"David Wright" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 22 Mar 2005 23:46:36 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > wrote:
>
> >Yes, many of them did, if not most of them. The Spanish in California
> >pledged their allegance to Mexico rather than becoming subserviant to the
> >Mexican government.
>
> In context, I assume you meant that they pledged their allegiance to
> Spain rather than Mexico.

It is hard to say the exact meaning! I meant that they did pledge their
allegiance to Mexico in fact but to Spain in their hearts. Many of the
Spanish gave help the U.S. eventually, but later regreted it. I think they
were more endeared with the California Republic idea than the U.S., but that
is only my opinion. A similar thing happened in Texas I think.

> >Most "Mexican" government officials in California were
> >actually Spanish. I have a dear friend who bristles when called a
Mexican.
> >She is of Spanish ancestory. Her family has been in California since the
> >18th century. She speaks the Spanish of Aragon.
>
> As do many people I knew in New Mexico.

Yes. It is amazing that so few people understand that.

> My memories of living in southern California in the mid-'60s include
> wandering around on back roads in southern Riverside County and in San
> Diego County, being amazed that I could find relatively undisturbed
> hills with live oaks and other native vegetation, not ripped apart by
> developers. I was told later those were spots of land that were still
> part of Spanish land grants.

There are still a few areas like that but not many now.

> ><SNIP>
>
> >1. Cal-Mex cooking is first and most importantly based on
Spanish-California
> >(aka Rancho) cooking.
>
> Olives, for example? Emphasis on beef?

Indeed. One popular survivor is Santa Maria BBQ. Some say it is not "real"
BBQ. Actually it is closer to the probable original Barbacoa than Southern
Style Q's. Santa Maria BBQ is California Rancho cooking at it's best! With a
crusty loaf of bread and a fine California wine to go with it.

> >2. Unlike New Mex-Mex, Mexican, and Tex-Mex (and to an even smaller
amount
> >AZ-Mex) Cal-Mex was never modified by any indigenous Indian foods.
>
> That makes sense to me.
>
> >4. Cal-Mex food as we know it today is based on Rancho cooking with the
> >addition of Mexican foods and cooking coming into California with the
> >migrant workers in the 20th century.
> >
> >Charlie

I might add that there is a lot of shared Mexican influence in CA and AZ
because the migrant workers in these two states tended to come from the same
Mexican states (Sonora and Jalisco). I'm not sure about New Mexico, but
Texas certainly had workers from different Mexican states.

> Thanks, Charlie. That's a keeper.
>
> David

I'm glad it helps. I am not an expert by any means, but I have lived in San
Diego for a long time! My father's mother and father had a winter home here
when the population was about 25,000. I find California history to be very
interesting. Not to mention eating Rancho and Cal-Mex food all over Southern
and Central CA. which was a very difficult thing to have to do. <grin>

Charlie