How to Make and Press Your Own Taco T-Shirt with a Little Help

Everybody loves t-shirts. Everybody loves tacos! There are a lot of great taco t-shirts out there.

Here's another fun one!

With the new digital printing technology you can print almost anything for about $3 per decal.

Horizon Products have been around forever and they do a great job. We love the Taco Talk T-Shirts we made that day - They are still holding up 5 years later.

:)

El Tauro Taco Truck, Los Angeles

3108 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90005

I love this truck. I think their pastor tacos are better than Leo's. Sacrilage!!!!! I know but I've just had better experiences there, so maybe it's a quality control issue.

Really fun crowd. Really nice people. Getting kinda hungry just thinking about that roasted pork with pineapple on top!

Pumpkin Pinto Bean Pan Fried Tacos Savory and Sweet Variations

Happy Fall! Happy Halloween! Happy Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin pie is awesome, but so are pumpkin tacos! And excellent, soothing, vegetarian, carb on carb meal.

Please see the recipe below, and if you try it, let us know how they came out!

Per taco...

1 white corn Mission Brand tortilla (Any tortilla will do)
2 large tablespoons of canned Rosaritos refried beans
4 sprigs of pan browned chives (just toss for 5 min. in a few drops of olive oil)
1 tbl Herdez medium Salsa Casera (inside taco) salsa as needed outside taco while eating
1 tsp of cilantro paste (from produce section of supermarket) comes in a tube
2 tbl shredded cheese (cheddar/jack mix)
1 tbl of pumpkin pie filling (Libby's) sweeter than the plain stuff pictured...

I used olive oil spray in the pan but feel free to use 1 tbl oil to get a nice crunch feel.

Spread beans, pumpkin, cilantro paste and salsa on one half of the tortilla. Sprinkle on cheese and salsa. Add browned chives - don't chop... use them long - can be bought pre-cut in herb section.

Gently fold in half and brown on each side... about 5 minutes each side... put in oven to keep warm before serving with more salsa and chive garnish...

Of course you could always add fresh jalapeno or onion to this but I would saute first until caramelized. I intended to buy unsweetened pumpkin but couldn't find it. This worked to create a savory taco with a slight hint of sweetness.

I think an all sweet DESSERT taco would be great. I would use Italian cheese, MASCARPONE. 2 TBL of the sweet pumpkin filling. I would add cinnamon and cook it the same way. I would drizzle after cooking with a little caramel and top with fresh whipped cream. Ummmm.... YUM!!!!!

Also as I said on the show, you could be ambitious and make your own fresh pumpkin or butternut squash filling. You could also use whole beans or refried black beans, but the point is for this to be fun and easy and involve almost no cooking!!!!!

If you don't want ANY sweetness at all use the completely unsweetened plain pumpkin filling.

House of Tacos! Ingledwood Again, for Great Tacos

Yes that is really their name! AND they have a sign just under it that says "Experts in Taconology".

It's a bold claim, but I believe they have earned the right. The sign also indicates that they have Papusas and other Salvadorian food as well. Are the owner Salvadorian? No. Go figure. But I do feel like some of their signature touches.... saffron on the shrimp and in the rice for one... are definitely NOT Mexican.

My favorite thing here is the ground turkey taco. You can get it hard or soft. NO ONE IN THIS TOWN makes a ground turkey taco. It's beyond awesome just that it exists. They have a ground beef one too, incredible shrimp and all the other usual suspects.

One of the most charming aspects of this place, (hidden on Market St. in Inglewood, behind  O'REILLY AUTO) is the fact that the guy who takes your order is John from Chicago.

He seems to remember every face and exactly how many times you have been there and he couldn't be nicer or more efficient. Yay John! Or is it Juan?

Anyhoo, please watch our humble video and get yourself over there for some tasty taco treats.

The KO Taco Truck!

Delightful! I can't remember now where exactly I read about them... maybe on the Roadstoves website? They have only been around since June so I don't feel too bad... and they frequent the beachside of things which is far away from Taco Maven Headquarters in Pasadena.

We decided to bust a move on a Monday night. It was actually cold and rainy after having set a record for heat at 113 degrees just one week before.

The head of the whole enterprise, Chris Goossen, is the real thing. He has a star-studded background which includes working for Marky Mark AND having been the opening chef for Bottega Louie. LOTS of success. He was also a street boxer at one point and comes from a family of boxers, hence the KO (knock out) name and the boxing gloves logo.

What Chris tells us in the video remote review, is that the 10 tacos he serves on the truck were painstakingly culled down from a list of 42 that he was asked to create for another restaurant. It was all done with taste tests amongst brilliant palates and I have to say the result is stunning and absolutely the kind of thing I would drive 40 minutes in the rain to eat!

I'm pretty sure they have the only crispy potato taco available on a truck. It was expertly done, soothing even and most likely meant to accompany the spicier options. Most innovative perhaps was the Albacore Tuna taco which had slices of apples, jicama and habanero salsa. Crispy, chilled, fresh... really delicious. We didn't get a chance to try the Cajun Shrimp taco cuz the grits have bacon and Side 'o Rice is all pescatarian and shite.

Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, Chris busted out some complimentary Poke tacos which featured homemade teriyaki sauce. Again with the teriyaki??? Apparently the guys at The Shore are onto something! You could barely taste it, but it added something special.

Of course KO Taco Truck only uses the freshes ingredients, including homemade elusive tortillas made of yellow maize from a semi-secret source! You can follow them on twitter to get up-to-the-minute locations or check out their website... http://www.kotacotruck.com/

You MUST go.... like... NOW.

My Taco! Highland Park, CA on York

Yes. It's really called that.

VERY cute little place in Highland Park on York Blvd. near Figueroa. I can't believe my good fortune that I live SO close to it!

J. Gold put them on the map by singing the well-deserved praises of their Borrego. Roasted Lamb that they serve with tortillas and consume even!

I love their potato taco and since that has been our 'theme of the week', I made a little movie of myself eating one. I really like how their filling is reddish... nicely seasoned. Good crunchy shell that is somehow not greasy, nice white shredded cheese. I wish they had a few more salsas, but the ones that they have are fine.

Yum yum crunch crunch!

My Potato Taco - at My Taco in Highland Park from Taco Maven on Vimeo.

P.S. They are also famous so their crazy fries. The equivalent of chili fries except it's carne asada on top. I have no interest, but people 'sigh' over them big time.

:)

Pico de Gallo (Beak of the Rooster) Salsa Recipe

This classic staple to almost anything you could possibly eat made in Mexico, is one of our favorites here at Taco Talk. Lots of opinions. Lots of predilections.

Here is a very easy recipe for you to try at home because the most important thing about this salsa is that it be FRESH as both tomatoes and onions oxidize and spoil VERY quickly.

It has so many meanings.... Could be something you peck at little by little. Something that bites you with it's beak, flavor/heat-wise. Something hot that shows you are macho like a rooster etc.

Use your imagination and make up your own story involving Roosters!

Makes enough for two - on tacos or as garnish or for a small serving of chips - Double accordingly

1 small jalapeno (use a serrano if you are feeling bold - skinnier but hotter)
1 large clove of garlic (if you don't like raw garlic you can leave this out)
1 large shallot (or use 1/3 of a white onion or a maui onion or a red onion)
generous handful of cilantro - chopped
8 cherry tomatoes or 2 large roma tomatoes or 2 med heirlooms
1 lime (juiced) get a nice ripe soft one... (sometimes I like to use white vinegar instead - 2 tbl.)
1 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1 tsp. of olive oil (good green stuff - helps salsa last longer and makes it glisten)

Chop all your ingredients finely. Yes, you can 'seed' your tomatoes by cutting in half and scrapping out the runny middle. I like the runny middle but it lasts longer without.

Cut your chile in half and then chop open side down. Scrape away seeds.

Afterwards you have to wash EVERYTHING really well or you could get chile burn. Cold water and rubbing your fingers along DULL side of stainless steel knife should take care of chile burn, onion/garlic smell etc.

Add the lime juice, oil, salt and pepper etc. Toss together with a spoon and ENJOY.

Salt to taste. I find it needs a lot of salt to bring out flavor but you could always start with less and add as you go. Use sea salt!

Please try it and email us the results!