Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America

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Simon and Schuster, Apr 16, 2013 - Biography & Autobiography - 320 pages
The nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of ˇAsk a Mexican! presents a fascinating and tasty trip through the history and culture of Mexican food in this country, uncovering great stories and charting the cuisine’s tremendous popularity in el Norte.

Nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of ˇAsk a Mexican! Gustavo Arellano presents a tasty trip through the history and culture of Mexican food in this country, uncovering great stories and charting the cuisine’s tremendous popularity north of the border. Arellano’s fascinating narrative combines history, cultural criticism, food writing, personal anecdotes, and Jesus on a tortilla. In seemingly every decade for over a century, America has tried new culinary trends from south of the border, loved them, and demanded the next big thing. As a result, Mexican food dominates American palates to the tune of billions of dollars in sales per year, from canned refried beans to tortilla wraps and ballpark nachos. It’s a little-known history, one that’s crept up on this country and left us better for it.
 

Contents

Whats So Cosmic About a Burrito?
1
Whatever Happened to the Chili Queens
29
How Did the Taco Become Popular
50
Who Were the Enchilada Millionaires
71
How Did Americans Become Experts
86
Whatever Happened to Southwestern Cuisine?
108
ls TexMex Food Doomed?
122
What Took the Burrito So Long
139
How Did Mexican Food Get into
175
Is the Tortilla Gods Favored Method
195
How Did Salsa Become Americas
215
Tequila? Tequila
230
What Are the Five Greatest
245
Special iAsk a Mexican Question How and
271
Acknowledgments
289
Copyright

When Did Mexicans Start Making Food
157

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About the author (2013)

Gustavo Arellano’s ˇAsk a Mexican! column has a circulation of more than two million in thirty-eight markets (and counting). He has received the President’s Award from the Los Angeles Press Club, an Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition, and a 2008 Latino Spirit Award from the California State legislature. Arellano has appeared on the Today show, Nightline, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and The Colbert Report.