With summer finally here, I find myself craving tequila-based cocktails, and we eat tacos at least two nights a week here in my home near Seattle. I really wish “Tequila & Tacos” (via Amazon) was coming out before October 2020 so you could all enjoy making tequila and food pairings all summer long!
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I want to start off this review by exclaiming over the gloriously beautiful cookbook cover.. So colorful, and I love the papel picado embellishments.
This cookbook is by Katherine Cobbs, who wrote “Cookies & Cocktails” last year in time for the autumn baking season.
The cookbook begins with an introduction and a section educating us on tequila and its history, including what mezcal and agave are; and continues with a preface called “Tacos Without Borders.” There’s an informative section on kinds of cheeses used; and one on what to stock in your pantry.
Chapters include:
- West
- South
- Midwest
- East
I’m going to dive into the first chapter, West. I’m wondering if, like many cocktail pairing books, this recommends hard-to-find or obscure tequilas that I won’t actually be able to get ahold of. We’ll see!
This first chapter begins with a listing of the restaurants she’s gotten cocktail recipes and taco recipes from. The first restaurant is in my own city of Seattle: Barrio. I have great memories of brunches there, but haven’t been in a long time due to our bad traffic (and the current quarantine situation, of course). From Barrio, she shares an eight ingredient recipe for a tequila cocktail called “Jardin de Brujas.” (Garden of the Witches). I looked up the recommended Espadin Mezcal, which I’ve never heard of, and I can definitely buy it at the Total Wine store closest to me. The taco recipe paired with this is for a Pan-Seared Halibut Taco. I’m a vegetarian myself, but this sounds like exactly the sort of taco my boyfriend would be overjoyed to eat.
The West chapter continues with recipes from restaurants in California, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico. Tequila cocktail recipes include “El Chapo y Kate” using high-proof tequilas and a likely hard-to-source prickly pear brandy; a Spiked Tamarind Agua Fresca that sounds perfectly refreshing for summer (rather than autumn when the book comes out); a Cantarito Primavera that’s supposedly like a Paloma; a T27 Grand Rouge that thankfully lets you use any silver tequila you have around; and a Tequila Daisy that I’m dying to go make right now. I like matcha green tea but I’m not sure I’m ready for a Matcha tequila cocktail yet. There’s a “Horny Juanita” cocktail recipe too.
The taco recipes from California and Southwest restaurants include stuffed sopapillas; Al Pastor Tacos with Zesty Crema, Roasted Pineapple, and Pickled Onions; Angus Carne Asada Tacos with Grilled Cactus (good luck getting ahold of some if you don’t live near a desert!); and some Japanese nori tacos. I think the tacos my boyfriend would be most excited to try in this chapter are the Tacolicious Pastrami Tacos.There are also a few helpful recipes included for pickled radishes and grilled cactus and avocado salsa.
Let’s take a look at the South chapter: It features recipes and tequila cocktails from restaurants in Texas, Georgia and Florida. I want to mention that the food photography in this book is gorgeous. Anyway, the first tequila drink mentioned here is the Cafe de Olla Boracho (coffee with Mexican chocolate and tequila). There’s a Sangrita recipe involving tequila, grapefruit juice, orange juice, pomegranate juice or grenadine, and lime juice. The “Ranchwater” cocktail is described as “the signature cocktail of West Texas.” I’m intrigued by the “Mexican Tapache” drink, made with a whole pineapple, white and brown sugar, a jalapeno pepper, cinnamon, and cloves (plus tequila, if you choose to spike it).
Taco recipes from the South chapter include Migas Tacos, a Brussels Sprouts Taco that sounds too healthy for this particular household; a French-inspired Monte Cristo taco (that’s inventive!); and an Ethiopian Injera Taco. The book wouldn’t be complete without Lobster Tacos and a Baja Fish Taco recipe, of course. It’s paired with a complicated-sounding Lona Picante cocktail where you infuse Chartreuse with jalapenos.
Let’s peek at the Midwest chapter next, featuring restaurants in Missouri, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Drink recipes include Mole Punch, an Anejo Manhattan I’d totally love to try, a Game of Thrones themed “Lady Stark” tequila cocktail, a Geodesic Domes cocktail, the El Diablo classic tequila cocktail, and a tequila-based Gold Dust Gimlet.
Taco recipes you might be intrigued by include Duck Tacos, pulled pork Bubba Kush tacos, Indian Curried Cauliflower Paratha Tacos, Lemongrass Pork Meatball Tacos (with a nice sidenote of recipes for Red Curry Mayonnaise and Mango Slaw), Lamb Carnitas Tacos with a side of Salsa Verde Eggplant, and a Spicy Pinto Bean Dip that I need to whip up ASAP!
The final chapter is East, featuring restaurants from Maryland, Rhode Island, Vermont and New York.
The cocktail recipes start off nostalgically (and a bit tongue-in-cheek) with “Purple Drank,” a “Drug Mule” recipe I won’t be trying that involves CBD oil, a Batanga cocktail involving specifically Mexican Coca-Cola if you can get ahold of it, a Mezcal margarita involving a cream sherry I’ve never heard of and beet juice for some reason, a Mucho Macho drink involving cardamom syrup you have to make at home, a Prickly Pear Paloma,
The first taco in this chapter sounds like a lot of work: Thai Basil Shrimp Tacos with Ginger Peanut Sauce. Next up is RI Oyster Tacos; Jackfruit “Carnitas” Tacos, vegetarian tacos with corn mole, a Chorizo-spiced tuna and avocado taco, and a recipe for spicy crema. Bet you’ll turn straight to the dessert tacos section like I just did, right?
My overall impression is this cookbook is a keeper for taco and tequila pairings, recipes, ideas and inspiration, but I’m worried about my ability to source a lot of the more unusual liquor ingredients. Also, some of the tacos seem a bit.. fancy or time consuming to make for a weeknight or even on a busy weekend.
This might be a fabulous Tasting Club type cookbook club or cooperative cooking party, where a group of friends each makes a platter of tacos and a pitcher of cocktails from one of the recipes. Looking forward to being able to gather with our friends in person again to test out my party idea!
Check out other reviews of “Tequila & Tacos” over on Goodreads.
-Carrie
