California Recipes

A satisfying open-face vegetarian sandwich with avocado, almonds and mushrooms.

These deceivingly simple, yet devastatingly delicious garlic noodles were invented back in the '70s at a restaurant in San Francisco called Thanh Long. Usually served with roasted Dungeness crab, the recipe is a very closely guarded family secret, but after lots of investigation, and even more experimentation, I think this is very close.

I came up with this recipe when I couldn't find good directions for grilled fish tacos. I liked the chipotle-lime combination in a dip I once tried so I imitated it here. Choose toppings to suit your taste, or include typical accompaniments such as salsa fresca, cabbage, a squeeze of lime juice, and chopped cilantro.

Tender chops in a delicious sauce are great over noodles or thin spaghetti.

This one really wasn't that hard to crack...The ingredients are printed on the container! The only difficult part was working out the correct ratios for each spice, or herb... But patient perseverance, and good ol' 'trial and error' saved the day. The original Old Bay® Seasoning was invented in the 1940's by an American-German immigrant named Gustav Brunn. Initially, it was intended only for use on crab meat (as there was plenty of it in the Chesapeake Bay area where Gustav lived!), but in the last decade or so, it's used in other food areas, such as poultry and salads.

This is as good as any restaurant's version! Serve with rice and a nice salad.

I have been told that this is the recipe from a (now defunct) restaurant chain the the San Francisco Bay Area. This creamed corn is in a thick and sweet sauce. This isn't a low-fat side-dish for calorie counters, but once in a while -- live it up! Very tasty with a holiday prime rib or turkey dinner. The recipe does call for M.S.G. (Accent) which I have never used. Frankly, it's delicious and very easy to make, even without the M.S.G.

After many attempts and many combinations of ingredients these fish tacos are ULTIMO!

California Roll - it's really good. Serve with soy sauce and wasabi.

Grilled fish tacos.

My husband grew up in southern California, and he says this shredded Mexican beef is the best he's ever had. Use it in burritos, tacos, salads and more.

Horchata (cinnamon rice milk) has been a favorite addition to the many Mexican meals I've had in the Bay Area. It's lightly sweet and refreshing. This is a much easier recipe than the traditional method which requires up to 3 hours to make.

I came up with this recipe after having fish tacos from a street vendor in Ensenada, Mexico. It is the closest to authentic I have found. Salsa can be made a day in advance for flavors to blend.

A sweet summer slaw filled with fresh vegetables. It tastes better the second day after the vegetables have soaked in the marinade.

A personal spin on baked cod fish tacos. When beef or chicken gets tiresome, do something fishy! Omitted cilantro due to personal tastes, but feel free to add if desired.

My family raves about this oven-cooked tri tip roast; it's succulent, flavorful, and even my picky 5 year-old loves it! If you want to get a taste of southern California barbeque, this is it. Serve with fresh salsa, tortillas, rice, and beans. Enjoy!

Roasted eggplant in a French roll with feta cheese, basil and garlic mayonnaise. This was my favorite sandwich of all time, adapted from a cafe at the University of California, Irvine.

Recently had homemade rice milk in a Mexican restaurant in San Francisco. I talked to a few friends and they told me a few different ways to make it. Here is a simple version (I like to add vanilla, but it is optional). Seriously, it is the best ever - and, it costs just pennies to make!

On the streets of Santa Maria, California, street vendors (think an ice cream man with a 'trash can' full of hot corn on the cob instead of ice cream) roam the sidewalks selling corn on the cob for a dollar an ear! They slide a wooden skewer in one end for you to hold the corn. We crave it often and it's become a regular on our Saturday grill nights! Give it a try. You'll be surprised!

Tasty chili whose name says it all! Note: Whole Anaheim peppers are not widely available; this ingredient is optional, and you can use hot pepper sauce instead.

Classic Santa Maria-style beans are made with a special variety of pink beans called pinquitos. These 'little pink' beans are prepared in a spicy, smoky, tomato/chili sauce that's spiked with not one, but two kinds of pork. Santa Maria beans have come into my life relatively late, so I plan on making up for lost time this barbecue season.

Yes you can use dried apricots to make jam! This has beautiful color and flavor. I have dried California Blenheim apricots from Apricot King shipped to me in Washington and they are wonderful.

I loved a local chain restaurant's fish tacos so much, that I had to try to duplicate them. They combine flour tortillas filled with breaded, fried tilapia, layered with chipotle mayo, topped with napa cabbage, dressed with honey-cumin sauce, and served with pico de gallo, sour cream, chips and salsa. You'll find them very refreshing and packed full of flavor!

A very healthy and Hawaiian-style fish taco. For a heartier taco add some coleslaw on top of the mango salsa. If you don't have Mahi-Mahi, substitute any firm, thick white fish.