Favourite Californian Recipes?

[kitkatswing]

So, this weekend hubby has decided my cooking challenge is to cook something Californian.. (each wekk its something new)...

I thought I would come here, were the most Americans I know are

Would any of you be willing share your fav Califonrian receipes with me??

[BC12]

Anything with avocados or artichokes screams California to me.

For specific foods that come from California, I'm thinking carne asada fries or In-n-out Burgers (make your own copycat version.) But there are also large Hispanic and Asian populations so that means lots of Hispanic and Asian foods. Also there's a huge coast so that means lots of seafood, too. There's so much you can do with "California" food! Care to narrow it down a little, OP?

If you wanted to do more of a general theme, here are some:

-Orange County, CA. Make everything look like orange or taste like orange.
-Hollywood. Base the menu off of your movie of choice. For example, make your own pizzas while watching the award-winning film Mystic Pizza starring a young Julia Roberts.
-San Francisco. Eat a whole bunch of Rice-a-Roni.

[Shopaholic]

California roll!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/california-roll-recipe/index.html

[Hmmmmm]

The only a few items that I think of as being created in California are
Cioppino - a seafood like stew that originated in San Francisco
Sourdough bread
Joe's Special - which is a mixture of ground beef, spinach, and eggs all scrambed up together
Cobb Salad - originated at the Brown Derby in Hollywood

Fish tacos are also really popular in S. California.  I also agree that things with avocados and figs are common. 

If you go out to calinforniagrown.org, they have a free cookbook you can download with recipes from popular California chefs using popular ingredients.

If I had to put  menu together, this is what I'd do

Starter of guacamole and chips
First course salad of field greens with blue cheese, walnuts, figs with a dressing made with a fig vinegar and olive oil
Main course of Cioppino with Sourdough bread (might have to buy this if you don't have access to Sourdough starter)
Dessert of a Plum Crostada

[LazyDaisy]

Start the meal with a good cheese and wine! Despite popular belief, Wisconsin in #2 in dairy production behind California (home of the happy cows) and we are also the largest producer of wine in the US. Strangely most people outside of California don't realize that it is the largest agricultural state in the US so anything fresh produce.

[saki]

I thought sourdough originated in ancient Egypt? Pretty sure it's been made all over Europe since the middle ages.