As I wrap up this podcast, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support throughout our episodes. This podcast has been a reflection of my life, my family, and the lessons learned in our taco truck days. A special thanks goes to Stanford Florence (Flobama), Patrick Owen, and José Ralat, as they all helped me on pivotal paths to achieve many of these episodes. My siblings, Martha, Jose, Victor and Mike have not only contributed to the richness of our podcast but also profou...
Aug 28, 2024•17 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Recently, when I heard some white girl call her salsa ‘restaurant style home-made’ I was triggered to make a reaction video to call her out on her use of ‘catchy’ words to attract an audience. When I think about social media's influence, I wonder if I would have taken to promoting our food like so many do today, claiming we had the best tacos. On today’s episode, I tell you about what I call inappropriate motivations – when guided by bad intentions, you will likely yield negative results. I ofte...
Aug 12, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Episode Summary Thinking back four years to when the pandemic began is like rewatching a tough episode because it reminds us of how hard things were. Many people lost loved ones during that time. But it's also important to see that we made it through and are moving forward. Even though we still face challenges from the pandemic, if we stop and ask ourselves, "Are things better now than during the pandemic?" I believe a lot of people would say yes. It's like looking at how much we've improved sin...
Jul 24, 2024•15 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Episode Summary In this episode, I express my deep love for cilantro and its essential role in creating real tacos. To me, a taco isn't complete without the fresh burst of flavor that cilantro, along with onion and salsa roja, brings to the table. But my affection for cilantro goes beyond its culinary necessity. It symbolizes a profound sense of gratitude for my journey to the USA. Growing up in my parents' taco truck exposed me to the art of chopping cilantro, a skill that laid the foundation f...
Jul 12, 2024•15 min•Season 6Ep. 8
Episode Summary In this special episode, we honor my dad on his birthday by sharing the invaluable lessons I learned from him that shaped his success as a taquero. These lessons, which I call "Taco Truck Rules to Live By," are not just for running a taco truck—they are principles for living a fulfilling life. Key Points Today is my dad’s birthday. Honoring him by sharing the "Taco Truck Rules to Live By." Taco Truck Rules to Live By : 1. Don’t be late – Always be punctual. 2. Be courteous – Trea...
Jun 26, 2024•25 min•Season 6Ep. 7
Authenticity used to be a word with significant meaning, but I think it has now become subjective and often exploited as a marketing tool. I once tweeted, "The closer you come to making it from scratch, the more authintic it will be." And that tweet reflected my beliefs at that time. The belief in the value of effort and craftmanship. Howeveer, a friend's perpective, based on the "abuelita principle," has challenged my assertion. Or at least that's how it felt when he replied, "Authenticity is a...
Jun 12, 2024•9 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Today on the show, I want to share a recent internal conflict that inspired me to create a reaction video on TikTok. The video featured a Mexican lady making tacos, but they weren't just any tacos; they were White People Taco Night tacos. This stirred feelings of sadness and internal conflict within me. However, this experience also led me to some podcast therapy. During this episode, I was reminded of the struggle encapsulated by the phrase "Ni de aquí ni de allá" (not from here nor from there)...
May 30, 2024•18 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Today on the show, I delve into personal stories and the life lessons I learned from my dad, especially as he faced dementia. We'll explore the profound impact these lessons have had on my life and how they've inspired positive changes. Join me as I reflect on the question, "Who are you?" and share how this journey has influenced my self-discovery and growth. But we start with a confession and how that’s leading me to question my growth on some social platforms. Finally, I tell you of the little...
May 19, 2024•22 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Today on the show, I want to share with you the extraordinary power of tacos. Now, this is a kind of force that isn't visible to the eye. I remember as a kid, when I looked up the definition of work, it said, "Work is the ability to produce power!" Well, the power of tacos definitely requires some work, and this work manifests in numerous ways. It's a force that's somewhat elusive, hard to put into words. But I'm going to give it my best shot. I'll do so by sharing a recent experience that allow...
Apr 30, 2024•24 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Today on this episode I want to revisit what carne asada means, as it relates to getting together. If you ever get invited to a carne asada consider yourself special. That event is seasoned and the experience would just make it taste better. I also want to tell you what this meat, or rather the saying, “carne asada” really means to me. How my experience moving to the United States helped shape how I see this meat and more importantly, how it has helped shape my life. Carne asada just makes every...
Apr 18, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Taco Freakin Holders Today on this episode we explore my opinion of taco holders. Not going to lie, I freakin hate them. I think taco holders are superfluous at best and colonial hierarchy at worst. But on this episode we’ll just focus on the good. I tell you a quick story of how taco holders are like scheduling apps that don’t work if you are not going to deliver on what was promised. I also flip the tortilla and tell you about a recent trip to Kansas City, Missouri. On this trip, my wife and I...
Apr 02, 2024•19 min•Season 6Ep. 1
Welcome to the season finale of our podcast! This episode closes out a sazon of amazing conversations, topics, and of course, tacos. We’re about to wrap up, no pun, with some fun tasting insight from our hosts. We’ll revisit some of the good takes from this season, introduce a new guest host, and look forward to what’s coming next. Yes, new hosts – we welcome a new member of our 10kTacos podcast, Rodrigo Bravo. Get ready for an unforgettable finale through discussion, reflection, and of course t...
Dec 25, 2022•45 min•Season 5Ep. 13
It that time of year! If you look around you, almost everywhere you go, you will see festive lights, crowds gathering at Christmas parks, packed ice rinks, and, of course, tons of suckers, I mean, people at shopping malls. Yes, the holiday season is in full swing! But there is another season that is in full swing. A type of activity that involves tons of minutes of prep time. Perhaps tons of pair of hands and definitely tons of love, graciousness, and tons of gratitude. The season I'm referring ...
Dec 02, 2022•21 min•Season 5Ep. 12
When I think of Mexican sports and athletes, I think of golfer Lorena Ochoa or boxer great Laura Serrano. Speaking of boxers, I think of Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez. I also think of the relationship Mexicans have with their futbol (soccer) greats. I don’t ever think of winter sports when it comes to Mexico and its athletes. Today on the show, we speak to Regina Martinez. She is attempting to become the first Mexican woman to qualify for the winter Olympics in her sport, Cross Country S...
Sep 22, 2022•47 min•Season 5Ep. 11
Today, we not only get to talk tacos, we also get to talk barbecue and where the two intersect. Today we speak to Joe Zavala from Zavala’s Barbecue. Zavala’s Barbecue is in Grand Prairie, Texas. It’s owned by Christan and pitmaster Joe Zavala. Zavala’s, the barbecue joint, began as a backyard pop-up before moving into a brick-and-mortar in 2019. It’s been a hit ever since, finally gaining the esteemed honor of a spot on the 2021 Texas Monthly’s Top 50 Barbecue Joints list, something he had been ...
Sep 06, 2022•47 min•Season 5Ep. 10
Today on the show we bring you someone who studies TACOS, specifically the culture and food. As we’ve said before, “Tacos are bigger than us.” Perhaps no one knows this better than Steven Alvarez. A poet and professor at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, Dr. Alvarez hails from the small mining town of Safford in southeastern Arizona. Alvarez is a literacy scholar who walks the line through his academic books, including Brokering Tareas: Mexican Immigrant Families Translanguaging Homewor...
Aug 20, 2022•56 min•Season 5Ep. 9
Today on the show we speak to Ali Khan, a native of St. Louis. Ali Khan has been in food writing and showbusiness for a long-o time. He went to film school at USC. He’s written for L.A. Taco. And he got his big break in 2015 with the Cooking Channel series Cheap Eats. The show ran for five seasons and visited almost 60 cities in 40 states. Ali is currently the host of the Spring Baking Challenge on Food Network and a recurring judge on the Chopped series. Ali also has a big online presence with ...
Aug 08, 2022•45 min•Season 5Ep. 8
Tacos In Verse This week’s guest infuses culture, food–which is culture—and Spanglish in inspiring ways. His work has appeared in chapbooks, anthologies, and the streets of San Antonio. He’s traveled the country to perform his work, including, most recently, Louisville, KY, where he won a haiku contest. He is the host of the Sunday open mic at Dakota Ice House in San Antonio, a native of Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, a longtime resident of the Alamo City, a high school teacher, a co-founder of the I...
Jul 21, 2022•42 min•Season 5Ep. 7
Today’s show is a special one. We’re going to talk about one of Jose’s articles, specifically, his review of The Mexican, a fancy new restaurant in Dallas, specializing in—wait for it, yes, you guessed it—Mexican food. But not just any Mexican food: Overpriced Mexican food with commodity tortillas and a $250 margarita named after a famous revolutionary. That revolutionary was Pancho Villa. The cocktail and the tortillas, we’ll get to those shortly, underscore what José calls cognitive dissonance...
Jul 08, 2022•42 min•Season 5Ep. 6
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 ...
Jun 24, 2022•41 min•Season 5Ep. 5
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 y...
Jun 09, 2022•49 min•Season 5Ep. 4
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...
May 19, 2022•48 min•Season 5Ep. 3
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 gues...
May 06, 2022•50 min•Season 5Ep. 2
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 ...
May 05, 2022•44 min•Season 5Ep. 1
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!
Apr 27, 2022•10 min
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 ...
Oct 17, 2021•14 min•Season 4Ep. 10
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 Ang...
Sep 17, 2021•53 min•Season 4Ep. 9
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 ...
Aug 12, 2021•14 min•Season 4Ep. 8
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 he...
Jul 01, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 7
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 co...
Mar 21, 2021•21 min•Season 4Ep. 6
