Cheers to the New Year

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. It's been a hell of a year for lots of people. I'm pressed to find the right words. For some it's been banner: filled with success and new adventures, true love, a marriage here and there, and personal reasons to feel loved and secure. For others it's been a difficult year: lost jobs, insecurity, a sense of aimlessness. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's been all over the board. Personally, I'm glad it's over. It's the first New Year's Eve that I can honestly say that I know why it's something of a celebration.

For me, the year started in turmoil. I'd lost my job (on the Tuesday before Christmas--awesome timing guys) and was in the lurch. The promise of finding a new job opened up all the Life questions that so many people ask of themselves: What am I doing with my life? Is this how I thought things would turn out? What the hell is the reason for any of this? I'm sure that Morrissey would appreciate the nature of the doldrums that I was dealing with. And at this point I need to give props to Jack, the person that tossed me a line and brought me to a much better place. So reason #1 to be thankful for the New Year is that I have a job, and a great one. Probably the best job I've ever had (Godfather's Pizza, high school, notwithstanding). And to all my friends and loved one's that are in the middle of their own search, I wish you love and success. I know you'll find it.

To Troy and Ivonne, my heart is always open to you. My truest friend on the other side of the planet. Too good to see you and all my love to your HUGE family (it's time to stop breeding).

For my dad it was a year of Passing. We all have mom's, and his died this year. She was a cross between a family icon and family battleaxe. But she held on to a good long life and I hope she found peace at the end. So to dad, godspeed to your mom, I know how much you loved her and how hard you worked to be a great son.

For my mom and dad, it was the 42nd year of their marriage. 42 years. I almost have to rewrite it and think about it. That means that, if I were married right now, tomorrow, I'd be long dead before I hit a 42 year benchmark. Good, bad, or otherwise, I respect the hell out of you two for sticking it out. I'm also glad that our relationship is where it's at. It hasn't always been this way--thanks for hanging on.

My brother and sister are both great people. One is strung pretty tight, and the other is, well, not so uptight. They're good hearted, the two of them, and I love them dearly--all my love to you and I hope we can see each other more next year.

Carina and I had a crazy year. We moved too much, both did job changes, and seemed to be all over the place from time to time. My hope for the new year is that we have love and stability--thankfully, the former wasn't lacking this year, and the latter, well, is something to shoot for in 2010. Still, and you'll never meet her, but she's a woman to go to war for, and she's the kind that would do the same for you. I love her, and I hope she knows how much.

So I wanted to throw these things out there before heading down Taco Road again. It seems sort of self-indulgent, but like I said, it's the first New Year that I've really understood why people scream and shout and kiss and open nice bottles of wine. In the past it always felt perfunctory. This year it feels, well, like the only way to kiss off one hell of year and set my sights on brighter things ahead. I'm grateful for the wonderful, generous, wise friends and family that guided me this year, instructed me as they saw fit, and were there regardless of the outcome. To all of you, nothing but love and appreciation.

Carina and I are having dinner tomorrow night at Noca, french. French. It's going to be an incredible dinner. After that, Friday in particular, the Taco Hunt begins. So until then, Happy New Year to you and may 2010 be nothing but an amazing, exciting, fulfilling year.

Taco 101

Before going much further, it's important to establish a baseline for future taco reviews and cooking attempts. There are so many interesting variations on the taco that we should nail down a little history, a few words on common ingredients and techniques, and then discuss some of the more common tacos that I've eaten.

To begin with, the taco goes back--way back--into Mexican history. The tortilla is a fundamental aspect of Mexican culinary culture (did I really need to say that?). Incas were making tortilla for goodness sake. And, if you've never had or made a fresh tortilla then you're missing out! There is something hugely rewarding about making one of the simplest breads in the world--it takes no time and is deeply satisfying. Plus, you can make 'em and brag.

The word "taco" means (loosely translated) "light snack"--something that wives would bring to their campesino husbands in the middle of the day to keep them fueled up. Then, as is true now, the taco was stuffed with meat and rolled up. Mexican culinary historians argue that flour tortillas were more common in northern Mexico while corn tortillas were more common in the south. In Phoenix, it's all about the corn. Fresh corn tortillas that are lightly dredged in rendered fat, and then doubled to hold all the delicious grilled meat. My mouth is watering right now! I'll use flour tortillas for things like breakfast burritos or quesadillas, and there was certainly a time when I liked flour tortillas in much the same manner as I like white bread. But corn tortillas add another dimension of flavor and texture to the taco that flour sort of lacks.

In terms of taco distribution, you basically have two choices. A Taqueria or a Puesta. You've surely seen both. The Taqueria is a taco shop and a Puesta is an ambulatory cart that is typically set up in the same place and at the same time. I'm going to take a crack at both of them in this endeavor. Currently, my go-to taco joint is a Puesta. I'll be hitting them up this weekend and will post the pictures. The stuff is amazing. So it's not totally fair to say that a street taco has to be "from the street." It's the ingredients and cooking technique that give it the populist vibe.

There's really no end to the meaty possibilities for a taco. There are, however, some pretty standard ingredients that don't vary all that much:

1. tacos are typically garnished with chopped onion and cilantro
2. there's usually a fresh salsa "casera" as well as deeply flavored simmered salsas
3. grilled green onions, "cebollitas" are a common accompnayment
4. fresh lime wedges--got to have those!

Other than that, it's all about the meat filling. Bear in mind, part of this taco journey is about trying new sorts of fillings. Up until now I've been very pedestrian and have stuck to three easy classics:

1. Tacos al Pastor--almost gyro like shaved meat that's been spiced and marinated
2. Tacos de Carnitas--basically pork that's been chopped and cooked in lard/spices
3. Tacos al Carbon--grilled meat that's chopped finely on a "tronco" chopping block

These are standbys. But there are lamb, fish, fried, veggetarian, cow's head, tripe, and a whole bunch of other tacos that have been filling bellies for years and years. Time to give them props. "Cabeza" will be a special day.

The first taco feed starts this Friday at a Puesta next to Charlie's, a gay bar in downtown Phoenix. This place starts prepping at 3 p.m. for a dinner rush that gets going around 8 and lasts until 3-ish in the morning. The line snakes out of the parking lot and along the sidewalk. The knock out some serious food. Cost: 1$ per taco. Cheers!

Welcome to Matt Talks Tacos--an on-going romance with the world's greatest street food

Good evening friends, and welcome to Matt Talks Tacos!

My name is Matt Plughoff and I live in Phoenix, Arizona. Moved here a few years ago (work, relo) from Seattle. Now Seattle is a fine city--one of the nicest in my opinion. It's one of those cities that, were you a martian paying a quick visit, and were you to land, say, near Lake Union on a beautiful summer day, you'd immediately decide it was time to set the ship down and begin global domination. Never mind the fact that it rains terrifically much, or that fleece and wool are always in style, that The Sartorialist has it on his "worst of the worst" places to never visit, and that you're more or less destined to live a clammy, trapped existence--never mind all of that.

It's a taco wasteland.

This isn't to say that Seattle doesn't have great food. It really does. There was a time when you couldn't turn a corner without running into a really excellent Thai place, or Indian place. When the artisan pizza craze hit the country Seattle was right there (you betcha), with a couple pizza places that I'd stack up against Bianco (you know the story: years of dedication, an oven transported "brick by brick" from the mother country, a thin, wispy fella called "guisseppi" or "frank" slapping hand pressed dough and wielding his peel with dangerous precision). Seattle has Tom Douglas--local hero. It has a whole host of Asian/Fusion places that are also top notch. The Pike Place Market--world class--you have to give it that. But when it comes to the taco, well that's another story.

So Phoenix, here I am. At first I was pretty excited about the Mexican food opportunities. After all, Arizona is, like, closer to Mexico than Washington. Proximity counts for something, right? So in a rather gringo-esque manner began to scour the city looking for "authentic" Mexican food. But what did that mean? Macayos has been in Phoenix for fifty years--is THAT authentic enough? The Tee Pee has the same story. Does that count? Both places are great, and both places service the iconic melted cheese plate that I was looking to avoid. I wanted something more "street" than a historic chain. Something that captured some form of culinary populism that I expected to find. It was tough to put my finger on it for a very long time. So long, in fact, that I nearly gave up. But like most hero journeys, there is a turn of events along the way, some form of eye opening awareness.

It was Marisco Chihuahua. A run down, faded little seafood shack. I'd driven past it a hundred times. Assumed it was condemned. How pompous! But Carina was hungry and had a hankering for a seafood stew. And IT was the moment--cold seafood stew, perfectly spiced, piles of squid, oysters, shrimp. Stacks of crackers and lemon and lime wedges. Super cold beer. How had I missed this place? How had I overlooked something three blocks from my house? Arrogance? Skepticism? Both, actually. And as we slurped down the last of the broth, it dawned on me--the places, taco specific, were not "on the grid." They were being run in places that I wouldn't expect, but that were more than likely right in front of my face.

So the taco search began. Why the taco? Simple. I think it's the best representation of street food in my city. I think it also reflects a cost-effective ingenuity that's worth paying attention to. Lastly, there's a tremendous amount of variety--believe it or not, a taco is not just a taco.

Matt Talks Tacos is born out of this basic love of, and search for, the perfect street taco. I'll start in Phoenix--there's a huge variety of taco places to work from. And branch out from there. In all cases, I'll be considering the taco's finer points, talking with as many taco artists as I can, and building up a nice little taco recipe catalog along the way. I travel for work quite a bit, so I'll also get into some taco stands in and around other major cities.

Time to pay tribute to the world's greatest streetfood...!