California: another Mediterranean?

[rjwong]

Hello, Paula! Thank you for letting us have this conversation with you!

As a native Californian, born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley and now living in Southern California, I remember hearing how similiar California and the Mediterranean are, in terms of the climate yielding such wonderful produce.

Now that you live in Sonoma, near the birthplace of "California Cuisine," do you think that California has certain qualities that remind you of the Mediterranean, culinary and/or otherwise? If so, to what extent? If not, why not?

Thank you.

edited for spelling

Edited November 15, 2005 by rjwong (log)

[Wolfert]

Hello, Paula! Thank you for letting us have this conversation with you!

As a native Californian, born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley and now living in Southern California, I remember hearing how similiar California and the Mediterranean are, in terms of the climate yielding such wonderful produce.

Now that you live in Sonoma, near the birthplace of "California Cuisine," do you think that California has certain qualities that remind you of the Mediterranean, culinary and/or otherwise? If so, to what extent? If not, why not?

Thank you.

edited for spelling

←

Yes, many qualities are the same, and some, of course, are quite different. I think what I like best about living here (besides the great climate) is the niceness of the people and the abundance of great fresh products to work with. But I still harbor my "Mediterranean Myth" -- which draws me back year after year. I'm still a sucker for "the foreign" The Other -- the delightful ways that Mediterranean people have figured out how to live. Northern California is great. It has its own culture and is very American. For me one of the joys of my life is the ability to live so nicely in the US and yet still travel to those parts of the world that I love.