My friend Dave called me up about 10 days ago and told me he just had a really nice gardening shed built and before filling it with tools and stuff he wanted to have a taco party in it. Would I be interested? I told him, “Of course,” and we decided on a menu for the party which was to be the following Monday (last Monday now).

The menu included:

Grilled Carne Asada

Chicken Tinga

Grilled Cod

Grilled Veggies

Salsa Roja

Salsa Verde

Salsa Pico de Gallo

Rice & Beans

There were also blended margaritas and plenty of cold beer. With a crowd of only about 20 selected guests, it was a very nice and relatively stress free catering gig.

Ich Bin Ein Berliner Taco

How fun to read in yesterdays NY Times Travel section a piece on authentic tacos in Berlin. A pair of young fellows, one from Mexico City and one from Australia, have three places in the city, all riffing on the name of Maria. There’s Maria Bonita (Mary the Pretty), Maria Peligro (Mary Danger), and Santa Maria (Saint Mary), a nice rubric under which to open a whole chain of joints.

Right across the street from Maria Peligro is another Mexican place called Ta’Cabrón Taqueria, run by a native of Culiacan. Henceforth, this section of Skalitzer Strasse shall be known as Berlin’s Taco Row.

To make things even better, a taco truck will soon be slinging tacos in Berlin. Tacos Berlin, a project of writer Laurie Isola and her husband Barrett, is kicking off soon, may even be running right now. You can follow them on Twitter and get a few more details about this cool project at Laurie Isola’s personal blog.

Upscale Mexican Restaurants Are A Hoax?

There was a post by some angry dude ranting on Yelp about paying $24 for a $5 dollar enchilada. Sure, any place that serves regular Mexican antojito combo platters thinly disguised as fine fare deserves to be yelled at. But the poor angry dude should check out the work by  Richard Sandoval, Roberto Santibanez, Patricia Quintana, Enrique Olvera, Ricardo Munoz Zurita, etc. Even if you do order enchiladas, they certainly won’t be the stuff angry dude says he can get at taco village for $5.

Why Do Weird Things Happen At Taquerias?

Maybe I’m just super sensitive to things related to tacos, but does weird stuff happen as frequently at bento joints, or pizzerias? I don’t usually bother to report on all of all the offbeat taco-related events. Today, I will, just for fun.

From the Seattle Weekly blog (scroll down to item 2), we see that a corrections officer in Texarcana, Arkansas tried to smuggle needles into the county jail hidden inside tacos. I wonder what kind of tacos they were.

A couple was recently married at a Taco Bell in Normal, Illinois. Did they seal their vows with a Volcano taco?

ICE, ICE Baby! A teenage felon was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Orange, CA after a five hour standoff.  He was found hiding in the crawl space above his family’s taco restaurant. Did they pass him tacos through the ceiling tiles while he was hiding?

I’m Rick Bayless, Bitch!

This is a big month for Rick Bayless. Of course, there was last night’s state dinner at the White House, honoring Mexico’s beleaguered president Felipe Calderon. The menu featured many wonderful items, including Waygu beef (from Oregon!) in black mole. Sadly, there were no tacos. But no worries there, because a new place in LA, called Red O, features a Bayless designed menu which does include plenty of taquitos and tacos. Not only does Red O have a selection of tacos al carbon, or wood-grilled tacos, they also feature what seems to be the continually growing trend of tacos de cazuela, or tacos de guisado. These are tacos made from fillings served from a communal pot on the table, preferably a traditional pot made of clay, or barro, in Spanish.

Note: In case you were wondering, the header for this section refers to a video from Time Out Chicago, in which Bayless slugs a Yelp reviewer in the gut and declares, “I’m Rich Bayless, bitch!” Watch it. It’s funny.

Taco Varios: Tacos de Guisado By Another Name

Since we’re on the subject of these tacos de guisado, or de cazuela, Bill Esparza has a great post about just that on his blog Street Gourmet LA. He says that in Baja California, these tacos are called tacos varios. The truck featured in the post, Tacos Aaron, has 15 to 20 different fillings on a given day! Dig that. Mr. Esparza will be guiding a street food segment for the tv show Bizarre Foods Baja on June 14. Looking forward to that.

Elk, Deer, Sheep, Bear, & Wild Pig Tacos

Talk about bizarre tacos. Well, not really. What’s more bizarre is that they were served at a Los Angeles rescue mission. There were also yellowtail, tuna, and tilapia tacos. Apparently, about 250 pounds of meat were donated by the Sportsman’s Channel as part of its “Hunt. Fish. Feed.” initiative. Some of the hunters were on hand to help serve the tacos as well. I wonder how they came upon tacos as the ideal vehicle for this meat and fish fest. The LA Times article says that the menu varies depending upon donations–anything from donuts to Dodger dogs. So, I’m thinking, who’s going to be the first to make a Dodger dog taco? Finally, as an aside, I’m curious about LA’s skid row. Where is it and why isn’t it capitalized? Skid Row. Most neighborhoods have the dignity of caps, even the crappy ones.

Hungry For Tacos In Yerevan, Armenia

The March of the Taco Brigade continues to resound across the world. Reports of tacos in disparate corners of the globe continue to appear in the blogosphere. In this article from an Independent Armenian Publication, the author posed an interesting question, one that any inquisitive taco investigator might ask, namely, “So how did Tacos end up in Armenia?”

Apparently, Sr. de Loza has been cooking for Armenian singer Tata Simonyan and her entourage during her U.S. tours, two or three times a year. They kept insisting that he go over there. The idea revolved around catering to volunteers and visitors.

‘“We knew people come over here and they’re gonna want a little piece of L.A,” he said, and he was right.”

If you have any intention of opening a taco outpost in the far flung corners of the world, read this piece. I think I’d be happier noshing on tacos in Yerevan at Taco-Maco than at Taco Bell in the local food slum.

Señor Tacombi Teams With Tortilleria Nixtamal To Open Indoor Street Food Taco Bus

First, I want to say that I’m jealous. In all my years of slacker brainstorming, and wishing that I was a key member of an enlightened think tank, I would give my left chayote to be a part of this project. I remember the dioramas of large mammals that I viewed as a youngster in Golden Gate Park. I super-dig the concept of the taco bus kicking it inside a tricked out street scene diorama.

I first came across Señor Tacombi a few years ago on Flickr and MySpace, before he was picked up by Aaron Sanchez. Bro didn’t even put his name on his site. I knew that concept was a winner. Seems like they should put one on the west coast. The weather’s better and the laid back vibe of the combi has roots out here.

[Sidebar for the Innocent: a Combi is a cool Volkswagen bus. Señor Tacombi converted a Combi into a Taco Truck, thus Taco + Combi + Tacombi.

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Tacos In Virgin Spaces



People who get into tacos, especially those who didn’t grow up with tacos, go through stages of taco awakening. First, you’re like, wow, there’s a taco truck in my town. Then you’re like, whoa, there’s all these cool types of tacos. Thirdly, you say to your friends, hey there’s these cool taco trucks you should check out. Let’s go get some tacos. By degrees, you may end up saying things like, that was more like barbacoa than birria, I’ll give it a B-, or huitlacoche is so passé. Anyhow, here are a few examples of gateway articles about taco trucks. The Colorado article demonstrates a late-early stage of taco truck infatuation, while the Detroit article is definitely stage 1.5. Luv it. If you live in or are visiting Detroit here’s a map to taco trucks in southwest Detroit.

Hacer Las Carnitas



I love this super down to earth carnitas fest video on YouTube. At exactly 3:10 into the clip, a voice off camera says, “Muevela buey, para buscarle cueros.” (Move it dude, help find the pigskins, referring to the skins that the guy with the fork is fishing out of the lard.) The bro with the paddle doesn’t do much, then the voice says, “bajale alli.” Lower it there. At 6:31, the paddle guy reappears with a taco in hand. !Qué envidia!

A few days ago I received an e-mail from Loteria Grill wishing me and my loved ones a safe, prosperous, and joyful 5 de Mayo season. Wow, that’s some heavy stuff. It’s very exciting to see this new American holiday shaping up before our very eyes. From the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862, in which Mexican forces defeated French forces near the city of Puebla, to the taco, tequila and Tecate soaked revelries of today, what a long strange trip it’s been. It’s not even a federal holiday in Mexico. The Cinco phenomenon would be worthy of a well-researched book. I also wish you and your loved ones a safe, prosperous and joyful Cinco de Mayo season.

Consider Hard Shell Tacos For Cinco De Mayo!

The good people at the San Francisco Chronicle decided to revisit hard taco shells recently and found that Ortega shells “are still a winner.” I was intrigued by the review of Whole Foods’ 365 brand taco shells, about which one taste panelist said they had good “shatter.” That alone is worth the price of admission. I imagine food scientists in their laboratories perfecting the shatter of their respective taco shells.

The Indianapolis Star Likes My Cookbook Tacos: Authentic, Festive & Flavorful

Jolene Ketzenberger, a food writer in Indianapolis, wrote a nice review of my book recently. She wrote that my book helped her think outside the Old El Paso box. Unlike the above bit, where food reviewers revisit the taco shells for nostalgic purposes, some folks are just making the move out of shells and into soft tacos. To Ketzenberger, my “modest little book has plenty of interesting recipes that would take taco night way beyond ground beef and iceberg lettuce without a trip to a specialty market.” I was so glad to read that. As a taco missionary, it warms my heart to help fuel the taco revolution one little bit at a time. Meanwhile, Indy, keep your eyes open for a taco truck. I bet there’s one already there lurking down some side street.

Taco Tuesday In My Town

Curiously, Taco Tuesday this week falls on the 4th of May, so I’m calling it Son of Cinco. That’s tonight. I’m leaving in a few hours to finish prep for our second Taco Tuesday. Featured tonight will be Birria de Res (Brisket in Chile/Tomato Broth), Pollo en Mole Verde Chicken in Green Sauce), Pescado en Adobo de Achiote (Grilled Fish in Achiote Marinade), and Verduras en Salsa Ranchera (Vegetables in Tomato/Chile Sauce). Sides are Baja Cole Slaw, Whole Pinto Beans, and Rice with Vegetables.

Calbi Fusion Tacos & Burritos Opens Today in Austin, Texas

What began with a soft landing of sorts, with Calbi giving away 1500 tacos during the SXSW Festival in Austin last month, is now hard fact. Austin now has their own Calbi Fusion Taco Truck. In yesterday’s Business Wire press release, Calbi President Coleen Craig explained why they chose Austin: “Austin is a hot spot for nightlife, entertainment, and cuisine. With the University of Texas, and a number of large corporations headquartered in the vicinity, Austin provides extensive opportunity for Calbi to gain exposure, popularity, and a following. We are bringing California flavors to the Southwest, and they’re sure to be a hit.” If you want to folllow Calbi’s locations on Twitter, their handle is @CalbiBBQAustin.

Healthy Tacos In NY Times



It looks like the Times is kicking off a series in the Fitness & Nutrition section called Tacos: Health Food With A Kick, with an accompanying recipe for Scrambled Egg & Green Chile Tacos. The author, Martha Rose Shulman, opens with a nice paragraph that helps clarify that all tacos don’t come in deep fried shells with ground beef and yellow cheese. It may seem like a no brainer to the taco cognoscenti but to many people, tacos are still those pesky pre-fried shells. To educate the masses takes continual and gently persuasion. Way to go, Martha. Another cool thing is that her green chiles are actually fire-roasted poblanos, better known as rajas. When I first saw “green chiles” in the recipe’s title, I suspected they might be canned green chiles. When they are consistently referred to as rajas from coast to coast, we’ll know that complete victory has been gained. Ms. Shulman comes through again with this tasty looking recipe for Soft Tacos With Sautéed Winter Squash and Chipotles.
Included in the series are Soft Tacos With Fish & Spinach, Soft Tacos With Potatoes & Greens, and Mushroom & Poblano Tacos.

Shameless Plug: If you like these healthy tacos, my book Tacos: Authentic, Festive, & Flavorful has some healthy tacos too: Winter Squash Taco with Coriander-Cumin Crema, Garlic-Wild Mushroom Taco with Creamed Corn-Morita Salsa, and also a Scrambled Egg Taco with Rajas, served with Sierra-Style Tomato Salsa. (Recipe from my book below)

Sierra-Style Tomato Salsa

Courtesy of Scott Wilson and Sasquatch Books

I love anything that has been cooked over a coal or wood fire. Somehow, even food that has been charred in a pan on the stove has a satisfying campfire-like quality. The authentic texture of this salsa comes from the ingredients being mashed in a molcajete. these stone mortars are widely available in Mexican markets, and in addition to creating a salsa with excellent texture, they double as a stylish serving dish. The cebollitas found in Mexican markets are similar to scallions, but the white base is a little bulb. Use scallions if cebollitas are unavailable. I use serrano chiles in the recipe because they have a fruitiness beneath the heat.

Note: For a slightly more refined salsa, peel and seed the serranos and tomatoes before adding.

Makes about 2 cups

1 cebollita or scallion,
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, peeled
3 serrano chiles
3 medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat a comal, or a medium-size cast-iron pan, over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until pan in hot.

2. In a small bowl, lightly coat the cebollita with the olive oil to prevent drying while cooking.

3. On the comal, cook the cebollita and garlic, turning them frequently until they brown lightly. Set aside and let cool. Cook the serranos and tomatoes until they brown and their skins blister. Set aside and let cool.

4. In a stone mortar, or food processor or blender, mash or pulse the cebollita, garlic, and salt until incorporated. Stem and roughly chop the serranos, then mash or pulse them with the cebollita mixture.

5. Core and roughly chop the tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Add the tomatoes and liquid to the cebollita mixture, and mash or pulse to incorporate.

6. Pour the salsa into a bowl or container. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The salsa will keep in the refrigerator for a week or longer, theought he onion and garlic flavors will grow stronger.

OK, so the Spicy Pickles recipe I did this weekend turned out great. They’re a mash-up of the Pickled Cauliflower recipe by Staffan Terje of Perbacco in San Francisco and the Pickled Jalapeños and Carrots recipe from my book Tacos: Authentic, Festive & Flavorful. I also added some jicama to the recipe. Every taco truck and taqueria has pickled jalapeños and carrots. Some places make their own. One of my favorite Mexican places in Phoenix, Oregon, La Tapatia, adds jicama to their house made pickles as well. I used white vinegar here because that’s all I had but the Perbacco recipe calls for white wine vinegar and my recipe calls for apple cider and cane vinegars.

Spicy Pickled Jalapeños, Carrots, Jicama And Cauliflower
(Recipe Below)

Makes 3 to 4 quarts. Keeps in Refrigerator for Months.

1 quart water
2 generous tablespoons kosher salt
10 jalapeños, fresh, pierced several times with a skewer or sharp knife tip
14 serranos, fresh, pierced several times with a skewer or sharp knife tip
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch to 1 1/2-inch florets
1 medium jicama, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch sticks
1/4 cup olive oil
1 white onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 head garlic, cut in half crossways
1 quart white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon marjoram, dried
2 bay leaves, torn in half
9-12 peppercorns

1. Bring water and salt to a boil in a medium-sized pot. Add the jalapeños and serranos and cook for 6 minutes. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and let cool on a plate. Add the carrots to the same water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they have slightly softened but are still crunchy. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and let cool. Add the cauliflower to the water and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they have slightly softened but are still crunchy. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and let cool. Add the jicama to the water and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until they have slightly softened but are still crunchy. Remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and let cool. Reserve 2 cups of the remaining cooking water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large cazuela (a traditional Mexican clay pot), or deep cast-iron or enamel pot. heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic, stirring rapidly so that they stay crunchy, and sauté until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the reserved water, the vinegar, sugar, and marjoram to the cazuela, or pot, and bring to a boil.

4. While the brine is heating, pack the vegetables into 3 or 4 sterilized quart jars, leaving a little room for the onions and garlic in the brine (widemouth jars are easier to pack). Add a piece of bayleaf and 3 peppercorns to each jar. When the brine boils, remove it from the heat and ladle it into the jars. Let them cool. Then put lids on the jars and let them sit in the refrigerator for 2 weeks before using.

Note: You can cheat and start eating them within hours, but they don’t develop full heat for several days. Also, I found the pickles too sweet and will halve the amount of sugar next time.

Yesterday, we had the good fortune of participating in a beef brisket taco party. Our friend Dave secured a 14 pound brisket from the local butcher and Liz proceeded to braise a part of it all morning until it’s unctuous tenderness flowed forth. Stupendous spring weather graced the fête while we drank freely from our keg of homebrew, Big Honkin’ Stout, and noshed on chips and guac in preprandial bliss. Here’s a rundown of the spread: Braised Beef Brisket, organic corn tortillas, chunky guacamole, salsa roja de chile de árbol, salsa verde de tomatillo, baja coleslaw, spicy pickled vegetables, brisket sausage. I will post the Spicy Pickled Jalapeños & Vegetables Recipe later today. There are recipes for all of the other items in my cookbook, Tacos: Authentic, Festive & Flavorful.

Burrito Tacos?

So there’s a new place in El Sobrante, California called Burrito Taqueria. They’ve got a full menu of Mexi-stuff but nothing akin to what their name suggests. I was hoping that they really did have a burrito taco. Darn.

But it appears that Taco Bell does have something nearly as awesome, the Grandito. Listen here to the press release.

Taco Bell In India

Taco Bell’s new location in Bangalore in India is a big hit, averaging 2,000 customers a day. Parent company, Yum Brands, which also owns Pizza Hut and KFC, sees big growth potential in India in the coming decades.

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina To Sell

Brinker International is selling the 160 unit, full service casual dining Mexican restaurant to Golden Gate Capital, according to this press release.

“On The Border is a strong leader in Mexican Casual Dining,” said Joshua Olshansky, a Managing Director at Golden Gate Capital. “We are enthusiastic about the Company’s significant growth opportunities and we are very pleased to partner with the On The Border team to continue the success of the brand.”

The menu includes fresh new salads like the Citrus Chipotle Chicken Salad; a new, signature OTB Fresh Grill; a Fajita Grill with new, customizable, top-quality fajitas; and a refreshed OTB Taco Stand introducing indulgent items like Taco Melts and fresh classics like Grilled Mahi Mahi Tacos.”

Interestingly, Technomic reports that citrus and seafood will be big on menus with the advent of warmer weather. I’m betting on lots more citrus and chipotle concoctions glazing everything from chicken to bacon-wrapped hot dogs.

Are Those Tacos Local?

Via Eater NY, we hear that Sue Torres, chef of Sueños and onetime chef of defunct Los Dados, is designing the menu at the Rusty Knot in NY. Certain to be on the menu are mango lollipops and, more importantly, tacos al pastor.

Say Hey Tacos in SF>

James Beard award-winning chef Traci Des Jardins has her own taqueria in San Francisco Mijita Cocina Mexicana, two locations actually, one at the Ferry Building and one at Willie Mays Plaza. Mijita is an affectionate term for mi hijita, or my daughter. The restaurants will feature Mexican food inspired by Des Jardins’ childhood and her maternal grandmother, Angela Salazar. Even if you don’t care, check out the Ferry Building location’s site to see a skeleton sip soup and exclaim, “Ai yai yai!”

Rockaway Taco Opening May Day

Here’s what chef Andrew Field has in store: tortillas from Tortilleria Nixtamal (if the plant can keep up with demand), custom made jalapeño and Serrano chorizos, as well as pig parts for al pastor specials, from the Meat Hook, and tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, jalapeños, and habañeros from seeds currently being planted on the shack’s rooftop garden.

First off, a few people have asked me to keep the recipes coming. Last Saturday, I was thinking about the spicy pickled vegetables from a favorite southern Oregon taqueria, La Tapatia. There are jalapeños, carrot slices, jicama chunks, and sometimes cauliflower florets in a spicy brine at the salsa bar. In particular, I was ruminating about spicy cauliflower florets. I must have been channeling the vibe because the next day, on SF Gate, the Chronicle’s website, I spied a nice looking recipe for pickled cauliflower. However, I want a little more from the recipe, namely some heat. So I’m going to mash it up with the Pickled Jalapeños & Carrots recipe in my cookbook, Tacos: Authentic, Festive & Flavorful. I’ll let you know how it comes out and post the recipe with pictures over the weekend.

Throw Your Own Cinco de Mayo Bash

Here’s a tantalizing slideshow from the LA Times, with recipes for several tasty looking drinks and dishes, complete with recipes. In the taco department, they have Carne Asada tacos, Achiote-marinated Fish Tacos, and Duck Tacos with a Chile-Cherry Compote. Achiote, the seed of the tropical tree Bixa orellana, has been popping up more and more. It has great flavor and color and as far as I know, is mostly used in the Yucatan region of Mexico. It’s worth buying whole seed and grinding it right before using it. If you can’t find it or don’t want to special order it, you can buy “achiote condimentado” and Latin American markets. These are little bricks that come ground up with herbs and spices. They have good flavor but you don’t have control of the recipe when you use it.

Why Cilantro Tastes Like Soap

Since cilantro is such an indispensible part of the world of tacos, it’s good to know a bit about the love or hate relationship people have with it. Here’s an article in the NY Times by the great Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, that sheds some light on the chemical and societal possibilities why some people hate it. I’m in the love-it category. Bring it on!

Taco Videos For Your Viewing Pleasure

The first one is of Jose Duarte of Taranta making beef head tacos with a señora in San Miguel Allende. The second one is Taco! Taco! Taco!, the 2009 winner of the HBO/New York International Latino Film Festival Short Film Competition. It was filmed in Austin, Texas. It has no embed code, so click HERE to link to Vimeo.

Culinary Adventures with Jose Duarte “Mexican Tacos” from Taranta Restaurant-Jose Duarte on Vimeo.