Good Food
The 'Fuerte Four,’ nixtamalization, and eggplants
Gustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament is this Sunday and our judges are faced with the ultimate decision: corn or flour? Bill Esparza talks tortilla makers in the LA area.
By Evan Kleiman • • 56m ListenGustavo’s Great Tortilla Tournament is this Sunday and our judges are faced with the ultimate decision: corn or flour? Bill Esparza talks tortilla makers in the LA area. And did you know that inside your tortilla is an ancient process, perfected over centuries? Also, L.A. Taco’s Daniel Hernandez recalls a Guadalajara taco crawl with Jonathan Gold. Plus: some tips on cooking eggplant, now in season.
Fan favorite Burritos La Palma’s buttery flour tortillas have advanced into the final four. Photo by Rosalie Atkinson.
In this episode
7 storiesThe Fuerte Four
Gustavo Arellano ’s Great Tortilla Tournament is right around the corner, which means our bracket is approaching its climactic finale.
Read the story4 minTortillas in Los Angeles
The team at La Princesita packages their freshly made tortillas in their Boyle Heights factory. Photo by Rosalie Atkinson/KCRW.
Read the story5 minMarket Report: Eggplants
Eggplants of all shapes and sizes are going fast at the market. Photo by Joseph Stone.
Read the story8 minMaking masa
At Boyle Heights’ Carnitas Uruapan , Eddie de la Torre sells the fresh masa for his brother’s delicious tortillas at Guisados, the taqueria next door. He details what goes into the process of making perfect masa and what to cook with it.
Read the story7 minThe ancient chemistry inside your taco
When you bite into a taco, huarache, or a fresh corn tortilla, you’re tasting the results of an ancient chemical process called nixtamalization and dates back to 1500 BCE. The science podcast “ Distillations ” went into this process in 2016.
Read the story16 minDaniel Hernandez: Jonathan Gold on El Parian
We continue to remember Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jonathan Gold. L.A. Taco’s Daniel Hernandez recalls taking Jonathan and his spouse Laurie Ochoa on a taco crawl in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Read the story8 minGuerrilla Tacos
Sweet potato tacos with almond salsa from chef Wes Avila’s first cookbook. Photo by DYLAN + JENI.
Read the story9 min
