Eat in All 50 States Without Leaving the Valley of the Sun: March 2016

California is the most populous state in the United States. It contains the nation's most populous county, Los Angeles County. Geographically located in the western part of the U.S., the state is bordered by the other U.S. states of Oregon to the north, Nevada to the east, and Arizona to the southeast. California shares an international border with the Mexican state of Baja California to the south and the Pacific Ocean is on the state's western coastline. The city of Sacramento, located in Northern California, has been the state capital since 1854.

A varied range of micro-climates and cultural differences dominates the health-conscious diets and lifestyles in California which also promote the production, use and consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, many of them organic.

In Northern California, with wine country nearby, French, Italian, and Mediterranean inspired food is prominent, as well as Asian-inspired fare. Many of the restaurants, cafes, bistros, and grills use ingredients sourced from local growers and farmers' markets. The Wine Country is an area of Northern California in the United States known worldwide as a premium wine-growing region. Wine making has been practiced in the region since the mid-19th century. There are over 400 wineries in the area north of San Francisco, mostly located in the area's valleys, including Napa Valley in Napa County, and the Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Bennett Valley, and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County. Wine grapes are also grown at higher elevations, such as Atlas Peak and Mount Veeder AVAs. The region is defined not only by its viticulture, but also

its ecology, geology, architecture, cuisine and culture. The majority of the grape harvest, by both area and value, derives from Sonoma County.

Aside wine, Sourdough bread is another important ingredient in cuisine of Northern California. Since the California Gold Rush in 1849, Though this style of bread originated much further back in history, the unique starter used in San Francisco Sourdough has become world famous for its intense sour flavors and dense textured, and is difficult to reproduce elsewhere in the world. The starter's microorganisms can only thrive in the specific combination of conditions found in San Francisco Bay area. San Francisco Boudin Bakery began baking sourdough bread way back in 1849, and using the same starter, has been in continuous production ever since.

Southern California's car culture and the population's reliance on automobiles for transportation throughout California's vast cities, has widely contributed to the popularity of the classic drive-in and modern drive-thru restaurants. Restaurant chains such as McDonald's, Jack in the Box, In-N-Out Burger, Carl's Jr., Wienerschnitzel,

Del Taco, Taco Bell, Panda Express, Fatburger all established in Southern California .

Battered and friend foods are not as common in California as they are in the other states, but there are several exceptions, such as fish tacos, tempura and french fries. More recently, "Fresh Mex" or "Baja-style" Mexican food, which places an emphasis on fresh ingredients and sometimes seafood, inspired by Baja California fare is highly popular.

Another story reveals that aside Baja Style Mexican food inspired in Southern California, Cobb salad was also invented in this state, back in 1930s at the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant, where it became a signature dish. It is named after the restaurant's owner, Robert Howard Cobb. Stories vary whether the salad was invented by Cobb or by his chef, Chuck Wilson. The legend is that Cobb had not eaten until near midnight, and he mixed together leftovers he found in the kitchen, along with some bacon cooked by the line cook, and tossed it with their French dressing.

To find these signature dishes, Gorda's Baja Taco in Phoenix, AZ has a great shrimp Baja Taco and one can find a good Cobb salad in Milagros in Tempe AZ.