Thank you for writing this! I completely agree authenticity is overrated. Mexican cuisine took on so many cross cultural influences with ingredients that didn't exist there before colonization. (Cilantro, I'm looking at you, just to start with.) So, how far back do we go for something to be truly authentic. Can't wait to read your next article.
Thanks for your reply! It's going to take a bit to figure this out this whole Mexican food thing. A think a lot of Mexican food in America can be traced to Sunset Magazine, but that's a whole can of worms I'm just starting to open.
Marianne Partridge … Her “newspaper” The Santa Barbara Independent is a Marxist propaganda rag urging the destruction of Santa Barbara to turn it into a Leftist 15 minute city. Meanwhile she lives on her and her husband's land grant ranch while telling the rest of Santa Barbara they need to allow illegals and build affordable housing for them because of white guilt. So, Marianne, how about you build this 15 minute city on your 18,000 acres? How do people like her live with themselves? Probably just fine, presenting herself as a preserver of Old California Mexican culinary tradition. Give me a break.
Well, MY ancestors lived Mexican style on their land grant, El Rancho de Paso Robles, now Paso Robles. They were related to the James family and Frank and Jesse stayed with them. I'm sure Jesse was just here looking for authentic tamales. By 1900 they had nothing but sulfur baths that the rich or at least just famous like the pianist Paderewski came to sit in. How the Poett/Partridge family managed to hold onto their land is something for DOGE.
This was a treat to read! I'm a native (but not Native) Californian myself with a fondness for those Californio-style dishes. And your mention of Corning — and olives — reminded me that it's been too long since I paid a visit to The Olive Pit, right off I-5. They sell a lot of olives, of course, and also the best milkshakes I've ever had, which you can get with a shot of balsamic vinegar, which sounds awful but is delicious.
Music is similar to cuisine in this way as well. Texas blues is a distinctly different sound and style from Chicago blues yet the degree of authenticity isn't important, it's what the player does with those sounds that matter. And like with a good plate of tostadas, a good blues number hits the soul.
Thank you for writing this! I completely agree authenticity is overrated. Mexican cuisine took on so many cross cultural influences with ingredients that didn't exist there before colonization. (Cilantro, I'm looking at you, just to start with.) So, how far back do we go for something to be truly authentic. Can't wait to read your next article.
Thanks for your reply! It's going to take a bit to figure this out this whole Mexican food thing. A think a lot of Mexican food in America can be traced to Sunset Magazine, but that's a whole can of worms I'm just starting to open.
Marianne Partridge … Her “newspaper” The Santa Barbara Independent is a Marxist propaganda rag urging the destruction of Santa Barbara to turn it into a Leftist 15 minute city. Meanwhile she lives on her and her husband's land grant ranch while telling the rest of Santa Barbara they need to allow illegals and build affordable housing for them because of white guilt. So, Marianne, how about you build this 15 minute city on your 18,000 acres? How do people like her live with themselves? Probably just fine, presenting herself as a preserver of Old California Mexican culinary tradition. Give me a break.
LOLOL! Polly, you're the best!
Well, MY ancestors lived Mexican style on their land grant, El Rancho de Paso Robles, now Paso Robles. They were related to the James family and Frank and Jesse stayed with them. I'm sure Jesse was just here looking for authentic tamales. By 1900 they had nothing but sulfur baths that the rich or at least just famous like the pianist Paderewski came to sit in. How the Poett/Partridge family managed to hold onto their land is something for DOGE.
This was a treat to read! I'm a native (but not Native) Californian myself with a fondness for those Californio-style dishes. And your mention of Corning — and olives — reminded me that it's been too long since I paid a visit to The Olive Pit, right off I-5. They sell a lot of olives, of course, and also the best milkshakes I've ever had, which you can get with a shot of balsamic vinegar, which sounds awful but is delicious.
Music is similar to cuisine in this way as well. Texas blues is a distinctly different sound and style from Chicago blues yet the degree of authenticity isn't important, it's what the player does with those sounds that matter. And like with a good plate of tostadas, a good blues number hits the soul.
Great comment!