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Today on the show, José and I welcome Martha Niño, a Silicon Valley veteran who has a good story to tell. It’s a story I’m very familiar with. Beneath the Silicon Valley lies the Santa Clara Valley, which really should be called TACO VALLEY. When I first met Martha, I referred to her as my Silicon Valley twin.  Martha’s story is one of cracking the code - making it past a barrier. A barrier that gets established by the gatekeepers. And sometimes, a barrier that may be self-imposed.   Martha shared her story on stage in front of hundreds of her coworkers in 2019. Today you’ll be hearing some of that day’s talk as well as her take on how tacos influence the tech world.    FACO A FACO is a person or an organization that misrepresents the taco and or the culture.  This week’s FACO: Santa Monica police mobile command center in a parking lot near the Santa Monica Pier on Jan. 22. The city is pushing out unlicensed vendors who sell on the pier on weekends. To enforce the rules is one thing but the response to this was similar to BLM protests in D.C. back in 2020. OVER the TOP!  TAQUOTE: “A TACO sin nada is still better than a FACO con todo!”   SOCIAL MEDIA Isidro Salas: https://twitter.com/10ktacos José R. Ralat: https://twitter.com/TacoTrail   * This episode was originally recorded on FIRESIDE .  

There is something magical about combining ingredients to make a delicious plate. It's like creating a work of art with every meal. And, just like an artist, you can use different seasonings to create different flavors. For me though, the magic comes from watching others add a healthy dash of pepper, a muscle-memory pinch of salt, or blind handful of oregano to make magical plates. To watch others do it with a mental measuring spoon and be confident the food will come out mouthwatering. How do you describe that magic? How do you tell others about it in a way that makes their minds wonder there is both magic and method behind that? What is the magic behind that? Is it experience? Is it national origin? Is it gender? Is it regional? There is such a word, in Spanish, to describe that magical method. Its literal translation is Seasoning, which is SAZON. But Sazon has a more powerful meaning in our culture than just seasoning. Some may say that SAZON comes with a punch. Others may describe SAZON as a zing. It is the flavor that takes your taste buds on a journey. A journey they will never forget. Sazon is an emotional journey that involves chemistry, artistry and mental calculation within our hands.   FACO   Chipotle’s tortilla chip robot, Chippy, deliberately makes imperfect chip. https://www.foodandwine.com/news/chipotle-tortilla-chip-robot-chippy   TAQUOTE You don’t always get the taco you want, sometimes you get the taco you need. SOCIAL MEDIA Isidro Salas: https://twitter.com/10ktacos José R. Ralat: https://twitter.com/TacoTrail   * This episode was originally recorded on FIRESIDE .  

On this episode we talk with Jason Stanford, former chief of communication and community engagement for the Mayor of Austin, Steve Adler. We speak to him about the Great Breakfast Taco War, the book he co-authored, Forget the Alamo, and other taco wars. We begin with José telling us how Texans take everything personally. Especially as it relates to food. That character trait or flaw, whatever you’d like to call it, occasionally causes a big to-do. One of those occasions occurred in February 2016. That’s when Eater.com writer Matthew Sedacca’s story about Austin being the birthplace of the breakfast taco. Many San Antonioans lost their minds and took to social media. A  tongue-in-cheek Change.org petition to ban Sedacca from Texas was also published. Eventually, Eater quietly revised the text to state Austin popularized the breakfast taco. But the writer’s misunderstanding of the Texas staple remained. In his story, the journalist writes, “The recipe is simple: take a tortilla, and stuff with desired breakfast ingredients—eggs, processed yellow cheese, pork, etc.” Anyone who has glanced at a breakfast taco menu in San Antonio and South Texas knows this is untrue. The range is great, including carne guisada, barbacoa, pork chops. The diversity is greatness. Soon after, Texas radio stations got involved, TV stations threw in their hats too. Then the mayors got involved. The vitriol was palpable. Austin Mayor Steve Adler didn’t help things. He held rallies where he shouted the bona fides of Austin tacos and even in a fervor declared he would lead a march on San Antonio.   It was never known if that claim was scripted but there were scripted takes on the breakfast taco war and other things. The person behind that was Jason Stanford. Stanford’s newsletter explained that San Antonio didn’t understand that Austin’s mayor was joking at the time. Like many of Austin’s moves, it was a PR stunt with a sprinkling of cynical humor. San Antonio was ultimately a punchline. FACO: “Remember The Alamo” is a phrase sprinkled with racism. It’s a dog whistle.   TAQUOTE: “The odds always favor the tortillas like the salsa flavors of the taco.”   SOCIAL MEDIA Jason Stanford: https://twitter.com/JasStanford   Isidro Salas: https://twitter.com/10ktacos   José R. Ralat: https://twitter.com/TacoTrail   LINKS   https://austin.eater.com/2016/2/19/11060078/breakfast-taco-austin-history   https://www.change.org/p/city-of-austin-texas-exile-matthew-sedacca-from-texas-for-taco-negligence   https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/can-any-texas-city-claim-the-breakfast-taco-as-its-own/   https://www.vice.com/en/article/d7kxaj/the-real-texas-breakfast-taco-history-involves-cannibalism-ted-cruz-and-war   https://www.amazon.com/Forget-Alamo-Rise-Fall-American/dp/1984880098   https://jasonstanford.substack.com/p/for-the-first-time-heres-the-real?s=w&utm_medium=web   * This episode was originally broadcast on Fireside.

In our previous episode, we touched on the history of Cinco de Mayo. We also spoke a little more on the French and their ambitions to help, you know, Racistas del Sur, we mean the Confederacy. We also touched on the way some people celebrate this day, and dress up like a Mexican.   This week, we’re discussing how to best celebrate Cinco de Mayo, how to celebrate the commemoration of the pivotal battle turned into a Corona and margarita-fueled drunk fest. It’s actually really easy.    Our special guest this week is Memo Torres, director of partnerships and doer of de todo un poco at L.A. Taco. Que onda, Memo?   FACO The Miami Marlins $25 deal for a game ticket, a beer, and two chicken tacos. The saddest chicken tacos on Mission-looking flour tortillas. https://twitter.com/MarlinsComms/status/1518998697463455745?s=20&t=JIflVjeXm3s6IRcEoJYjyQ   TAQUOTE  Taco greatness is within grasp.   SOCIAL Isidro Salsa: @10ktacos José R. Ralat: @tacotrail Memo Torres: @el_tragon_de_LA/@el_tragon_de_los_angeles   This episode was originally broadcast on Fireside.

The nineteenth century was a year of almost constant war for Mexico. One of those wars was against the French who invaded the country because Mexico’s president, Benito Juarez, refused to pay its debts to France. Secretly, though, the French dreamt of expanding their empire, installing a puppet ruler, and then marching northward to assist the Confederacy in the Civil War.   Before that was possible, the French army needed to capture Mexico City. To do that, they needed to pass through Puebla. The invading forces, 6,000 strong, expected this to be easy. They did not expect to get their butts whooped by a band of 2,000 poorly outfitted Mexicans, mostly indigenous villagers and South Texas vaqueros, under the command of 32-year-old Gen. Ignacio Zaragoza. That skirmish is called the Battle of Puebla. It occurred on May 5, 1862.   Its more common name is Cinco de Mayo, a minor holiday in Puebla, where it is commemorated with parades and reenactments. It’s not a federal holiday. It’s not Mexico’s Independence Day. In fact, Mexicans across the republic don’t even get the day off. North of the Rio Grande and across the globe it’s another story.   Cinco de Mayo is as much about heroics as St. Patrick’s Day is about a holy man. Both are the result of well-executed campaigns that turned specific holidays into drinking amateur hour. But this isn’t an episode about vomiting on the steps of St. Patrick’s Cathedral—yes, I’ve witnessed that. This is about May 5, which Isidro and I call Cinco de Gringo.   FACO Favor delivery app searching for Chief Taco Officer https://blog.favordelivery.com/now-hiring-chief-taco-officer-9a292e780706   TAQUOTE If you live life as if your next taco will be your last, one day you will be right!   SOCIAL MEDIA Isidro Salas: @10ktacos José Ralat: @tacotrail   LINKS https://www.caller.com/story/news/2018/05/14/significance-cinco-de-mayo-and-its-south-texas-connection/609369002/   https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/the-hero-of-cinco-de-mayo-was-a-texan/   https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/cinco-de-mayo   https://news.utexas.edu/2016/05/05/cinco-de-mayo-and-the-battle-of-puebla-have-relevance-today/   https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/how-corona-made-cinco-de-mayo-an-american-holiday/   https://txglo.medium.com/the-texas-hero-of-cinco-de-mayo-ignacio-zaragoza-and-the-origins-of-the-celebration-8e1e3df27118   https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/fiestas-patrias-and-cinco-de-mayo    

Is a burrito a taco?  In this new season, we tackle this question. I know the answer, but 10,000 TACOS now has a new voice as of this moment. And this voice has a different answer to mine.  We take this moment to introduce you to José Ralat. He is the author of American Tacos, A History and Guide. As the first of his kind, José is also the Taco Editor for the Texas Monthly.  We are excited to have him on this show, and we hope you are too!  

Growing up in East San Jose, hearing the phrase "Neighborhood Watch" had a different meaning. It meant watching out for one another. Yet in some cases, it meant watching out for the cops.    Today on the show, we take you back to my college days when a FACO commented why he thought crime was high in the area where I grew up. His comment led me to explain what Neighborhood Watch means in Eastside San Jose. I also tell you a story of what led to me getting slapped and what came of that day.   But more importantly, we end with why I think tacos come with two tortillas!       TAQUOTE: "In our neighborhood, once we were accepted, once the taco truck became a fixture in our driveway, everyone seemed to have our back."     If you've not heard of Clubhouse (a new Social Network), you should consider joining. But if you are on Clubhouse, please join our Club. It's called Taco Culture Club, and you can also find me at my handle - @10ktacos  Download the app here Clubhouse (now open to Android users also).      Please join go to www.tenthousandtacos.com or www.10ktacos.com - to our mailing list for the latest updates and be the first to be notified when we start offering merchandise – to help support the show.    Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - @10ktacos  Please let us know what you think of the show by sending us a note - [email protected]

The announcement of the International Taco Council with discussion following.   Panelists Isidro Salas is a proud son of a taquero and host of the 10,000 Tacos podcast. José R.  Ralat is the Texas Monthly taco editor and author of American Tacos: A History and Guide. Serena Maria Daniels is the Detroit-based editor-in-chief of Tostada magazine and the president of the International Taco Council. Eddie Vega is a poet and educator in San Antonio, Texas. Diana Medina is a poet and educator in Los Angeles. Luis Silva and Antony Macias are Instagram influencers in Dallas-Fort Worth. Jeffery Merrihue is world-traveling gourmand, restaurant owner, and tour guide based in Santa Monica, Calif. Rodrigo Bravo, Jr. is radio host and producer in San Antonio. Amado Lopez is the taquero/co-owner of Casa Amado in Detroit. Memo Torres is a writer and director of partnerships at James Beard Award-winning news site L.A. Taco. Andrés M. Garza is a culinary anthropologist, chef, and the owner of Neighborhood Molino tortilleria in McAllen, a Texas border city in the Rio Grande Valley. Charlie Vela is a documentarian and composer in McAllen, Texas. Tami Thomsen is a music manager and the producer of the Taco Libre taco and music festival. Toby Wilson is a chef and taquero in Sydney, Australia. Alejandro Escalante is the author of La Tacopedia. All panelists are members of the International Taco Council.   Also Heard Regino Rojas is the James Beard Award nominated owner of Revolver Taco Lounge in Dallas. Jorge is the owner of JMJ Gratification in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley. Elizabeth Velasco is the owner of ThatSoCuteShop in Los Angeles. Cesar Cano is a chef and culinary educator in Houston.   Web and Social Media Handles International Taco Council — Twitter: @IntlTacoCouncil Isidro Salas — Website: 10Ktacos; Twitter: @10ktacos; IG: @10ktacos; FB: 10ktacos José R. Ralat — Website: texasmonthly.com/category/tacos; Twitter: @TacoTrail; IG: @tacotrail; FB: @tacotrail Serena Maria Daniels — Website: Tostada Magazine; Twitter: @serenamaria36, @TostadaMagazine; IG: @serenamaria36; tostadamagazine; FB: @tostada Magazine Eddie Vega —Twitter: @ElTacolico; IG: @eltacolico Diana Medina — Website: offtheclocker.com; Twitter: @offtheclocker; IG: @offtheclocker; FB: @offtheclocker Luis Silva – Website: foodie-munster.com; Twitter: @foodiemustertx; IG: @foodie_munster Anthony Macias — Twitter: @amdmmm; IG: @ant_eats214 Jeffrey Merrihue — Website: xtremefoodies.com; Twitter: @JeffreyMerrihue; IG: @jeffrey_merrihue Rodrigo Bravo, Jr. — Twitter: @mrbravo365; IG: @mrbravo365 Amado Lopez — Website: casaamado.com; Twitter: @casa_amado; IG: @mexicano_cocinero; @casa_amado Andrés M. Garza — Websites: www.neighborhoodmolino.com, www.andresmgarza.com; Twitter: @molino000; IG: @neighborhood.molino Charlie Vela — Twitter: @charlievela; IG: @charlievela Tami Thomsen — Twitter: @TamiT; IG: @tamtam2819 Toby Wilson — Twitter: TK; IG: @tobywilson, @ricostacotruck   Links International Taco Council Manifesto: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hMYk6FxSynCxBZvvx0s8CEQIFs34uxvIIo55jPBlioI/edit?usp=sharing. The True Story of National Taco Day by Gustavo Arellano: https://www.lataco.com/the-true-story-of-how-national-taco-day-was-invented-then-appropriated/   Detroit Chigona named inauguaral President of International Taco Council by Serena Maria Daniels: https://tostadamagazine.com/2021/09/16/detroit-c******a-named-inaugural-president-of-international-taco-council/   Taco Life on Clubhouse: https://ios.clubhouse.com/club/taco-trail-taco-life  

What do we mean by a soft-shell fallacy? It’s a phrase used to describe tortillas and therefor tacos. And for many years it’s gone unchecked. Today on the show we give you our take as to why it’s a fallacy. Soft and shell are two contradicting terms. Yet not much is made of it. Simply put, tortillas are called tortillas and tacos are called tacos. There is really no need for translation. Why is this important? For thousands of years the process of making tortillas is considered sacred. It’s, in my opinion, disrespectful to all the women and men who do this daily to call them something other than its name. It is called a tortillas and it is  freakin great.  TAQUOTE: " Sometimes you have to taste the hottest salsa to find what’s cool!"     If you've not heard of Clubhouse (a new Social Audio App), you should consider joining. But if you are on Clubhouse, please join our Club. It's called Taco Trail Taco Life “Breakfast Tacos”, and you can also find me at my handle - @10ktacos  Download the app here Clubhouse   Please join go to www.tenthousandtacos.com or www.10ktacos.com - to our mailing list for the latest updates and be the first to be notified when we start offering merchandise – to help support the show.    Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter - @10ktacos  Please let us know what you think of the show by sending us a note - [email protected]  

Panelists: Andrea Aliseda is a Tijuana-born journalist living in Los Angeles. Andrés M. Garza is a culinary anthropologist, chef, and the owner of Neighborhood Molino tortilleria in McAllen, a Texas border city in the Rio Grande Valley. Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman is a first-generation Tejana and the executive chef of José in Dallas. Emmanuel Chavez is a chef and co-owner of Tatemó, a pop-up and molino-tortilleria. Edgar Rico is the executive chef and co-owner of Nixta Taqueria in Austin.   Also heard: Evil Cooks is a taqueria and Mexican food pop-up owned by Alex Garcia and Elvia Huerta. Toby Wilson is the chef and owner of Ricos Tacos in Sydney, Australia. Diana Martinez is a food consultant. Karla Plancarte is the owner of Tortilleria Taiyari in the Netherlands.   Web and Social Media Handles Andrea Aliseda — Website: www.andreaaliseda.com; Twitter: @alisedaandrea; IG: @andrea__aliseda Andrés M. Garza — Websites: www.neighborhoodmolino.com, www.andresmgarza.com; Twitter: @molino000; IG: @neighborhood.molino AQ Pittman — Twitter: @ChefAQPittman; IG: @aqpittman Emmanuel Chavez — Website: www.tatemohtx.com; IG: @dishwasher89, @tatemo_htx Edgar Rico — Website: www.nixtataqueria.com; IG: @nixtataqueria, @edgarrico   Links Unlocking Nixtamal by Andrea Aliseda: https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/what-is-nixtamal-article   Masa Harina Is Good for Plenty More Than Making Masa by Andrea Aliseda: https://www.epicurious.com/ingredients/masa-harina-drinks-dredge-bread-article   Nixtamalization Is the 3,500-Year-Old Secret to Great Tortillas by José R. Ralat: https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/tex-mexplainer-nixtamalization-is-the-3500-year-old-secret-to-great-tortillas/   You Put What in My Tortillas? Chefs Are Adding New Colors and Flavors to Masa by José R. Ralat: https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/chefs-adding-colors-flavors-tortillas/

Who here likes being challenged? It's rarely a good time to be critiqued or challenged.  Today on the show, I want to tell you about a time when my (older)  brother stepped in and corrected a mistake I was about to make. A possible mistake as it came to serving our customers burritos made the correct way.  It's a time that helped change my outlook on how burritos should be made and how it was essential to fulfill our parents' wishes—the lesson of taking the time, the proper time, to do something correctly. I also tell you how that lesson came to help me many years later, as I made burritos for my wife.  And how on the day our TAQUERO was set free to rest eternally; this brother showed me why he is my hero!  

In this bonus episode, we update you on our move to Colorado. I also come to this moment in my podcast journey to see what my "WHY" is. I'm passionate about tacos and the culture. But what I'm more passionate about is the word TAQUERO. I believe the word TAQUERO should be elevated to that of Executive Chef. No disrespect, but I feel a taquero is more than just a taquero. Join us on this bonus episode and find out why I am super stoked. I also want to apologize for not releasing episodes in the last few months. The move from California to Colorado took longer than expected, but we are finally here and are very humbled by the experience of moving to a new area. Please, if you've not heard of it already, join Clubhouse - a new social media platform for audio. It's where you can hear great conversations and join some of them. My handle is @10ktacos. Thanks again for your support!