{"product_id":"guerrilla-tacos-isbn-9780399578632","title":"Guerrilla Tacos","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe definitive word on tacos from native Angeleno Wes Avila, who \u003cb\u003edraws on his Mexican heritage as well as his time in the kitchens of some of the world's best restaurants to create taco perfection. \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a town overrun with taco trucks, Wes Avila's Guerrilla Tacos has managed to win almost every accolade there is, from being crowned Best Taco Truck by \u003ci\u003eLA Weekly \u003c\/i\u003eto being called one of the best things to eat in Los Angeles by legendary food critic Jonathan Gold. Avila's approach stands out in a crowded field because it's unique: the 50 base recipes in this book are grounded in authenticity but never tied down to tradition. Wes uses ingredients like kurobata sausage and sea urchin, but his bestselling taco is made from the humble sweet potato. From basic building blocks to how to balance flavor and texture, with comic-inspired illustrations and stories throughout, \u003ci\u003eGuerrilla Tacos\u003c\/i\u003e is the final word on tacos from the streets of L.A.\u003cb\u003eI AN INTRODUCTION TO GUERRILLA TACOS 12\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eII PICO RIVERA 18\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e SWEET POTATO TACO 30\u003cbr\u003e CHUBBS TACO 34\u003cbr\u003e POCHO TACO 38\u003cbr\u003e FRIED BAJA TACO 42\u003cbr\u003e LOBSTER TACO 47\u003cbr\u003e GREEN BEAN AND EGG TACO 51\u003cbr\u003e BREAKFAST BURRITO 54\u003cbr\u003e CHILE COLORADO 57\u003cbr\u003e MEXICAN-STYLE GUACAMOLE 58\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIII FORKLIFT FOOD 60\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e SUNCHOKE TACO 71\u003cbr\u003e BRISKET TACO 72\u003cbr\u003e SWORDFISH TACO 75\u003cbr\u003e FRIED POTATO TAQUITO 76\u003cbr\u003e CARNITAS 79\u003cbr\u003e TACO PASTA 81\u003cbr\u003e CRAB AND SPIGARELLO TOSTADA 83\u003cbr\u003e RAZOR CLAMS À LA PLANCHA 84\u003cbr\u003e SHRIMP AGUACHILE 89\u003cbr\u003e ALBONDIGAS 90\u003cbr\u003e POZOLE 94\u003cbr\u003e MENUDO 96\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIV A CHEF’S JOURNEY 98\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e EGGPLANT TACO 114\u003cbr\u003e MUSHROOM TACO 117\u003cbr\u003e MUSHROOM ESCABECHE TACO 121\u003cbr\u003e STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOM TACO 123\u003cbr\u003e CAULIFLOWER TACO 124\u003cbr\u003e CHICKEN ADOBO TACO 126\u003cbr\u003e GROUPER TACO 127\u003cbr\u003e SHRIMP AND CHORIZO TACO 130\u003cbr\u003e TUNA POKE AND SEA URCHIN TOSTADA 133\u003cbr\u003e MUSSEL QUESADILLA 137\u003cbr\u003e ARTICHOKE QUESADILLA 139\u003cbr\u003e BOUILLABAISSE 142\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eV THE CART + THE TRUCK 144\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e CHICKEN TACO 160\u003cbr\u003e PORK SPARERIB TACO 162\u003cbr\u003e PERRON-STYLE TACO 165\u003cbr\u003e BEEF TENDON TACO 167\u003cbr\u003e MUSHROOM AND FIDEO TACO 168\u003cbr\u003e SHISHITO PEPPER TACO 171\u003cbr\u003e PIG HEAD TACO 173\u003cbr\u003e GRILLED SHRIMP TACO 176\u003cbr\u003e CALAMARI TACO 179\u003cbr\u003e AJO BLANCO 181\u003cbr\u003e SQUASH SOUP 182\u003cbr\u003e SANTA BARBARA SEA URCHIN SCRAMBLE 185\u003cbr\u003e WAFFLES 189\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eVI GUERRILLA FOOD STYLE 190\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ROASTED PUMPKIN TACO 204\u003cbr\u003e CELERY ROOT TACO 208\u003cbr\u003e CORN TACO 210\u003cbr\u003e WILD BOAR TACO 212\u003cbr\u003e OXTAIL TACO 214\u003cbr\u003e DUCK HEART TACO 218\u003cbr\u003e PORK BELLY AND CAVIAR TACO 220\u003cbr\u003e OCTOPUS AND CHORIZO TACO 223\u003cbr\u003e FRIED CLAM TACO 224\u003cbr\u003e PUERTO VALLARTA–STYLE CRAB TAQUITO 226\u003cbr\u003e TURKEY NECK CONFIT BURRITO 230\u003cbr\u003e GOLDEN BEET POKE TOSTADA 237\u003cbr\u003e RAZOR CLAM TOSTADA 238\u003cbr\u003e SALMON TOSTADA 242\u003cbr\u003e FRIED CHICKEN TORTA 245\u003cbr\u003e CHILAQUILES TORTA 249\u003cbr\u003e STREET TATERS 253\u003cbr\u003e AGUA FRESCA 254“There are cookbooks you can't wait to actually cook out of, cookbooks you display on your coffee table to remind yourself how cool you are, and cookbooks you read every sentence of because they've somehow nailed storytelling \u003ci\u003eand\u003c\/i\u003e recipe writing. Well, that last one is a rare unicorn. The new Guerrilla Tacos cookbook is one of those.”\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Bon Appetit\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“Narrated in Avila’s relaxed, conversational style, that story pulls you in, as do the 50 recipes. [...] Avila also includes more than two dozen of his fantastic salsas, plus illustrations, comics and helpful advice (on tortillas, on tostadas).”\u003cb\u003e—\u003ci\u003eThe Los Angeles Times \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“The reason I love Guerrilla Tacos so much is because it has that authentic, Mexican, East L.A. taco vibe. But it also just screams innovation. The flavors and imagination that Wes has put into the tacos is what really makes it stand out. It has that thing that feels like a taco but it’s so much more than a taco.”\u003cb\u003e—Skrillex\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Don’t presume Wesley Avila’s terrific \u003ci\u003eGuerrilla Tacos\u003c\/i\u003e is a book just about tacos. You’d be mistaken, because this is story, a wonderfully told narrative about a man, his struggles, and his dream. Thankfully for him—and for us—it’s a story with a happy ending and a slew of delicious recipes.”\u003cb\u003e—Nancy Silverton, co-owner of Mozza Restaurant Group\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Wes Avila is a great chef, period. He's also a folk hero and a personal hero, and here is a book filled with his brilliant recipes and stories. All I can say is, if you're like me, you're going look at every photo in this book and say, ‘I want that one, I want that one, I want that one, I want that one.’”\u003cb\u003e—Philip Rosenthal, creator of \u003ci\u003eEverybody Loves Raymond\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eI'll Have What Phil's Having\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Avila is leading a new wave of LA chefs—children of immigrants, classically trained in French cuisine—who blur the lines between high and low and, in his case, leaving upscale restaurants to serve street food.”\u003cb\u003e—Mandalit Del Barco, \u003ci\u003eNational Public Radio\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eBefore WES AVILA began his life as a taquero, he was a forklift driver at a box factory for seven years. In 2003, he quit his job to go to culinary school full-time. After attending California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, California, he went to work at L'Auberge Carmel with Walter Mansk, followed by Palate Food + Wine, Marche, and Le Comptoir with Gary Menes. In August of 2012, Wes left the world of fine dining to devote himself to running Guerrilla Tacos—at that time, a two-person street cart. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRICHARD PARKS is a writer and filmmaker living in Los Angeles. He has written for \u003ci\u003eLucky Peach\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eMcSweeneys\u003c\/i\u003e.AN INTRODUCTION TO GUERRILLA TACOS \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is not a taco book. It’s a Guerrilla Tacos book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTHE RECIPES YOU FIND HERE WILL GIVE YOU ALL YOU NEED TO MAKE THE FOOD FROM GUERRILL TACOS AT HOME TONIGHT. I DON’T PRETEND THERE’S ANY DEEP DARK SECRET TO WHAT I’M DOING. EVERYTHING ISP RESENTED IN AS STRAIGHTFORWARD A WAY AS POSSIBLE—A MIX OF FLAVORS AND TEXTURES AND COLORS PILED ON TO A FIVE-INCH TORTILLA AND SERVED ON A SMALL PAPER TRAY. WE MAKE PRETTY SIMPLE FOOD. BUT WE DO IT OUR OWN WAY. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat is a taco? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo me it’s a tortilla and whatever you can dream up to put on top. Savory or sweet, stewed or grilled, soft or crispy, corn or flour—you can take it in any direction, as long as you can reasonably eat it with your hands. You can even put schwarma on a tortilla and call that a taco. I haven’t done that, but now that I mention it, it doesn’t sound half bad. Maybe I’ll even try it at the truck next week. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhat is Guerrilla Tacos? \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s all the flavors and food I dream about, usually on a tortilla. It’s also the name of a food truck that parks in front of some of L.A.’s better coffee shops. Soon after this writing, it will become a brick-and-mortar restaurant. My wife, Tanya, came up with the name “guerrilla” because in the beginning, we were always in danger of being shut down by the cops. “You’re like a guerrilla soldier, you do it your way, underground,” she said to me. Sometimes it seems our lives resemble that of soldiers participating in unconventional warfare. With the truck, our locations, and with our tacos, everything is always changing, every single day. We keep it small, dynamic, guerrilla. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is not “authentic” Mexican food. It’s personal. I couldn’t give a shit about authenticity, especially when it comes to tacos. A taco isn’t just asada, pastor, and carnitas, with chopped onions and cilantro and your choice of salsa. The truth is there is no such thing as an authentic taco. Taco makers have always known this; if you look at the taqueros cooking in Mexico, there is always experimentation and a lot of “inauthentic” food. That’s the tradition I see myself as a part of—the tradition of inauthenticity. Of not being a slave to tradition. Of experimenting. Evolving. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA taco is a blank canvas. How do you want to paint it? Let your imagination run wild. Seared cauliflower with raisins; tuna poke with furikake, uni, and habanero; Armenian beef basturma with a fried farm egg and burnt tomato salsa . . . corn tortillas go with everything. I consider anything an authentic Guerrilla Taco as long as I’m being authentic to myself and my perspective and experiences as a cook. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Who am I? A fat kid from Pico Rivera, turned DJ, turned teamster, turned fine-dining cook, turned DIY food-truck chef. I am sleeved in tattoos and I have a season-pass to Disneyland. I love my wife and my dog and my family. And I love what I cook. The story of Guerrilla Tacos is also my story, told one taco at a time. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIt’s the story of my childhood in Pico where the house would fill with the aroma that came when my mother fried ground beef in lard with Lawry’s taco seasoning on the stove top. It’s a trip to Baja with my dad, where I tasted my first lobster, and to his hometown in a rural part of Durango, Mexico, where I sampled the most amazing wild anise. It’s a mind-blowing tapas bar in Spain that serves nothing but wine and different kinds of mushrooms. It’s learning the basics at culinary school, getting my fine-dining chops at L’Auberge Carmel with Walter Manzke, and slanging prime rib and liver and onions at a country club in Pacific Palisades. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI started Guerrilla Tacos on a whim in 2012 with a $300 cart I found in downtown L.A. and a hibachi grill. Only two kinds of tacos were served that day—chicken and steak. I had no idea what the following morning would bring. Since then, everything has changed. But I still can’t tell you what’s going to happen tomorrow. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn the few years since Guerrilla Tacos opened, I’ve gotten shingles from stress, been shut down by the police, and landed near the top of Jonathan Gold’s best restaurants list—and the crazy thing is, we still don’t even \u003ci\u003ehave \u003c\/i\u003ea restaurant. Guerrilla Tacos is still very young. As we write this book, we’re looking to open our first brick-and-mortar restaurant with a real grill and an open fire, things that weren’t available at first as I cooked out of the cart or now out of the kitchen of the food truck. And soon, the truck will go away and Guerrilla Tacos will change into something new. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSo this book is a snapshot of my cooking at a moment in time, and it is the story of how I got here, told through my life in food. As I have from day one, I’m going to keep moving from here, keep evolving, keep doing it guerrilla style.","brand":"Ten Speed Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46301283549413,"sku":"NP9780399578632","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780399578632.jpg?v=1767728559","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/guerrilla-tacos-isbn-9780399578632","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}