Ranchos - El Cocinero Español, "The Spanish Cook"

The Berryessa family was a prominent Californio family during the Spanish and Mexican periods of California history.  They held extensive rancho grants.  Sadly, the family lost much of what they had once the Gold Rush started due to the murder of family members, and crooked lawyers, squatters, and other unscrupulous characters.  (See Wikipedia:  "Berryessa family of California")

Encarnación Pinedo was born on May 21, 1848, the daughter of a Berryessa, in the Santa Clara Valley of Northern California.  Note that she was born at the beginning of the Gold Rush, which was the end of the Mexican or Rancho period.  However, she was raised in the Rancho culture.  Ms. Pinedo became an accomplished cook and decided, at the age of 50, to publish the recipes she had learned and developed over her lifetime.

That book, El Cocinero Español, "The Spanish Cook," written in Spanish and published in 1898, contained over 800 recipes that she dedicated to her nieces:  "Para que siempre tengan presente el mérito que tiene el trabajo de una mujer y estudien el contenido de este volumen", "So that you may always remember the value of a woman's work, study this volume's contents."  You can find a copy of her book in Spanish here.

I have a copy of Encarnación's Kitchen, translated and edited by Dan Strehl, which contains about 300 of Ms. Pinedo's recipes.  (Pinedo, Encarnación.  Encarnación's Kitchen: Mexican Recipes from Nineteenth-Century California.  Dan Strehl, editor and translator.  University of California Press.  Berkeley, CA.  2003)  

ISBN 0-520-23651-3

Pages 1 through 15 contain an essay by Victor Valle that puts Ms. Pinedo's work into historical context:

Pinedo's Cocinero documents the start of California's love affair with fruits and vegetables, fresh edible flowers and herbs, aggressive spicing, and grilling over native wood fires.  Her book also gives us California's first major collection of Mexican recipes... (page 1)

Pinedo and her book stand out in a time and place where men dominated the world of letters, and those letters were published in English.  She was among that handful of nineteenth-century Latinas who published their works in the period following the conquest of Alta California.  (page 2)

Mr. Strehl emphasizes this in his introduction:

The first cookbook written by a Hispanic in the United States, it was also the first recipe-specific recording of Californio food, Mexican cuisine as prepared by Spanish-speaking peoples born in California. ... Her book gives us the first and only contemporary account of how Mexican food was prepared in California during the nineteenth century.  (page 19) 

Pinedo's book was one of the largest and most comprehensive works printed in nineteenth-century California.  Her liberal use of spices, chiles, vinegars, and wines provided a striking flavor contrast to the bland recipes offered by other texts [of recipes published in California in that century]. (page 27)

Pinedo filled her book with a remarkable variety of recipes from the Hispanic, French, and Italian traditions, as well as recipes of her own invention.  From the recipes in her book, it is clear that Pinedo was a sophisticated and knowledgeable cook, comfortable in many styles.  ... It is clear that Pinedo saw her book as an explicit document of cultural transmission, designed to save her culture for her nieces, who were growing up in an Anglo household.  (page 31)

Encarnación's food was the food of Mexico, brought to California by early settlers and maintained by subsequent contact with central Mexico, through either personal connections or literary transmission. ... While her cuisine is more directly Mexican, it adapted well to local ingredients.  As California became "American" in the period from the 1850s to the 1890s, additional ingredients from the Anglo kitchen became available.  The sophisticated food markets of San Francisco were also within easy reach ... She also calls for a number of ingredients not commonly available today. (page 35)

This recipe collection is considered by culinary historians as representative of rancho or Californio cooking.  Yes, she was born at the beginning of the Gold Rush period, but she "lived close enough to her past to invoke its presence, and long enough to see its decline."  (Valle's essay, page 7)  She pointedly rejected Yankee recipes and claimed, "there is not a single Englishman who can cook, as their foods and style of seasoning are the most insipid and tasteless that one can imagine."  (page 9)

It is my intent to explore the recipes of Ms. Pinedo's work and document them on this blog to show what rancho cooking could have been like.

Ranchos - Preparing Chiles

I have been reading through Jacqueline Higuera McMahan's book, California Rancho Cooking and also Encarnación's Kitchen, Dan Strehl's translation of the quintessential Californio/Rancho cookbook published in 1898 by Encarnación Pinedo titled La Cocina Español, "The Spanish Cook."  Published in Spanish, it is the earliest known collection of Californio recipes.  Encarnación's Kitchen contains a  sampling of the more than 800 recipes Ms. Pinedo published, and I have to admit that many of them look really good.

Both books emphasize the use of chiles.  In particular, the use of dried chiles in sauces.  As I mentioned in a previous post, "Ranchos -- Choosing Chiles", I am a "chile-cooking newbie" and realized I needed guidance on properly preparing them.

Many of Ms. Pinedo's instructions are "grind dried, toasted chiles" with other ingredients.  I had to wonder how I was supposed to toast dried chiles.  What is the technique?  What is the goal?

Ms. McMahan's book provided me with the initial instructions on page 121:  "Toast the chiles on a griddle or in a heavy cast iron pan.  Keep turning so they soften, but do not burn."  FineCooking.com's article, "How to Toast Dry Chile and Spices" added more details:

Heat a heavy-duty skillet (such as cast iron) over medium-high heat until you can feel the heat radiate from the surface. Working with one type of spice or chile at a time, add it to the skillet. Flip or stir frequently for even toasting, until browned for spices or lightly charred—not scorched—for chiles. Immediately transfer to a cool container.

FineCooking also suggests to vent the fumes well because "chile smoke is irritating and may cause you to cough and sneeze."  

Now I knew what to do and what to look for.  I opened my bag of dried California chiles (considered mild for my inexperienced palate) and heated up my heavy cast iron skillet.  

Right out of the bag.  The red highlights don't show well here.

Once the pan was radiantly hot, I placed one chile on it and watched it carefully as I turned it over again and again with tongs.  I noticed that the chile right out of the package was stiff and dry and flat.  Once it was on the heat, it became obviously softer and flexible.  After it was on the heat longer, the chile started to puff up.  

Out of the bag:  flat and stiff

Puffy from the heat

Puffed and toasted

It was hard to tell if the chile was toasting or not -- it started off dark with some red highlights.  I thought I saw some dark brown spots but wasn't sure they were new.  But it puffed and I decided it was done toasting, so I put it on a plate and got another chile.

Once I had toasted several individually, I started recognizing the changes of color:  the surfaces that were in contact with the skillet became darker and looked a little crispy.  I felt more confident about my timing.  I began to toast two and even three at a time, turning them often and taking them off the skillet when they puffed and looked darker.  One smaller chile with the stem fully intact puffed so much that it popped.

I toasted the entire 3 ounce bag.  A few little pieces of chile ended up in the pan and appeared to be scorched, which helped me realize that I hadn't scorched any of the chiles that I was toasting.  And while I had the venting fan on over the stove top, I did not encounter any fumes or smoke that bothered me. 

The next step for preparation was soaking.  Ms. McMahan gives more instruction on page 121:  "Rinse well to remove all the dust and grit.  Break each chile into two or three pieces, removing stems and seeds.  Place in a large bowl and cover with boiling water.  Soak for 1 – 2 hours."

I decided to soak 2 ounces of my toasted chiles.  At first I wasn't sure how to remove the seeds.  The chiles had cooled so they were stiff again instead of pliable.  I broke the top off that contained the stem and noticed that many seeds were there.  I tried using a little spoon to scrape out the seeds but that meant I had to break the chile into bits in order to get the spoon inside.  

Then it occurred to me that since I needed to rinse the "dust and grit", I could use water to help rinse out the seeds.  What ended up working was breaking the chiles open, using my fingers to pull out most of the seeds and the veins, then rinsing out the rest of the seeds.

The chiles went into a bowl and were covered with boiling water.  I let them soak for one hour and a little more.

After a little soaking time

The soaked chiles were then drained.  I noticed they were soft, pliable, and smelled good.

Drained, softened, and ready to go.

There were still a few seeds among the pieces but I didn't worry about them.

At this point, the chiles were prepared and ready to be used in a recipe.  Their use is for another post.

Ranchos - Choosing Chiles

I have lived in Southern California for most of my life, so I already knew something about chiles, but I have to admit that I don't cook with them often, so I don't know much about how to prepare them or use them.

One aspect I feel the need to point out is the spelling.  "Chili" is a stew-like dish that is typically tomato-based, often with beans and/or meat, with a dominant flavoring that comes from "chili powder."   This is a spice blend, containing ingredients like onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, cumin, and some cayenne pepper for "heat."  (Reference:  Chili Powder)  I like to put in sauteed onions, corn, and bump up the umami levels with cocoa powder.  

A "chile" is the fruit of the plants in the Capsicum genus, which are well-known for their hot, spicy taste.  Wikipedia says they are one of the oldest cultivated crops in America, having been part of the human diet since about 7,500 BC.  They all originated in the New World, but they are grown worldwide today.  Other names are "chili pepper", "chilli", "chile pepper", "chilli pepper."  (Wikipedia, "Chili pepper")  And, of course, "Chile" is the country located in South America.  

For clarity, I will make it a habit to refer to the stew as "chili" and the fruit as "chile."  

I needed to learn about how chiles were used during the Rancho period, so I turned to Jacqueline Higuera McMahan's book, California Rancho Cooking.  (McMahan, Jacqueline Higuera.  California Rancho Cooking. The Olive Press. Lake Hughes, CA. 1983)

ISBN 0-9612150-0-3

Ms. McMahan is a descendent of the Berryessa family, original settlers of the Santa Clara area in Northern California and considered a prominent Californio family. (Wikipedia, "Berryessa family of California")  Her book contains recipes she learned from her Californio ancestors as well as stories of her time at the family rancho.

She gives this insight: 

The original settlement of California was the unrivaled civilizing center for a coastline stretching a thousand miles.  At the heart of the early cuisine were chiles, part of the culinary treasure borrowed from the ancient Indian culture of Mexico.  They simply could not live without chiles and so chiles found their way into many dishes. (pg. 95)

Although chiles were the mainstay of this wilderness diet in Early California, foods advanced, … but the red chile puree remained a staple in all rancho kitchens to be kept on hand for making sauces, enchiladas, carne con chile, beef tamales and other traditional foods.  (pg. 96)

She also provides guidance for selecting and preparing chiles.

Many of the traditional dishes require various types of the red, dried chiles and you must familiarize yourself with some of the most frequently used so you are not at the complete mercy of their whimsical identification in the different ethnic areas of the United States. (pg. 96)

I took excerpts from pages 97-98 to identify which types to purchase:

Distinguishing Types of Dried Red Chiles

California or Anaheim

Pale red with a smooth, shiny skin. … These long, pointed chiles, popularly known as “red chiles”, are the dried version of the green California or anaheim.

New Mexico

… similar to the Anaheim or California chile, except it hotter.  It is difficult to distinguish between the California and New Mexico chile, but the New Mexico seems to have a more brittle, papery skin.

Ancho or Pasilla

Deep red-brown with a wrinkled, dusty appearance.  These are the dried version of the poblano chiles, known in California as the pasilla chiles.  Mild to medium picante.  They may also be called pasilla anchos in some markets.

Japonés

These are ripened, dried serrano chiles.  Very hot.

Pasilla Negro or Pasilla

About 6 inches long and 1 inch wide.  These chiles are long, slender and almost black, giving the characteristic, almost black ochre color to traditional mole poblano of Mexico.

Mulato

This chile is the same shape as the pasilla ancho and it is difficult to tell them apart unless they are side by side, but the mulato is the darker brown, rather than the dark red of the pasilla ancho.

Considering I am a chile-cooking "newbie" and one whose taste buds prefer flavor over fire, I decided to start with California chile with possibly enhancing the heat levels by including some pasilla anchos, depending on what I can find in the stores.  I know I can enjoy the green anaheim chiles without worrying about the heat, so my hope is this will be a good introductory chile.

Ranchos - Introduction

James Walker, Vaqueros in a Horse Corral, oil painting

The first major effort by Europeans to settle the Pacific coast was the Spanish establishment of the missions from 1769 to 1822.   They also established presidios to provide protection against foreigners and pueblos to help provide agricultural products to the presidios and build the Spanish population. 

Settlers were given land, and ships brought supplies to support these groups.  These changes introduced European fruits and vegetables, brought cattle and horses, and trained the Native Americans in agricultural practices and European cooking techniques.

After Mexico gained its independence from Spain, the Mexican period of California began. 

Supply ships stopped coming altogether but the ports opened up to foreign trade, and because custom duties were so high, smuggling was common. 

Starting in 1833 the missions were secularized – they were broken up and their resources (land, cattle, and equipment) were to be distributed primarily to the Native American neophytes, although that didn’t happen the way it was ordered. 

Often the land was offered for sale to citizens and some was given to the military.  It was also was given as land grants to Californios:  Spanish-speaking people who already lived in California.   These ranchos were permanent grants and big enough to allow the recipients to focus on raising cattle and sheep.   Native Americans who were trained by the missions were hired for their agricultural skills.

The ranchos, the people who ran them, and the culture they created defined the Mexican period enough to also call it the Rancho period.  It spans 1821 to 1848, from Mexican independence to the start of the Gold Rush. 

My Intent

In my exploration of the foods of the Rancho period, I hope to find records of what people had, what was imported, and how it was fixed.  For example, Richard Henry Dana, Jr. wrote about food he had in Monterey in 1842 and San Diego in 1847. 

One resource I have started exploring already is a cookbook written by Encarnación Pinedo.  Although she was born in 1848, at the end of the Rancho period, and her book was published in 1898, she was a child of a prominent Californio family in Northern California and raised in its culture.  She wrote her book to preserve that heritage for her nieces, who were being raised in an Anglo household. 

Miss Pinedo’s book, El cocinero español, “The Spanish Cook”, is the only known collection of Rancho recipes and considered an important resource of the period.  I am translating it and trying some of the recipes.

 

Inaugural Post - Starting Up and Setting Goals

Welcome!

Picture credit:  Rancho Buena Vista Adobe in Vista, California

I was attending a dinner and presentation at the Los Angeles Corral of Westerners and visiting with the people at my table.  In the course of the discussion, I revealed that I maintained a food blog, Goode Eates, where I explore historical recipes and cooking techniques.  GT, a member of the Westerners and an interesting person to talk to, brought up an intriguing idea:  Why not give a presentation myself on California food history?  He thought it was a topic that the Corral would like to see.

At first I deferred.  I have a lot on my plate, so to speak, and taking on another project seemed overwhelming.  And this was true for a while.  Then a pandemic hit and, while I was still busy, I had more time to consider the suggestion.  Specifically, I started looking for resources to see if I could do this project at all and if I could find enough to do it well.

Enter ACWB, my friend with an amazing library of California history books.  When I brought up the project idea, he immediately pulled a large stack of books that contained good support as well as background information.  When I included books that I had in my own cookbook library, I realized I had a pathway to success.  

What has resulted is this blog, whose purposes are to help me document what I am learning as I am learning it and to give me the opportunity to then organize that work for a future presentation, if the opportunity presents.  

Please join me as I wander in and out of various eras of California history, learning about the foodstuffs and recipes, the people and cultures, and trying what I can when I can find the ingredients.  Use the organizing tabs under the main heading if you have a specific interest or just peruse the posts in the order they appear.  Leave me comments, suggestions, ideas, or references if you have them.  

So here's to you, GT.  You get the credit and blame for starting this project.  And to you, ACWB, my unending thanks and appreciation for the support, explanations, patience, and the cheerleading.