Best Isidro Salas Podcasts (2024)

1
Cilantro is a Choice 15:24

1d ago15:24

15:24

Episode Summary In this episode, I express my deep love for cilantro and its essential role in creating real tacos. To me, a taco isn't complete without the fresh burst of flavor that cilantro, along with onion and salsa roja, brings to the table. But my affection for cilantro goes beyond its culinary necessity. It symbolizes a profound sense of gr…

1
Peace, Love and Tacos: Taco Truck rules to live by! 24:45

18d ago24:45

24:45

Episode Summary In this special episode, we honor my dad on his birthday by sharing the invaluable lessons I learned from him that shaped his success as a taquero. These lessons, which I call "Taco Truck Rules to Live By," are not just for running a taco truck—they are principles for living a fulfilling life. Key Points Today is my dad’s birthday. …

1
Authenticity's Myth 8:41

1M ago8:41

8:41

Authenticity used to be a word with significant meaning, but I think it has now become subjective and often exploited as a marketing tool. I once tweeted, "The closer you come to making it from scratch, the more authintic it will be." And that tweet reflected my beliefs at that time. The belief in the value of effort and craftmanship. Howeveer, a f…

1
Microwaved my Tortillas 18:06

2M ago18:06

18:06

Today on the show, I want to share a recent internal conflict that inspired me to create a reaction video on TikTok. The video featured a Mexican lady making tacos, but they weren't just any tacos; they were White People Taco Night tacos. This stirred feelings of sadness and internal conflict within me. However, this experience also led me to some …

1
Change Dispenser 22:17

2M ago22:17

22:17

Today on the show, I delve into personal stories and the life lessons I learned from my dad, especially as he faced dementia. We'll explore the profound impact these lessons have had on my life and how they've inspired positive changes. Join me as I reflect on the question, "Who are you?" and share how this journey has influenced my self-discovery …

1
The Power of Tacos 23:46

3M ago23:46

23:46

Today on the show, I want to share with you the extraordinary power of tacos. Now, this is a kind of force that isn't visible to the eye. I remember as a kid, when I looked up the definition of work, it said, "Work is the ability to produce power!" Well, the power of tacos definitely requires some work, and this work manifests in numerous ways. It'…

1
La Carne Asada 19:05

3M ago19:05

19:05

Today on this episode I want to revisit what carne asada means, as it relates to getting together. If you ever get invited to a carne asada consider yourself special. That event is seasoned and the experience would just make it taste better. I also want to tell you what this meat, or rather the saying, “carne asada” really means to me. How my exper…

1
Taco Freakin Holders 18:52

3M ago18:52

18:52

Taco Freakin Holders Today on this episode we explore my opinion of taco holders. Not going to lie, I freakin hate them. I think taco holders are superfluous at best and colonial hierarchy at worst. But on this episode we’ll just focus on the good. I tell you a quick story of how taco holders are like scheduling apps that don’t work if you are not …

1
Sazon Finale 45:14

1+ y ago45:14

45:14

Welcome to the season finale of our podcast! This episode closes out a sazon of amazing conversations, topics, and of course, tacos. We’re about to wrap up, no pun, with some fun tasting insight from our hosts. We’ll revisit some of the good takes from this season, introduce a new guest host, and look forward to what’s coming next. Yes, new hosts –…

1
Replay - Tamales Season 21:01

1+ y ago21:01

21:01

It that time of year! If you look around you, almost everywhere you go, you will see festive lights, crowds gathering at Christmas parks, packed ice rinks, and, of course, tons of suckers, I mean, people at shopping malls. Yes, the holiday season is in full swing! But there is another season that is in full swing. A type of activity that involves t…

1
Loco Motion 47:17

2y ago47:17

47:17

When I think of Mexican sports and athletes, I think of golfer Lorena Ochoa or boxer great Laura Serrano. Speaking of boxers, I think of Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez. I also think of the relationship Mexicans have with their futbol (soccer) greats. I don’t ever think of winter sports when it comes to Mexico and its athletes. Today on the s…

1
Taco Pit-Maestro 47:01

2y ago47:01

47:01

Today, we not only get to talk tacos, we also get to talk barbecue and where the two intersect. Today we speak to Joe Zavala from Zavala’s Barbecue. Zavala’s Barbecue is in Grand Prairie, Texas. It’s owned by Christan and pitmaster Joe Zavala. Zavala’s, the barbecue joint, began as a backyard pop-up before moving into a brick-and-mortar in 2019. It…

1
Taco Literacy w/ Steven Alvarez 55:51

2y ago55:51

55:51

Today on the show we bring you someone who studies TACOS, specifically the culture and food. As we’ve said before, “Tacos are bigger than us.” Perhaps no one knows this better than Steven Alvarez. A poet and professor at St. John’s University in Queens, New York, Dr. Alvarez hails from the small mining town of Safford in southeastern Arizona. Alvar…

1
Good Sauce with Ali Kahn 45:01

2y ago45:01

45:01

Today on the show we speak to Ali Khan, a native of St. Louis. Ali Khan has been in food writing and showbusiness for a long-o time. He went to film school at USC. He’s written for L.A. Taco. And he got his big break in 2015 with the Cooking Channel series Cheap Eats. The show ran for five seasons and visited almost 60 cities in 40 states. Ali is c…

1
Tacos In Verse 42:08

2y ago42:08

42:08

Tacos In Verse This week’s guest infuses culture, food–which is culture—and Spanglish in inspiring ways. His work has appeared in chapbooks, anthologies, and the streets of San Antonio. He’s traveled the country to perform his work, including, most recently, Louisville, KY, where he won a haiku contest. He is the host of the Sunday open mic at Dako…

1
The Mexican't 42:24

2y ago42:24

42:24

Today’s show is a special one. We’re going to talk about one of Jose’s articles, specifically, his review of The Mexican, a fancy new restaurant in Dallas, specializing in—wait for it, yes, you guessed it—Mexican food. But not just any Mexican food: Overpriced Mexican food with commodity tortillas and a $250 margarita named after a famous revolutio…

1
Tacos & Tech 41:23

2y ago41:23

41:23

Today on the show, José and I welcome Martha Niño, a Silicon Valley veteran who has a good story to tell. It’s a story I’m very familiar with. Beneath the Silicon Valley lies the Santa Clara Valley, which really should be called TACO VALLEY. When I first met Martha, I referred to her as my Silicon Valley twin. Martha’s story is one of cracking the …

1
Powered by Sazon 49:14

2y ago49:14

49:14

There is something magical about combining ingredients to make a delicious plate. It's like creating a work of art with every meal. And, just like an artist, you can use different seasonings to create different flavors. For me though, the magic comes from watching others add a healthy dash of pepper, a muscle-memory pinch of salt, or blind handful …

1
FACO The Alamo! 48:22

2y ago48:22

48:22

On this episode we talk with Jason Stanford, former chief of communication and community engagement for the Mayor of Austin, Steve Adler. We speak to him about the Great Breakfast Taco War, the book he co-authored, Forget the Alamo, and other taco wars. We begin with José telling us how Texans take everything personally. Especially as it relates to…

1
Reclaiming Cinco de Mayo 50:09

2y ago50:09

50:09

In our previous episode, we touched on the history of Cinco de Mayo. We also spoke a little more on the French and their ambitions to help, you know, Racistas del Sur, we mean the Confederacy. We also touched on the way some people celebrate this day, and dress up like a Mexican. This week, we’re discussing how to best celebrate Cinco de Mayo, how …

1
Cinco de Gringo 44:09

2y ago44:09

44:09

The nineteenth century was a year of almost constant war for Mexico. One of those wars was against the French who invaded the country because Mexico’s president, Benito Juarez, refused to pay its debts to France. Secretly, though, the French dreamt of expanding their empire, installing a puppet ruler, and then marching northward to assist the Confe…

1
A Burrito Is A Taco! 10:29

2y ago10:29

10:29

Is a burrito a taco? In this new season, we tackle this question. I know the answer, but 10,000 TACOS now has a new voice as of this moment. And this voice has a different answer to mine. We take this moment to introduce you to José Ralat. He is the author of American Tacos, A History and Guide. As the first of his kind, José is also the Taco Edito…

1
Neighbor HOOD Watch 13:52

2+ y ago13:52

13:52

Growing up in East San Jose, hearing the phrase "Neighborhood Watch" had a different meaning. It meant watching out for one another. Yet in some cases, it meant watching out for the cops. Today on the show, we take you back to my college days when a FACO commented why he thought crime was high in the area where I grew up. His comment led me to expl…

1
The International Taco Council 52:49

3y ago52:49

52:49

The announcement of the International Taco Council with discussion following. Panelists Isidro Salas is a proud son of a taquero and host of the 10,000 Tacos podcast. José R. Ralat is the Texas Monthly taco editor and author of American Tacos: A History and Guide. Serena Maria Daniels is the Detroit-based editor-in-chief of Tostada magazine and the…

1
Soft-shell Fallacy 13:30

3y ago13:30

13:30

What do we mean by a soft-shell fallacy? It’s a phrase used to describe tortillas and therefor tacos. And for many years it’s gone unchecked. Today on the show we give you our take as to why it’s a fallacy. Soft and shell are two contradicting terms. Yet not much is made of it. Simply put, tortillas are called tortillas and tacos are called tacos. …

1
Nixtamalization 1:10:07

3y ago1:10:07

1:10:07

Panelists: Andrea Aliseda is a Tijuana-born journalist living in Los Angeles. Andrés M. Garza is a culinary anthropologist, chef, and the owner of Neighborhood Molino tortilleria in McAllen, a Texas border city in the Rio Grande Valley. Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman is a first-generation Tejana and the executive chef of José in Dallas. Emmanuel Chavez…

1
Burrito Loyal 21:00

3+ y ago21:00

21:00

Who here likes being challenged? It's rarely a good time to be critiqued or challenged. Today on the show, I want to tell you about a time when my (older) brother stepped in and corrected a mistake I was about to make. A possible mistake as it came to serving our customers burritos made the correct way. It's a time that helped change my outlook on …

1
No Mo'e California Snow 13:31

3+ y ago13:31

13:31

In this bonus episode, we update you on our move to Colorado. I also come to this moment in my podcast journey to see what my "WHY" is. I'm passionate about tacos and the culture. But what I'm more passionate about is the word TAQUERO. I believe the word TAQUERO should be elevated to that of Executive Chef. No disrespect, but I feel a taquero is mo…

1
Obama Self 12:41

3+ y ago12:41

12:41

Do you remember when you learned to brush your teeth? Do you remember who taught you how to tie your shoelaces? If you're as old as me, that may take you a while to recall those things. But the truth is that perhaps those are the little things that we forget, and as life goes on, our brains do those little things for us automatically. But how impor…

1
Taco Blockchain (REPLAY) 17:36

3+ y ago17:36

17:36

Imagine being able to get credit to buy as much food as you can from a taco truck. Imagine not having a credit limit. Also, imagine not having to have a background run on you to get this credit. If you cannot imagine a world where this exists, then you may want to listen to this episode. My father used to have a notebook in the taco truck. We would…

1
McCreery Ave 14:11

3+ y ago14:11

14:11

What does a street (avenue) and wearing a mask have in common? McCreery Ave is a street in East San Jose that we used to use to get to that infamous corner to sell tacos every weekend. And because it was narrow, having to pull to the side to let incoming cars go through helped me see that being considerate was such an important part of making a liv…

1
One to get Tacos 16:19

4y ago16:19

16:19

Welcome to our fourth season of 10,000 Tacos! While we were away, we lost a sail of our podcast. Juan Salas, my father, took his last breath on May 12, 2020. This podcast is about him, my mother, and my siblings. This podcast is a collection of stories and experiences around how growing up in a taco truck shaped the wonderful life I have today. Thi…

1
Let it Burn 14:59

4y ago14:59

14:59

How do you flip tortillas? For me, it’s always been normal to flip tortillas with my bare hands. I’ve always thought that flipping tortillas with tongs, or any other device (a forklift) is not normal. But somehow, I’ve got it flipped. Today on this episode I tell you why I think it is normal. And how and why it’s important to flip tortillas with yo…

1
Salsa Network (REPLAY) 24:24

4y ago24:24

24:24

Today’s episode originally published in JUNE 2018. It’s also my father’s birthday. So today we take some time to look back at the connections that brought my siblings and I to this country. We go back to a time when I went to a World Cup match with my dad. The year was 1994. It was a special time because - not only was I celebrating my dad’s birthd…

1
Pilot Light 18:19

4y ago18:19

18:19

In loving memory - Juan Salas 06-24-36 to 05-12-20 If you wish to help cover funeral expenses, you can contribute to: 10,000 TACOS Podcast https://www.paypal.com/donate/?token=iICQO7qptLnckAnQlqrLn7pzJZr9euIW_ogcpwcCocLYTzrB6QIjdKKJL0V-JjyOPM--AW&country.x=US&locale.x=By Isidro Salas

1
Five Dollar Crisis 12:25

4+ y ago12:25

12:25

With the ongoing and fast-changing COVID-19 pandemic, I'm shortening these episodes to take less of your time. This episode speaks about the questions we ask that serve us no real purpose. And it stems, for me, at least, from a time I'd been robbed while working in the taco truck. "Questions that Waste Time" What are the lessons I learned from the …

1
Nacho Snitch 20:07

4+ y ago20:07

20:07

Would you get into a self-driving car? If you say no, then you are not alone. As for me, I would. I actually do it every day. You see, I do it as a full-time job. I drive an autonomous vehicle every day as part of my job. It's a pretty cool job. Sometimes a bit scary, but for the most part, it is fun. I get to be part of the generation that helped …

1
FORGIVENESS (Tacos Al Pardon) 20:36

4+ y ago20:36

20:36

Today on the show, we dive right into "Forgiveness" – in Spanish, it means Perdon. Perdon is usually used to say, "Excuse me" or "Pardon me." That's not what we're talking about. We are referring to forgiveness. Forgiveness, in many cultures is seen as weakness. It's seen as a weakness because of the perception it assumes that the person who hurt y…

1
Taco Lotto (REPLAY) 17:49

4+ y ago17:49

17:49

Have you ever dreamed of winning the lottery? Today on the show, I'll tell you of a time I was in a conversation with an ex-coworker where the subject was just that — winning the lottery and my perspective of what it means to me to have won the lottery. To win the lottery, one has to be extremely lucky. What is luck? It is success or failure brough…

1
Tamale Season (REPLAY) 21:20

4+ y ago21:20

21:20

It’s that time of year! If you look around you, almost everywhere you go, you will see festive lights, crowds gathering at Christmas parks, packed ice rinks, and, of course, tons of suckers, I mean, people at shopping malls. Yes, the holiday season is in full swing! But there is another season that is in full swing. A type of activity that involves…

1
Between 2 Mics - A Podcast from SquadCast 38:57

4+ y ago38:57

38:57

In today's episode (bonus), I'm a guest on the podcast called "Between 2 Mics" with hosts Zach Moreno and Rock Felder. They are not just hosts. They are CEO and CFO, respectfully, of SquadCast – A professional – and arguably the best way to - platform that allows you to record remote interviews in studio quality. Zach and Rock ask me about how the …

1
The Kids Go First 24:52

4+ y ago24:52

24:52

Today on the show, I want to tell you about a young lady named Maria. A young mother from a central town in Mexico. More specifically, I want to tell you about the time Maria took her four children from the home they ever knew and traveled north. They traveled north to reunite with her husband and to start a new life in the United States of America…

1
Sesos and Sadness 22:22

4+ y ago22:22

22:22

Today on the show, we tell a story about a couple, a young couple who met at the night club where we used to sell tacos all those years ago. A story of love, tragedy, and perhaps forgiveness without having to say it. A story that helped me understand the importance of being a listener when someone is going through a dark time. We tell you a story o…

1
I HATE GUAC! 21:10

5y ago21:10

21:10

In today’s episode, find out why I hate GUAC! Now, don’t take this the wrong way, I love Guacamole. I have a deep respect for Guacamole. It was imperative for us to offer it and not charge extra for it to our customers, and because of that, we had to make it every day. So my love for Guacamole goes deep. But I hate that people refer to Guacamole GU…

1
Birthday Sauce 24:29

5y ago24:29

24:29

What is the first thing you think of when you hear that name, Birthday Sauce? You can whisper it to me. I promise I won't judge you. But what if I told you it has nothing to do with whatever you were thinking. Today on the show I'll tell you how switching to this name brought me a lot of luck in my fantasy football league. And not just fantasy foot…

1
The Tortilla is the Star 21:03

5y ago21:03

21:03

There are two schools of thought when it comes to tacos. There is the Taco Bell (the American taco) thought and the REAL (traditional) taco. Today on the show, we talk about these two schools of thoughts and how that leads people to feel the need to distinguish between the two. Some people think that they have to say “soft shell tacos” to describe …

1
Mother of All FACOS 20:53

5y ago20:53

20:53

The word Taco is being Columbused. To find out more about what is “Columbused” please download and listen to it. But this time, the word taco is being Columbused by, not just FACOs who claim their Tacoma trucks are Taco Trucks. I have a problem with that. On this episode, we talk about what is NOT a Taco Truck and what IS a Taco Truck! We’ll share …

1
Trust the Tortilla (REPLAY) 17:24

5y ago17:24

17:24

Today's episode was originally published in April of 2018. It's one of my favorites. We wanted to replay it right before launching our 3rd season. It's about one of the hidden ingredients that went into making the great tacos we made, offered, then served. You'd never think it, but it was that, trust!…

1
Season 3 Preview 14:24

5y ago14:24

14:24

As we get ready to launch Season 3 of 10,000 TACOS, we introduce you to a new character on the show. It's a fictional character by the name of FACO or FACOS. As we get ready to launch Season 3 of 10,000 TACOS, we introduce you to a new character on the show. It's a fictional character by the name of FACO or FACOS. FACO represents the people who mak…

1
A Taquero's Birthday Wish 12:52

5y ago12:52

12:52

Today is my father's Birthday. He turns 83 today. Though we are very lucky to still have him in our lives, he suffers from a wide array of ailments. One of those ailments, or conditions, is dimentia. But today I'd like to ask all of our listeners for a favor. If you can record Happy Birthday on your device's voice memo app and send it to us at "com…

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Isidro Salas Podcasts

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