Before finishing last month's fling with The Cuisine of California by Diane Rossen Worthington (see left, attired in Nancy Reagan red) I lost my copy of the book. I found it this morning amid the wreckage of our house, and decided to do a quick summation.I cooked 19 recipes from this book.
Flat out bad: 3
So-so: 6
Good: 8
Great: 2
Worth the price of the book: 0
Clearly, this is the straggler in my cookbook project so far.
Written in the early 1980s, Cuisine of California is not an awful cookbook, but a pedestrian one. No, not pedestrian -- it's better than that. Worthington is a graduate of the Cordon Bleu and her book reads (and cooks) like the ambitious thesis of an apple-polishing student. Just as she projects little more than slick professionalism in that snapshot, she successfully suppresses her personality in both headnotes and recipes. Which is a pity, as personality is what I look for in a cookbook.
Then there's the problem with the book's name. What Worthington writes about is not California cuisine as we understand it in 2008. It is the cuisine of the Reagan '80s, characterized by gallons of heavy cream, fat filets of expensive fish, and kiwi fruit.
Fun to visit. Wouldn't want to live there.
good news about the alaska cookbook. multiple haddock recipes. we can have a cook off in marion. mary
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ReplyDeleteI love California cuisines. That's so yummy and tasty. I miss it crossword puzzle Anyone receive order?
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ReplyDeleteWorthington's Cuisine of California? A safe bet, like scoring well in Drift Boss by sticking to the course. It’s technically sound, a Cordon Bleu graduate flexing skills. But it lacks that special something, that daring drift. The recipes, like a flawless Drift Boss run, are precise but personality-free. I crave the chef's unique flavor, not just pristine technique. It needs some soul.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to see how cookbooks from different eras reflect the culinary trends of their time. This review of "Cuisine of California" highlights how much food culture has evolved since the Reagan '80s, moving towards lighter and more diverse flavors. It reminds me a bit of how life games like Bitlife adapt over time, incorporating new trends and cultural shifts to stay relevant and engaging. Authenticity and personality definitely make a big difference in both cooking and storytelling!
ReplyDeleteThe cuisine of California the earnest summation is the best to deal with these ideas and the services that provide the best solutions we need. When you could try this out you will see how to deal with the best ideas and the services that bring the right results.
ReplyDeleteWow, this review really resonated with me! It's so true how some learning experiences, just like cooking from a mediocre cookbook, can feel like a slog. You try and try, but the results are just...meh. It kinda reminds me of playing doodle baseball. You swing, you miss, you swing again, still miss! But every now and then, you connect and get that perfect hit. That feeling of finally "getting it" after all the misses is what keeps you coming back, whether it's in the kitchen or on the (digital) baseball field! Thanks for the honest review!
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