lavish Hawaiian buffet and local entertainment are very popular among tourists visiting Hawaii and can be found every weekend at most hotels and resorts.
The sailors, traders, and whalers brought with them salted meats and fish, sea biscuits, and a limited supply of fruit and vegetables, which were introduced to the Hawaiians.   Later, in the 1820’s, missionaries from the east coast of America came to Hawaii in an attempt to Christianize the natives.  They brought typical staples they were accustomed to in New England such as potatoes, apples, salt cod, corned beef, cheese, and butter.
In the mid-1800’s sugar became an important crop and as the Hawaiian sugar crops grew, so did the demand for labor, causing tens of thousands of people to immigrate to Hawaii.  Among the first immigrants were the Chinese, who brought rice, vegetables, noodles, ginger, and stir-fry cooking.  Later came the Japanese who introduced soy sauce, sticky rice, and tempura.  The Portuguese arrived and contributed spicy pork dishes and breads baked in a special oven called a “forno” that was fueled with burning wood.  The Koreans brought garlic and spicy peppers, while the Filipinos introduced a Spanish and Malaysian flare from their homeland to the cooking in Hawaii.
In the past, Hawaii dedicated the vast majority of its agricultural production to sugar and pineapples; however, today with the economic decline of those crops, Hawaii has taken a much more diverse posture with regard to its agricultural outputs. Though Hawaii is a series of islands, they are not totally dependent on the outside world to sustain its population. The soil in Hawaii is fertile and productive, and the climate, which offers plenty of sunshine and rain, provides excellent growing conditions for a number of agricultural products such as livestock, squash, peppers, tomatoes and lettuce.  The waters contain hundreds of species of fish and seafood, many of which are considered some of the best in the world. Hawaii, as a trade center in the middle of Pacific Ocean, reaps the benefits from a variety of diverse cultures adding the cuisine of the area.
Today, the foods of Hawaii are a created through a combination of American, European, Asian, and local influences.

California and Hawaiian Indigenous Ingredients

Abalone: The meat from a very large mollusk found living off the coast of California.  Pacific abalone comes in four varieties: pink, red, green, and black.  Regardless of the variety, the meat is extremely sweet and tasty, but is usually tough and requires tenderizing with a mallet prior to cooking.  In the mid-1800’s, when abalone were plentiful, they were harvested for their meat by the Japanese almost to the brink of extinction. Their colorful shells are sometimes referred to as Mother-of- Pearl.  Today, the abalone industry is highly regulated as the mollusks continue to be the favorite food of sea otters and thus are very scarce.  It is not uncommon for abalone meat to be sold for as much as $50 per pound.
Ahi: The Hawaiian name for tuna.  Ahi is the most prized catch from the waters of the Hawaiian Islands and is sometimes auctioned at markets in Tokyo, Japan, for its popular use as an ingredient in sushi.  One large sushi grade tuna can command prices up to $80,000 at these open-air fish auctions.
Anaheim Chilies: Also referred to as the California green chili, they is one of the most frequently called for chilies in the region’s cuisine.  Anaheim chilies are 6-8 inches in length and 1½ inches in diameter.  They are bright green in color, and have mild to moderate heat.  This variety of chili is also grown in New Mexico and is referred to as New Mexico green chilies, and due to soil and growing conditions are typically much hotter than those grown in California. The heat of Anaheim green chilies is rated with 1000-1500 Scoville units and placed usually 1-2 on a scale of 1-10.
Artichokes: A part of the thistle group of the sunflower family first planted in 1922 by an Italian immigrant named Angelo Del Chiaro.  The Green Globe artichoke plants grow best in the Castroville area, located about 100 miles south of Monterey along the coast, and make up almost the entire crop of the Castroville region.  The heart of the artichoke is especially appealing and features a unique flavor and texture.  Artichokes are served hot and cold, as a main item, and as an ingredient in other preparations.
Asparagus: Over 70% of all asparagus consumed in America are produced in California, grown mainly around the Stockton area in the northern part of the San Joaquin Valley.  The most popular asparagus are the Atlas, Grande, and Apollo varieties, which thrive in the Sacramento Delta region.
Avocados: Dating back to almost 8000 BC, the avocado originated in Mexico and was considered an aphrodisiac by the Incas and Aztecs.  The native word for avocado also meant testicle and could perhaps be the reason that the missionaries, who brought so many foods from South and Central America to California, chose to leave the avocado behind.  Avocados were first introduced to California in 1848 near Los Angeles; however, the avocado industry was cultivated in 1871 in Santa Barbara, located about 80 miles north of Los Angeles.  The avocado tree has been known to produce up to 400 fruits per year, which can be left on the tree for almost half a year.  The most popular varieties of avocados are the Hass and Fuerte’s, which are known for their sweet, slightly nutty flavor.  Today, California produces over 95% of all avocados consumed in America.  The most popular use for the avocado is in the dish called guacamole (see guacamole).
Bananas: A staple food in the Tahitian Islands where many of the original Hawaiians came from.  Hawaii is home to a many varieties of banana trees, some of which may have been introduced from seeds planted by the Tahitian immigrants.  Many of the varieties of bananas originally found in Hawaii tasted bitter when eaten raw but was found to be better when cooked.  Today, other varieties of the banana tree brought from Brazil and China have been planted in Hawaii.  These sweet varieties are generally eaten raw.
Boysenberries: Invented by Walter Knott from Buena Park, California.  On his farm, Knott successfully crossed blackberries, loganberries, and red raspberries creating the boysenberry.  Knott’s farm eventually became California’s first amusement theme park, which is called Knott’s Berry Farm.
Breadfruit: A vegetable, high in carbohydrates, originally brought to Hawaii by the early settlers from the Marquesas Islands.  Breadfruit is somewhat bland in flavor, similar to a potato, and is cooked by steaming or baking.  This is the fruit which allegedly caused the famous mutiny on the ship Bounty under Captain Bligh, who introduced the fruits to the West Indies.
California Roll: A type of sushi invented in California, which does not utilize raw fish or seafood.  It is made similar to a Sushi Maki roll, however, typically avocado and mock crab legs are rolled with rice into seaweed.  High-end California rolls usually will use genuine crab legs and will sometimes replace the seaweed wrapper with salmon skin.  Today, California rolls can be found in supermarkets and specialty stores across America. (see sushi)
Calamari: A name given to squid.  Squid is found all along the California coast and Hawaii and can be cooked by sautéing, frying, steaming, poaching, or broiling.  Larger squid are generally stuffed and braised.  Squid contain an ink sac in the head containing a dark brown liquid that can be used, if the squid is extremely fresh, in sauces or as a flavoring/coloring agent for fresh pasta.
Chop Suey: An American invention created by the cooks who fed the Chinese immigrants working to construct the Western Pacific Railroad in mid-nineteenth century California.  The favorite dish of the Chinese immigrants was called “chow mein;” however, the non-Asian cooks had little or no knowledge of how to properly make chow mein.  The hybrid recipe they produced to approximate chow mein came to be called chop suey.  The Chinese workers ate the dish and eventually adopted it.  Today, chop suey can be found in many Chinese restaurants in California.
Cobb Salad: Invented in 1934 by the owner of the Brown Derby restaurant, Robert H. Cobb.  The salad calls for chicken, bacon, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, blue cheese, and tomato, all uniformly cut and decoratively placed in strips over a bed of shredded romaine lettuce.
Coconut: The fruit of the coconut palm tree originally from Malaysia.  The milk extracted from the meat after soaking it in hot milk or water is sweet and is frequently used in Hawaiian and Asian recipes.  Curry dishes frequently use coconut milk as the basis for the sauce.  The coconut meat can be eaten fresh or dried and is commonly used in baked goods, pastries, and candies.  The most common use for coconuts, however, is for the oil that is extracted from the dried meat.
Coffee: The only coffee beans indigenous to America are grown only in a small region near Kona on the Big Island, Hawaii.  Coffee was first planted in Hawaii by horticulturist Francisco de Paula y Marin as an ornamental plant in 1828.  Marin, who was also responsible for first planting pineapples, had no idea that the world demand for coffee would eventually create huge coffee plantations near Kona in the rich soils of the volcanoes Mauna Loa and Mount Hualalai.  Today, Kona coffee is still picked by hand and the plantations where the beans are grown and processed are named for the area where the farms are located and the techniques used to process the coffee, similar to the vineyards and wineries of Northern California.  Many pineapple farmers are exchanging their crops for coffee as the worldwide price of coffee is significantly higher than that of pineapples and Kona coffees are prized for robust tastes and mellow flavors.
Dates: The only place in the Western Hemisphere where dates are commercially grown is in the Coachella Valley near Indio, California.  Similarities were noticed in the climates between the Middle East, Northern Africa, and south-central California.  The first palm date trees were planted in California in the 1900’s.  Date palms take a minimum of ten years from the time the tree is planted to the time quality fruit can be picked.  The best dates are picked soft, then frozen, which does not destroy the enzymes in the fruit. Lower quality dates are allowed to cure on the tree and are then softened by steaming, which does destroy the enzymes.  However, this is a much less labor-intensive process.
Dry Jack: A type of Jack cheese discovered by mistake in the early 1900’s by the cheese wholesaler D. F. DeBernardi, who apparently left the cheese in storage too long.  The aged Jack cheese had hardened and developed a sweet, nutty flavor.  During World War I, the supply of Romano and Parmesan cheeses imported to America became sporadic and inconsistent.  Dry Jack, with a texture and flavor similar to the dried Italian cheeses, immediately became popular as a substitute for Romano and Parmesan.  After the war, when Romano and Parmesan cheeses became readily available again, Dry Jack cheese lost its popularity; however, today it is making a comeback as a California artisan-style cheese.
Dungeness Crab: The largest variety of crab, found off the coastline of California.  Dungeness crabs have unusually sweet tasting meat, which is very tender.  Although the crabs are found from Mexico to the Aleutian Islands near Alaska, they are most common in the waters near Monterey and San Francisco.  On the wharves in these areas, Dungeness crabs are served hot or cold and are used as an ingredient in other famous dishes such as cioppino and Crab Louie salad.  Dungeness crabs are typically purchased whole and pre-cooked.
French Dip: The house specialty of Phillipes, a Los Angeles restaurant dating back to 1908.  The sandwich calls for thinly sliced beef, pork, or lamb served hot on a French bread roll and dipped in warm pan juices.  It is said that this sandwich came to be from a customer complaint that the rolls at Phillipe’s were stale.  The customer asked if the roll could be dipped in pan juices to soften it.  Other guests tried this and the sandwich eventually became a big hit.
Fresno Chilies: Grown only in California, the chili is very hot, conical in shape, and approximately the same size as a jalapeño.  Fresno chilies are generally used to make salsas and relishes.  The typical substitute for Fresno chilies are jalapeño or serrano chilies. The heat of Fresno chilies is rated with 5000-7500 Scoville units and placed usually 2-3 on a scale of 1-10.
Garlic: A major crop from Gilroy, California, located in the San Joaquin Valley, which supplies 90 percent of all garlic consumed in America.  Japanese immigrants started garlic farming in the 1920’s.  In 1940, Kiyoshi Hirasaki partnered with Joseph Gubser from the Po River Valley, Italy’s garlic-producing region, and greatly expanded garlic cultivation in California.  Gilroy is also the home of Gilroy Foods, a dehydrating plant, which opened in the 1920’s.  Today, Gilroy Foods processes almost 1 million pounds of garlic each day.
Green Goddess Dressing: A mayonnaise-based salad dressing flavored with anchovies, tarragon, chives, and parsley, invented by the chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.  Green Goddess dressing was created in honor of George Arliss, a guest of the hotel, who was starring in the play The Green Goddess, being performed in the city.
Guacamole: A dish made from the mashed pulp of avocados, mixed with herbs, seasonings, and sometimes tomatoes and onions.  In California, recipes for guacamole are passed down from generation to generation, and are guarded as stringently as chili recipes in Texas and gumbo in New Orleans.  Guacamole can be smooth or chunky, mild or spicy.  It is typically served as a dip with deep-fried, corn tortilla chips.
Macadamia Nuts: Originally from Australia and named after John Macadam, the macadamia tree was first brought to Hawaii by William H. Purvis in the 1800’s as an ornamental tree.  In the 1920’s, Ernest Shelton Van Tassell began the first commercial macadamia crop on the island of Oahu.  Macadamia nuts are known for their crunchy texture, rich buttery flavor, and unique taste.  They are a very labor-intensive nut to produce and, thus, are limited in supply and carry a high price.  Macadamia nuts are high in unsaturated fat and free of cholesterol.  Oil derived from these nuts has healthy properties and a high heat tolerance.
Mahi Mahi: The Hawaiian name for dolphin fish.  The fish has a light pink flesh with a delicate, sweet flavor.  It is best cooked either sautéed or grilled.  Mahi Mahi should not be confused with porpoise, which is a mammal; dolphin is a fish.
Martini: An alcoholic beverage claimed to be invented during the Gold Rush by bartender Jerry “The Professor” Thomas of the Occidental Hotel in San Francisco.  The cocktail was originally named the Martinez and combined gin, vermouth, bitters, and maraschino, which was then stirred with ice and strained into a long-stemmed glass.  By 1890, the drink gained wide popularity and the name evolved into the Martini.
Maui Onions: Sweet onions grown on the island of Maui known to rival the unique flavors of Vidalia onions from Georgia and Walla Walla onions from Oregon.  Maui onions grow on the slopes of Mount Haleakala where cool temperatures and fertile soil exist.  The sweetest of all Maui onions are the Kula Maui variety, grown near the town of Kula.
Miso Paste: A thick paste made from soybeans.  Miso paste has a flavor similar to soy sauce and is frequently used to flavor soups and enrich the taste of sauces.  Miso paste is commonly found in Asian specialty markets.
Monterey Jack Cheese: One of the three cheeses truly indigenous to America—the others are Colby and Brick from the Central Plains region.  Monterey Jack cheese is derived from Queso Blanco, a Mexican cheese white in color and very economically produced in the missions.  It is known that the cheese was first produced in California’s second established mission in Monterey.  One story has it that a Monterey businessperson, David Jacks, who owned dairies that produced a white, semi-soft cheese with his name on it, was the originator.  As the story goes the ‘s’ from his name was eventually dropped and the cheese was named Jack Cheese.  Today, Monterey Jack cheese frequently comes flavored with ingredients such as jalapeño, pesto, caraway seeds, onion, and garlic, which are combined with the cheese during production.
Navel Oranges: Several of these orange trees, originally from Brazil, were sent by an American missionary working there to the U.S. Department of Agriculture around 1870.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture then propagated the trees and offered them to any farmer who desired them.  Luther C. Tibbets first planted two of these trees in the Riverside area of California in 1873.  Most of the navel oranges in the world today have descended from these two original trees.  Navel oranges are known for their large size, sweet taste, seedless flesh, and being extremely easy to peel.
Olives: One of the first foods introduced to California by missionaries.  In addition to eating the fruit, the missionaries used the oil from the olives for cooking, lamp oil, machine lubricant, and even as an insecticide.  The processing and curing technique used in California was different than what was used in Europe and gave the fruit a unique flavor, color, and texture from the typical Mediterranean olives, thus giving birth to the California Black Olive.  Until recently, California olives were not widely used for the production of olive oil.  Today, however, many super-premium, cold-pressed olive oils are being produced in the Mediterranean tradition and compete with their European counterparts.
Pacific Sole: A common flat fish found along the waters of the California coastline.  Several varieties of pacific sole are available and include the English or lemon sole, Rex sole, California Dover sole, rock sole,and petrale or brill sole.  All varieties of sole possess a white, sweet-tasting flesh with a lean, fine texture.  Of the varieties, the Rex and petrale sole are two of the most sought after fish in the region and are frequently sautéed and served with a mild sauce.
Pineapple: This fruit was first planted in Hawaii by Spanish horticulturist Francisco de Paula y Marin in 1813.  In 1886 a new pineapple variety called the Smooth Cayenne was introduced to the area and resulted in the first commercial pineapple crop.  In 1901, James B. Dole started the first successful pineapple plantation in Hawaii, with 12 acres of pineapples planted on the island of Oahu.  By 1940, Hawaii produced 80% of the world’s supply of pineapples and by the 1950’s became Hawaii’s second largest crop, next to sugar cane.  Pineapple is available canned and fresh; however, canned pineapple, common in past decade, is no longer produced as much as it used to be as modern shipping methods have made fresh pineapples readily available worldwide.
Poi: A thick gray paste pounded from the cooked root of the taro plant.  It is the typical starch of the Hawaiian area and is eaten fresh or allowed to sour for a few days prior to eating. (see taro)
Purple Passion: A variety of asparagus purple in color and invented by a researcher at the University of California at Davis.  Purple Passion is derived from asparagus of that color, which grow in a small river valley in Italy near the French border.  Until recently, this strain of asparagus has never successfully grown beyond the twenty-acre area of its origin.  Purple Passion is now farmed in South Africa, South America, and Australia, in addition to California, and is marketed primarily to high-end restaurants, hotels, and country clubs.
Queso Blanco: The literal translation in Spanish is “white cheese.”  Queso Blanco, the Mexican cheese that Monterey Jack was named after, is popular as an economical product made with little equipment and even when only a small amount of milk could be obtained.  (See Monterey Jack cheese)
Raisins: Armenian immigrants who had experience in the “Old World” producing dried fruits started the raisin industry in Fresno, California.  As legend has it, the raisin was created by accident when a heat wave dried a farmer’s grapes on the vine before he could pick them.  There are of course other stories accounting for their birth.  The grape industry, which occupies over 270,000 acres of land in California today, devotes almost two million tons of grapes each year to the production of raisins.  The popularity of raisins can also be attributed to a marketing success story.  In 1986, an advertising campaign featuring animated clay figures called the California Raisins sang and danced to Motown tunes, effectively changing the American perception regarding raisins.  Before the advertisement Americans generally perceived raisins as boring; however, long after the ads stopped airing Americans still continue to think positively about the dried fruit.
Rumaki: An appetizer recipe made famous in the 1940’s at the California restaurant Don the Beachcomber.  Rumaki features a chicken liver and a waterchestnut wrapped in a piece of bacon, skewered and baked until crispy.
Sand Dabs: A miniature relative of the flounder that is common in the waters off the California coastline.  These flat fish are typically between 8-10 ounces and on the eye side are brown in color and mottled with orange or black spots or blotches.  The small fish has a very sweet flesh with a fine texture and is generally prepared by pan or deep-frying.
Shirley Temple: A non-alcoholic cocktail, named after the child actress of the same name, designed for children by a bartender at the Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood in the 1930’s.  The drink calls for lemon-lime soda mixed with ginger ale and grenadine and is typically garnished with a cherry.  Over the years, numerous names have been attached to the beverage, which are driven by the popularity of children’s movies and has been called everything from the Roy Rogers to the Buzz Lightyear, depending which characters are most popular among children.
Smoothie: A health drink derived from the health craze of California in the 1950’s and typically found in juice bars.  Recipes for smoothies vary; however, the essential ingredients include whole fruit, fruit juice, and yogurt, which are blended together and served in tall glasses.
Sourdough Bread: A uniquely flavored bread originally made in the San Francisco Bay area beginning in 1849 by French baker Louis Boudin.  Boudin’s bread had a chewy texture, crisp crust, and a very distinctive sour flavor.  It is said that the texture and flavor of sourdough bread cannot be replicated outside of the San Francisco area, even if the exact recipe is followed using all ingredients as well as some of the original starter, procured from San Francisco.  The local bakers say that this is due to a combination of the area’s air, fog, and bay—unique to San Francisco.
Sourdough Starter A fermented leavener made from a paste of flour and water activated by yeast and used to make sourdough bread.  Sourdough starter was so valuable to miners and prospectors, who were sustained in the wilderness by sourdough bread, that they carried it in a pouch hung from their necks.  Many times these miners and prospectors were called sourdoughs due to this fact.  Sourdough starter is usually used over and over again.  Each time a batch of sourdough bread is made, a portion of the dough is reserved and then mixed with water and a little salt and added to the next batch of dough in order to make it rise.  The process is repeated over and over again.  The Boudin bakery in San Francisco, which started making sourdough bread in 1849, claims that its bread made today still uses a sourdough starter directly descended from the original batch of sourdough bread. (see sourdough bread)
Sugar: It is believed that the first sugar came to Hawaii by early settlers from the South Pacific and that it was used as a food as well as a medicine.  In 1778, when Captain Cook arrived in Hawaii, sugar was already being cultivated extensively by the Hawaiians.  The worldwide popularity of cane sugar created significant growth of this industry in Hawaii from 1852 to 1930 sending almost 500,000 immigrants to Hawaii during this time to farm and process sugar.  Sugar soon became Hawaii’s main export crop.  The sugar industry peaked about 1965.  Today, the sugar industry in Hawaii has steadily declined resulting from decades of decreases in the worldwide price of sugar as a commodity.
Sushi: A Japanese, bite-sized rice and fish preparation popularized in America by Californians.  Two main varieties of sushi exist: Maki and Niguri.  Sushi Maki calls for sweet, sticky rice that is rolled in seaweed with raw fish, seafood, and/or vegetables and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Niguri Sushi has pieces of raw fish or seafood decoratively placed on top of an oblong log of sweet, sticky rice.  Sushi needs to be served freshly made and from the highest quality fish or seafood available.  It is typically served with soy sauce, pickled ginger slices, and wasabi, a Japanese green horseradish.
Table Grapes: About one third of the fruit and nut revenues from California come from table grapes.  The Thompson seedless grape, which is native to Iran in the Middle East, took its name in America from an Englishman named William Thompson, who planted the grapes in the Sacramento Valley in the 1860’s.  Today, table grapes are extensively grown from the Mexican border to many parts of the San Joaquin Valley with over 500,000 acres of land devoted to growing table grapes.  Many popular table grape varieties are available from this region and include Ribier, Flame, Emperor, Red Globe, and Calmeria.
Taro: One of the oldest food crops in the world. It is believed that the taro plant made its way to Hawaii from somewhere in Southeast Asia and was brought to the area by Polynesian immigrants who extensively cultivated taro plants. Since the late 1700’s, taro root was the basic sustenance for Hawaiians and the basis for a starch called poi, which is made from cooking the root and then pounding it into a paste. (See poi)  The roots from inland varieties of the plant are sometimes steamed or baked and eaten like potatoes or are sliced thin and deep-fried like potato chips.  The leaves and stalks can be cooked like a vegetable and have a flavor similar to chard or spinach.
Ti Leaves: Smooth green leaves from the ti plant.  Originally ti leaves were steamed and chewed for their sweet flavor similar to sugar cane.  Ti leaves were also used to thatch roofs, make sandals, and as a medicine.  A strong alcoholic beverage called okolehao is made like beer and uses the roots of the ti plant as its base.  Today, the most important cooking use for ti leaves is as a wrapper for foods to be steamed.  A traditional Hawaiian dish using this technique is laulau, which wraps a package of taro leaves, pork, and fish in a ti leaf to be steamed.
Valencia Oranges: A variety of orange originally from Spain and grown in large quantities in southern California, specifically Riverside, San Bernadino, Orange, Ventura, and Tulare counties.  The Valencia orange is best known for its flavorful juice and is one of two orange crops representing over 95% of the entire California orange crop production.  The other main variety produced in California is the navel orange.
Wine Grapes: Approximately twenty varieties of grapes are used today by California wine-makers and are planted on more than 350,000 acres of land primarily on the north and central coasts.  For the production of white wines, the most commonly grown grape varieties are the Chardonnay, French Colombard, Chenin Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.  For the production of red wines, the most common grape varieties utilized are the Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Barbera grapes. (See wine)
Zombie: An alcoholic beverage invented in the 1940’s at the California restaurant Don the Beachcomber.  The cocktail calls for three varieties of rum blended with ice, apricot brandy, and orange, pineapple, and lime juices.  151 proof rum is typically floated on top of the beverage and ignited just before serving.

Menus from California and Hawaiian Cuisine

Menu One

Cream of Garlic Soup

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Baby Greens with Warm Goat Cheese and Walnut Vinaigrette

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Sautéed Petaluma Duck Breast with Port Wine Reduction

Carmel Valley Winter Ragout

Spicy Roasted Eggplant

Pasta with Capers, Olives, and Pine Nuts

Menu Two

Chilled Castroville Artichoke with Confetti Vinaigrette

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Caesar Salad

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San Francisco Cioppino

Potato-Rosemary Focaccia

Menu Three

Chilled Avocado and Cucumber Soup

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Deep-Fried Monterey Bay Calamari with Lemon Butter Sauce

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Grilled Ahi Tuna with Flat Parsley and Orange Sauce

Chinese Long Beans with Sesame Seeds

Steamed California Vegetables

Monterey Jack and Green Chili Polenta