Mark Preston

I was hoping for more about the Missions - what did the Padres grow & eat? ?áTurns out this is mostly an updated version of The California Mexican-Spanish Cookbook" by Bertha Ginger (aka Bertha Haffner-Ginger, Bertha Palmer). ?áPreston claims that the cuisine of the Dons and the ranchos, the cooking that uses both beans & chiles?áof all sorts?áand raisins, almonds, & steak, vanished, and that this book preserves it. ?áI'm not convinced. ?áIt looks a lot like the food that is available at any casual family-owned 'Mexican' restaurant anywhere around here (Carson City NV). ?á

Nonetheless, I did get some recipe ideas from it, and am glad I got it from the library. ?áI might even buy it if I were an avid cook and wanted to take the trouble to get specific?á&?áfresh ingredients. ?áOh, but, btw, if you see a blurb that talks about illustrations, it's wrong. ?áThere are no line drawings, and only about a dozen photos all together. ?áOtoh, there is a good bibliography."… (meer)