California Mexican-Spanish Cookbook 1914 Reprint: Selected Mexican And Spanish Recipes
TO MY READERS   An announcement that my lesson for the day would be Spanish dishes, invariably brought record-breaking crowds in  any city in the United States, and a demand for recipes induced me to search for the best to be found.   My three years' stay in California has enabled me to learn how to prepare the very best dishes directly from the natives, both Mexican and Spanish.   It is not generally known that Spanish dishes as they are known in California are really Mexican Indian dishes. Bread  made of corn, sauces of chile peppers, jerked beef, tortillas, enchiladas, etc., are unknown in Spain as native foods;  though the majority of Spanish people in California are as devoted to peppery dishes as the Mexicans themselves, and as the Mexicans speak Spanish, the foods are commonly called Spanish dishes.   When made properly, there is great merit in this class of foods and I have endeavored to select the very best recipes,  and have revised them into correct proportions and practical methods of preparation.   Many of the dishes are very delicious and will be found of great value for luncheon, entries, and a zest to various menus, and especially useful to those who desire to cater to the public. Please note the classification of sauces and dressings which eliminates a repetition of the same sauce in different dishes.   Wishing you as much pleasure in the preparation and serving of this collection of recipes as I have had in compiling them, I am, Very sincerely yours,   BERTHA HAFFNER-GINGER.