Notes about Recipes in this book

• Sweet potato taco (Tacos de papa dorados)

  • Dcampos on May 06, 2019

    Everyone loved these. The spicy salsa is delicious.

  • jenburkholder on November 21, 2021

    These were GOOD! Everything worked well together, and they were pretty easy to boot. Salsa is very tasty, pretty spicy, but will go well on other things also. I'd say the feta is a must so if for some reason you don't like feta, try to get some other similar element.

  • Baxter850 on February 12, 2022

    Great dish. The almond salsa stays flavorful and the right amount of hot if you remove the seeds from the habanero before blending.

• Chubbs taco

  • Dannausc on January 31, 2022

    I liked it quite a bit. Fairly easy.

• Pocho taco

  • stacymarkow on July 31, 2020

    The Burnt Tomato Salsa in this recipe is out of this world good. Best salsa I've made at home.

• Fried Baja taco

  • metacritic on June 21, 2020

    My favorite dish from this cookbook yet. The standout recipe in an exceptionally strong collection. It's a fair amount of labor - probably broken into steps and ideally with someone to at least warm the tortillas as another fries the fish - but the results are spectacular. The fish are perfectly crisp, flavorful, and the best fried fish I've made at home. The crema that accompanies the fish is exceptional. I'd make the crema a day in advance in the future just to simplify the process.

  • katiesue28 on June 23, 2023

    This was so delicious. I don’t often fry, but I had some fresh cod and couldn’t resist. I made this slightly simpler by using store-bought Mayo can combining the ingredients with the dijon aioli (minus egg and oil) with the dijon crema. That made it so much easier and it was still very, very good.

• Sunchoke taco

  • metacritic on January 14, 2021

    This is a terrific dish, as good in as out of the taco. The braised sun chokes, fried brussel sprouts, and pomegranate come together, making for a light but deeply satisfying dish. I'll make again as a side for sure.

• Swordfish taco

  • metacritic on January 14, 2021

    This is a phenomenal recipe. The swordfish is sautéed in a browned butter to terrific effect (a neat technique in and of itself as I have aways grilled swordfish) and the salsa is effectively a variation of romesco sauce, more interesting in some ways and certainly spicier. I'll use the same salsa with shrimp tonight. I've made this dish twice. The first time with tangerine slices and mustard greens the second time without. Both work just fine and make for a great meal.

  • katiesue28 on October 13, 2023

    Incredible recipe, once again. This book never ceases to amaze. I swapped out mustard greens for arugula and the tangerines for blood oranges, and it was divine. Don’t skip the salsa; on its own it’s very intense and earthy, but together with the rest of the ingredients it’s a perfect match. Very easy recipe too!

• Carnitas

  • metacritic on June 19, 2020

    A terrific recipe that will be repeated. I also will continue to make the Diana Kennedy recipe that is done on the stovetop with orange segments. I wrapped the pork shoulder (boneless and somewhat smaller than suggested) with parchment paper and two layers of aluminum wrap, which worked beautifully. I cooked it for roughly six hours, somewhat less time than indicated given that my shoulder was smaller and boneless. I served this over tomato rice, not as a taco. And with Zuni cafe pickled shallots rather than the escabeche, which worked well. Next time I'll hope to have carrots on hand and try to make the dish as intended.Afterward: I made it again with the escabeche, which brought the dish to even new heights.

  • katiesue28 on January 10, 2023

    Absolutely loved this recipe! The meat was so delicious! I couldn't find oven-proof plastic wrap, so I used a plastic poultry bag and that worked well. Served with homemade escabeche from Nopalito's cookbook. Absolutely divine. This would be a great and easy recipe for company.

  • Baxter850 on May 05, 2024

    The salsa casera was great (used a different carnitas recipe as I wanted to use my pellet grill).

• Taco pasta

  • metacritic on October 22, 2020

    This is ridiculously good. It's the taste of childhood, midwestern casseroles, tex mex, and haute cuisine all together. It was easy and left spouse's and children's eyes widening with each bite. I can't recommend more highly. I swapped butter for lard due to availability.

• Albondigas

  • metacritic on July 20, 2020

    The result of my effort looked nothing like the photo. Mine was less tomato-ey and instead dominated by the broth. I even added another can of peeled tomatoes (but didn't use a tomato sauce as called for, which might be cause for the difference). The soup as I made it is layered and delicate. I can imagine a version that is more rustic (perhaps with notes of chipotle en adobo, not called for here) but I was really happy with the results of my effort.

• Eggplant taco

  • jenburkholder on August 04, 2022

    The salsa is delicious - this book's salsas are a treasure. The taco overall was tasty, but I felt that the eggplants were the most uninspiring part. They hardly seemed to add anything other than volume.

  • metacritic on October 13, 2024

    This is a terrific and straightforward recipe, finished in an hour from start to finish. The haloumi and eggplant blend deliciously with the roasted tomato salsa and hazelnuts. I will deinitely make again. Probably best for personal consumption as it will be tricky to have everything remain piping hot and ready for company if part of a more elaborate meal.

• Mushroom taco

  • jenburkholder on August 07, 2021

    Good not great. The citrusy salsa was very nice with the richness of the mushrooms and cheese.

• Cauliflower taco

  • jenburkholder on June 28, 2021

    Very tasty. In particular the roasted tomato salsa is quite delicious.

  • radishseed on March 04, 2023

    I like this unusual taco recipe, but I feel like it needs a creamy element too, like crema, yogurt, or a vegan cashew sauce. I haven't tried it with the recommended roasted tomato salsa, which isn't included in the online version.

• Chicken adobo taco

  • metacritic on April 12, 2020

    A truly brilliant recipe. We now make this regularly, usually with rice rather than a tortilla, for family meals and for guests for a casual dish with extraordinary flavors. Everyone has been wowed.

  • bwhip on November 14, 2021

    These are super tasty! Wonderful depth of flavor. Glad I used just half a cinnamon stick, as it seemed to be just right. Perfect with the avocado tomatillo salsa. We’ll definitely have this again.

  • Dannausc on January 31, 2022

    Good but a little too vinegary. It gave me heartburn.

  • Baxter850 on February 15, 2022

    Absolutely delicious. Shredded chicken and added a touch of water. The Avocado-Tomatillo Salsa is very spicy. Start with 2-3 Serrano chiles next time.

  • katiesue28 on October 26, 2022

    LOVED these! Super easy and made the house smell amazing! I also shredded the chicken and added some water. I purchased spicy avocado-tomatillo salsa from the store to make it even easier, and it was great! I highly recommend.

  • stepharama1 on February 09, 2023

    This is a sensational recipe! Used cascabel chiles because that's what I had and slightly decreased the vinegar. Everyone loved this and we'll definitely make this again.

  • TrishaCP on September 06, 2024

    Just as good as everyone says.

• Shrimp and chorizo taco

  • metacritic on June 19, 2020

    Excellent. Well worth making along with the phenomenal chorizo recipe that makes up this dish.

• Chicken taco

  • metacritic on April 12, 2020

    Absurdly good. A friend who came by and picked at the leftovers declared it the best chicken he had ever had. And he's a talented cook who had regular access to poulet de Bresse, as he grew up not far from the region. This cookbook should be far better known than is the case.

  • bwhip on April 15, 2020

    Exceptional. One of the best tacos we’ve ever had. The chicken turned out fantastic, grilled after 24 hours in a perfect marinade. The tomatillo salsa was quite spicy with the two Serrano chiles in there, but sooooo good. I didn’t bother with the red onion. We’ll have this again. Frequently.

  • TrishaCP on April 18, 2020

    The chicken for these tacos was very good and I would definitely make them again. I couldn’t make the salsa since I didn’t have fresh tomatillos, so served it with jarred salsa (meh), but I am definitely looking forward to trying it as soon as fresh tomatillos are available.

  • imaluckyducky on October 09, 2021

    5 stars. Seasoning and marinade perfect for the chicken as written, the char is key to offset the marinade's tang. The fresh tomatillo and serrano salsa is well-balanced and wasn't too hot for us. Made a double batch of both to make burrito bowls and breakfast skillets throughout the week. Will make again.

  • Baxter850 on April 26, 2025

    Very flavorful. Great for a large party. Marinade is easy. Marinated for 24 hours. Our tomatillo salsa was not cut even with the 2 Serrano.

• Shishito pepper taco with poached egg

  • metacritic on July 08, 2020

    This was superb. Kitchen looked like a bomb went off but the result was a taco with Japanese echoes.One needs to make a dashi and from there a ponzu sauce which you add to the shishito after blistering them. One adds to that a very mild but complex salsa and add a poached egg. The yolk binds the whole dish and the flavors are light but deep. Really a great dish.

• Mascarpone crema

  • metacritic on June 10, 2020

    Absolutely delicious and pushes a very good waffle recipe over the top.

• Roasted pumpkin taco

  • Dannausc on January 31, 2022

    Good but too sweet. I wouldn’t make it again. Also the recipe made way too much of the salad components.

• Celery root taco

  • bwhip on February 11, 2020

    Very easy, and really tasty! Delicious taco for a winter night. Light and flavorful, with a nice blend of spicy and sweet.

  • D.Barker on April 25, 2021

    This was okay. The salsa was a weird addition to this, but I did enjoy the taco filling. However, I don't think we would make it again because there were some odd tastes that didn't play well together.

• Eat Your Books by Jenny Hartin

  The definitive world on LA tacos from native Angeleno Wes Avila.

  Full review