Tacolicious: Festive Recipes for Tacos, Snacks, Cocktails, and More [A Cookbook]

by Sara Deseran, Joe Hargrave, Antelmo Faria

A collection of recipes for fun, accessible taqueria fare—including colorful salsas, tasty snacks, irresistible cocktails, and of course tacos galore—from the wildly popular San Francisco restaurants and acclaimed Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market food stand, Tacolicious.

Tacos may be the most universally loved, happy-making food on earth. After all, who can say no to a juicy, spicy Chile verde taco; a decadently deep-fried Baja-style fish taco; or a gloriously porky Carnitas taco? At Tacolicious, the San Francisco Bay Area’s most popular Mexican restaurant, tacos are a way of life. And now, in this hotly anticipated cookbook, co-owner Sara Deseran shares all of the restaurant’s tortilla-wrapped secrets. Whether you’re seeking quick and easy weeknight meals or inspiration for a fabulous fiesta, Tacolicious has you covered. With recipes for showstopping salsas, crave-worthy snacks, cocktails and mocktails, and, of course, tacos galore, this festive collection is chock-full of real Mexican flavor—with a delicious California twist.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Reference, Nonfiction, Food and Drink, Food

211 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing up, simple beef tacos and nachos were exotic meals, Mexico is after all a long way from Australian shores. Now these dishes, along with steak and chicken fajita's, burrito's, enchilada's and quesadilla's appear regularly in my family's menu. I was curious about Tacolicious because I have never used anything except sachets of Old El Paso packaged seasoning to prepare any Mexican dishes and I know that flavour is probably sacrificed as a result.

The recipes aren't complicated but some ingredients wouldn't be easy to source except online, especially in my small country town. I can get chilies at the supermarket but they only come in red, green or in a jar, Velveeta cheese isn't sold in Australia, nor is Monterey Jack. However with a few tweaks here and there almost all of the the recipes which include a range of Salsas, Snacks, Sides, Tacos, and more, seem doable. I was a little disappointed there was no recipe for making tortilla's though they do discuss where they source them from and compare store bought options for the home cook.

If you enjoy a drink or two there are a few dozen easy concoctions to choose from. Unsurprisingly tequila features heavily but non alcoholic options are offered also.

The overall tone of the cookbook is friendly and encouraging. There are some good hints and tips for preparation, cooking methods and presentation and the recipe steps are clearly described. Bright full page photo's are a nice feature. The glossary and index are both useful inclusions as well.

You can view a few sample pages from the book and get recipes for Melon, mango and cucumber with chile, salt and lime and Old School Taco at the Tacolicious website. Random House shares a recipe for Roasted tomato–mint salsa along with the introductory pages in its Look Inside feature.

[Online Eccentric Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/

Tacolicious is a compilation of recipes from around Mexico (Yucatan to Guadalahara to Califa) as well as California, including many from the authors' San Francisco restaurant of the same name. The recipes are diverse, from basics to more exotic fair, and there are many. The authors are careful to tread a line between 'traditional' and unabashedly Americanized dishes. This book isn't really about recreating authentic recipes from South of the border so much as creating really good dishes that can easily be made at home. I am not a purist and was looking for friendly dishes to make for my family and friends.

The book is broken down as follows: Salas, Pickles + More; Snacks and Sides; Tacos; and Cocktails. Recipes include Cal-Mex corn salsa, classic guacamole, spicy tamarind glazed pork ribs with jicama salad, frijoles borrachos, cochinita pibil taco, lone star breakfast taco, agave syrup, flor de jamaica, el sangre, cantaloupe ginger agua fresca, homemade horchata, and many more. At the end of the books is an ingredient glossary, mail order sources, index, and restaurant recommendations.

As much as I enjoyed the recipes and made quite a few, there were a few frustrations with the book. For one, the recipes are in small, block paragraph form and not numbered. So there are a lot of steps in each paragraph and this makes the book frustrating to use as a cookbook. Sure, it looks nicer in small nearly unreadable paragraphs that format so neatly - but then we are sacrificing usability for looks - and I want a friendly to use recipe book, not one that's pretty. I'd rather make the food than show the book's pictures to people.

Another problem that frustrated me is that there are too few pictures of the recipes themselves. I had no idea what the final product was supposed to look like for several - which is fine if you know what you are cooking but I do not - that's why I buy the cookbook in the first place. That isn't to say that there aren't photographs; there are quite a few. But we get many shots of their restaurant patrons enjoying their food, a group of Mexican beer cans, a spice rack, a guy pouring tequila into shots, or a chopping block with some roasted green onions on them....even a stock photo of a set of lobsters. Pretty - and pretty useless. It felt like the book was trying too hard and forgot the utilitarian aspect/purpose of the recipes in the first place: so we can learn to cook them. I know publishers need to limit the amount of photographs - and if that was the case here, the wrong decisions were made on which to include. Make the book user-friendly by adding a picture to each recipe.

What I really liked include a section on giving a Mexican-themed party menu (12 items) and step by step instructions on making a tamale (which really needs it!). There are also tips within on items like how to cook beans, background on corn tortillas (including choosing the best prepacked), and making your own chile powder. Tips for mail ordering to get some of the rarer ingredients also helps.

In all, I like the book a lot to peruse - but actually using it was a bit frustrating. I do have several Mexican cookbooks and wanted this one for the author's unique take on recipes. But it is so frustrating to use/read, that I have too often found myself going back to other, better presented cookbooks. So yes, 4 stars for some excellent recipes that I enjoyed. 1 star less for frustration formatting and lack of images of the actual recipes.

Reviewed from an ARC.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore tacos. I don't think there is a more perfect food, well maybe the dumpling, but that's for another post. The taco is such a simple concept, but it's so versatile It can be as simple as what I grew up eating; store bought taco shells, seasoned ground beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and sour cream. My mom would put the hamburger and cheese into the shells, then pop them in the oven for a bit, just to let the cheese get a little melty. Or it can be a culinary masterpiece, either way, I'll eat them. Obviously, there was no way I wasn't looking forward to getting my hands on this book.

I'm one of those oddballs that will read a cookbook, cover to cover, before selecting something to try out. I like to get a feel for the way the book flows, the stories behind the dishes, the history of the food, and it's always a plus when the author's personality shines through. I got all of that with Tacolicious. Reading this book made me sad that I don't live in San Francisco, though not enough to get me to move. Once I was done with my initial read, it was time to cook. Which, just after reading, is my favorite pastime. It's such a good relaxation tool for me.

I love Chile Verde so it was pretty easy to figure out what I wanted to make first. It's not something I've ever made before, I've never needed to. I live on the side of town that is just a few minutes away from some of the best Mexican food in the state. There are a ton of small, locally owned dives, that does some of the best Mexican I've had. I've lived in California and Texas, and been into Mexico about a bazillion times, and I'll put what we got here, against any of those other places.

I'll admit, I was a little daunted at first. It's not a long recipe, or one with a tone of ingredients, but it's one that I didn't want to screw up. I didn't want to turn one of my favorite dishes, into something I wouldn't want to eat ever again. I really hate cutting up meat, and I was not looking forward to it at all. Thankfully, there is a new butcher shop in town, that sells locally raised meats, and they will prepare it for you as well. So after one side trip, I was back home, ready to cook.

Once I got started, it was pretty simple, and the house quickly filled with an aroma that made my mouth water. I'm not going to say that my first stab at this dish was as good as the version I could get at Tacoliscous, but it was pretty damn good. The pork was perfectly tender, and so juicy. I love the flavors of Chile Verde, and I think I've found a new favorite.

There is a recipe in hear for fish tacos, another of my weaknesses, but I never like to fry at home. I can't stand the smell it leaves behind. There is also a recipe for tamales, and if I ever feel that ambitious, I'm giving it a go. And the next time I feel like grilling some hot dogs, the bacon-wrapped hot dogs with jalapeno-cucumber relish, will be being consumed, along with a pitcher of Margarita picante.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Tacolicious" by Sara Deseran is a cookbook revealing all about the much sought-after Mexican food served by its restaurant namesake. Deseran co-owns the restaurant, along with her husband, and does a fantastic job of helping the average at-home chef perfect some Mexican cuisine favorites.

I really enjoyed how the book started off- an introduction about the author's life and her journey with Mexican food. She discusses how during the beginning of their marriage, the restaurant her husband owned began to sink during the recession. They took a trip to Mexico to renew their inspiration and wound up having major revelations about the food they served and how they served it. Thus, Tacolicious was born. Starting out as a farmer's market food stand, Tacolicious wound up evolving into four widely-successful restaurants. It's a great story, to be honest, and I recommend that you pick up a copy for the whole thing!

As an amateur chef, I tend to be very put off by the somewhat strange ways food is prepared in Mexican food recipes. At the beginning of "Tacolicious", Deseran immediately put my mind at ease by explaining these seemingly-complicated techniques (toasting whole spices, working with dried chilies, etc.). Super helpful!

The book is broken down into different categories of Mexican food: (1) Salsas, Pickles, & More, (2) Snacks and Sides, (3) Tacos, and (4) Cocktails, Aguas Frescas, & More. Before each section is a page-long introduction to the topic, explaining its importance in Mexican food and in the Tacolicious restaurant (fun fact: In Mexico, salsa isn't ridiculously spicy and isn't usually served with tortilla chips. MIND BLOWN!). The recipes themselves are fantastic. My favorite one is the nopal, egg, and tomato taco! Something I never would have thought about making but is actually totally delicious. I really didn't like the Chile con queso, though, because the recipe called for Velveeta cheese. I am somewhat of a cheese snob, so I'm sure that it will be delicious for those who like Velveeta!

The photos throughout the book made me salivate. I personally feel like the photographs are the most important thing about a cookbook (next to the actual recipies, of course!), and "Tacolicious" definitely did a fantastic job in this area. The fonts were pretty, as well, but oftentimes didn't necessarily go together.

I really appreciated the end of the cookbook, which included an Ingredients Glossary and restaurant recommendations! Once again, as a amateur chef, the explanations were quite helpful. And as an amateur food lover, the recommendations are great, too!

All in all, I give this book 4.5 stars. It didn't get a 5 just for some minor graphic design things and the Velveeta cheese (SORRY!). SUCH a great book - I'm planning on buying this for quite a few of my friends for holiday presents this year. Go preorder your copy on Amazon right now - it comes out on September 9th!

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tacolicious: Festive Recipes for Tacos, Snacks, Cocktails, and More, by Sara Deseran, is the companion cookbook to the restaurant by the same name. It's a lovely book-hardcover, some pictures included, and a fairly clear recipe layout. Contents include a salsas, pickles, & more chapter, followed by snacks & sides. The salsas chapter includes a very nice corn salsa with tomatoes and basil (we liked it both as a salsa and as a veggie side-it has enough heft to it to work that way). It includes a cumin-lime crema that is out of this world-so perfect on pulled-pork tacos. Other recipes include smoky chipotle-tomatillo salsa, pickled red onions, chile con queso, shrimp cakes with corn-basil salsa, spicy tamarind-glazed pork ribs with jicama salad, and more.

Next is a `tacos, tacos, and tacos' chapter. Our favorite so far is the potato and homemade chorizo taco. It has SO much flavor, was easy to make, and reheated beautifully. You'll also find lamb adobo taco with spices and orange, shot-and-a-beer braised chicken taco, and a breakfast taco that was also quite delicious-and very filling!

There's an extensive chapter of cocktails and other beverages (I can't wait to make the horchata). Beverages include infused tequilas, cocktails (la siesta, sangrita, mucho gusto), agua frescas "and other G-rated drinks" (mango agua fresca, kiwi aqua fresca), and a "syrups, salts, and infusions" section (chile salt, pink peppercorn salt, chile vinegar, and more).

We loved everything we tried out of this book, and definitely plan to make more. Some of the recipes are more complicated than others, but we found no mistakes in any of the recipes we tried. I would recommend it to any taco-lover!

[NOTE: review book provided free by Blogging for Books]


For a review that includes cooking photos, please visit my site: http://www.errantdreams.com/2014/10/r...

[Caity · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have had this book for a while but I kept flipping through it and reading various parts for quite a while before I got around to actually reading it through cover to cover. It is a great cookbook and so much fun to read. The pictures are gorgeous and all the food looks absolutely mouth watering. It provides more than just taco recipes (though there are plenty of those including some very unique options) there are some amazing snack and side recipes as well as plenty of salsa and drink options to pair with the delicious food you just made. The book is also really great about providing substitutions so you can easily control the spice level, replace difficult to find ingredients, and overall customize the recipes to suit your needs. The book also features resources that describe ingredients that may be uncommon in your area and provides suggestions of places to find them including online retailers. I highly suggest adding this cookbook to your collection.

[Kylie Poppen · Rating 4 out of 5]

i wouldn't dare claim that this cookbook dives into authentic mexican cooking, but as a tex-mex / southwestern style cookbook so far my forays have been delightfully successful. definitely recommend tweaking recipes with chile powder, cumin, green chiles, and re-hydrated chiles.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley on behalf of the publishers

OMG! how good does all that food look & sound?! I need to get cooking!

wonderfully presented cook book

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A serious go to. Great salsas & guisados, a few good drinks too

[Linnea K. Archibald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so pleasantly surprised by Tacolicious! It was an apartment-warming gift from my sister-in-law (thanks, Rachel!) and she selected it on the strength of the pictures and because she knew about our deep, deep love of tacos. It was an excellent choice. We use this book all year round, transitioning from grill-based recipes during the summer to those we can make on the stovetop or in the oven as it gets colder. Not only are all the tacos themselves delicious, but the book also includes a lengthy list of salsa and cocktail recipes, many of which have become staples in our dinner rotation.

[Sarah Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a free ARC ebook download to read and review. This is my 100% honest opinion.

I thought this was a good book with lots of creative and interesting ways to make tacos and other spiced up foods and some drinks. I'm going to be honest here and say upfront that my husband is Mexican, from Mexico City and he does a big chunk of our cooking so we eat a LOT of traditional Mexican Tacos in my home. Though a lot of the ingredients listed here in the book are readily available to where I live in California, I can say some might be hard to find in other areas. For example when we go home to visit family in Washington we are starting to find more of these types of ingredients there, but still have a hard time with others. Likewise my mom lived down here in Cali for years and also learned how to cook some tradition dishes from my husband but when she moved back she is not always able to find ingredients. I think the authors could have taken this into consideration a bit more with other parts of the country, maybe making suggestions as to what could be substituted if certain things were not found.

The recipes didn't seem all to difficult for me, but I'm not a beginner cook, and like I said I already have a bit of history cooking with my husband and mixing both traditional and new ways of doing things. Yeah I've handmade tortillas before, and they were good! However they are time consuming so often day to day store bought is what we regularly use.

I liked how even though the name is Tacolicious it did have a few other snack and drink ideas so it was just a book full of tacos.

Also the book started with the story of where the authors who are owners of a restaurant in San Francisco got the ideas for these recipes and their journey. Its a nice little read before seeing all the recipes, however I am the type that wants to jump right in with recipes and I don't need all the background and history of the author or recipes. It's a coffee table book with recipes in it in my opinion, not a recipe book for the kitchen shelf!

Also I am a BIG fan of pictures and thought I was going to fall in love with this book because it is colorful and full of pictures. However a lot of times its of people, ingredients, and food....but not necessarily a picture of the food that the recipe is for. I'm all about giving a picture of the final product, and bonus points for pictures of steps along the way.

These last two reasons are why I marked it down a star, more pictures of the recipes themselves and less story and the book would have gotten 5 stars from me.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I live in a small town in Tennessee, I am not quite up on all the big city restaurants around the United States. So, I had never hear of Tacolicious. When I got the book, Tacolicious by Sara Deseran, I thought it was just a book with taco recipes, I didn’t realize the full history behind it. For those unaware as me, their are four Tacolicious restaurants in California, and Tacolicious bills itself as a California take on Mexican food. If the food in the restaurant is even half as good as it looks in this book, they must be doing quite well.

The book is divided into six sections and is filled with lovely photos. I marked several things to try in each section:

Salsas, Pickles, and More: Roasted Tomato Mint Salsa (the one they serve at Tacolicious!), Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa, and Lazy Salsa.

Snacks and Sides: Mexican Party Mix; Melon, Mango and Cucumber with Chile Salt and Lime; Chipotle Aioli; Tuna Tostados; Bacon-Wrapped Hot Dogs with Jalapeno-Cucumber Relish.

Tacos, Tacos, and Tacos: Potato and Homemade Chorizo Taco, Old School Tacos, Carnitas Tacos, Shot-ana-a-beer Braised Chicken Taco, Baja-Style Fish Taco. In this section there is a menu for a big taco party. A complete how-to for the party - including what to do starting up to one month before and going up to the day of the party!!

Cocktails, Aguas Frescas, and More: Cinnamon-and-Chile Agave Syrup, Pink Peppercorn Salt, Pineapple Infused Tequila, Cucumber-Mint Aqua Fresca - and so much more - drinks are one of my favorite sections in any cookbook and this one has a large selection to use from - both cocktails and non alcohol drinks. In this section there is also a cliff notes section on All About Tequila - very informative.

The book concludes with an Ingredients Glossary complete with photos, mail-order sources for some of the ingredients called for in the recipes and restaurants they love.

An excellent book, especially if you love Mexican food. Lots of recipes to try, some more complicated than others, but they all sound good. I will probably start off with some of the cocktail recipe, since I always have everything on hand that I need to make almost any sort of margarita.

[Dana Kamstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I really get into the review, I need to rave about the look of this book. Without even opening the pages, I just felt this would be one of my favorite books on the shelf. The food on the cover looks amazing, and the texture of the cover is wonderful. It reminds me of an old book. The kind of cookbook you would have bought 50 years ago. The cover has a woven look to it and isn't glossy. I love it!

The table of contents in the beginning is quite well put together. Where a number of cookbooks just give you categories, this one gives you the categories, but then lists out the recipes you will find. This book as recipes for Salsas, Pickles, Snacks/Sides, Tacos, Cocktails, Syrups, Agua Frescas as well as a few other things.

Flipping through this book makes my mouth water. Most of these recipes involve ingredients that would be pretty easy to find in most supermarkets. The steps are well are explained and the techniques don't seem overly complicated. A number of the recipes also offer simple variations. Also, anecdotes are included throughout the book--stories about where the idea for a recipe came from, a fun story about a little girl accidentally eating a habanero, and notes about the restaurant that inspired the book.

All the recipes are incorporated with a variety of pictures. Some of the food themselves, other pictures depict food prep or other Mexican restaurants.

I love the variety within the pages of this book. I also appreciate some of the helpful notes about technique and ingredients. A few other bonuses in the back of the book include some resources on where to order fresh ingredients for the recipes in this book. You will also find a list of restaurants in California and Mexico that the writers of this cookbook love. I'll be keeping those recommendations in mind if I ever find myself near one of those restaurants.

**I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review**

[Jean Huber Bookmama789 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tacolicious could have easily been entitled Yumolicious! The worst part of this cookbook was knowing I couldn’t cook every recipe in here for the dinner I was planning to test it out. After receiving Tacolicious by Sarah Deseran and Joe Hargrave I spent quite a bit of time drooling over the recipes and finally deciding on making Lazy Salsa the fresh way, The Legendary Orange Sauce, and Guajillo-Braised Beef Short Rib Tacos! All of the ingredients were easy to locate at our local Wegman’s with the exception of the corn tortillas which we purchased at Trader Joe’s following the books advice on the best store bought tortillas. The directions and recipes were very easy to follow even with the long list of ingredients. This was not a quick meal, but all of us who were taste testers agree that we will never be able to go back to packaged taco kits. I was able to make the braised short rib tacos all in my dutch oven and quickly make the legendary orange sauce while the meat simmered away in the oven. I did not use the orange sauce on my first taco and instantly regretted that decision…the sauce was amazing and made the already delicious tacos unbelievable. For extra fun we listened to “Taco” while eating tacos for our dinner party :-)
Beyond the recipes I tried, this book is full of many other gems. One of my favorite details was the section dedicated to creating a dinner party menu for 12! The book even breaks it down step by step telling you which things you can prepare as much as a month in advance before you host. The cookbook also lists a number of places to order ingredients in case your local supermarket doesn’t carry some of the ingredients. The next time I cook from this book I will be sure to also try out some of the drink recipes. Five out of five stars!
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

[DelAnne Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Tacolicious - Festive Recipes for Tacos, Snacks, Cocktails and More
Author: Sara Deseran, Joe Hargrave, Antelmo Faria & Mike Barrow
Published: 9-2-14
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Pages: 212
Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine
Sub Genre: International Cuisine; Mexican; Regional
ISBN: 9781607745624
ASIN: B00IWTTQ10
Reviewer: DelAnne
Reviewed For: NetGalley
My Rating: 5 stars



.
Very few cultures do not have a taco like dish of some kind. It is universally known and recognized. Tacolicious tells of the different varieties of tacos. From the Baja style fish taco to the traditional beef, chicken or pork taco of Mexico. Delicious salsas, snacks and starters for your own spontaneous fiesta or cocktail hour. Set up and enjoy all that Tacolicious has to offer you. You can not go wrong with these wonderful and flavorful recipes.



Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...


Barnes and Noble link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tacol...


GoodReads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...


The Reading Room link: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.ph...

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a dangerous cookbook. I hope my family doesn't mind eating tacos for the rest of the summer. I found myself instantly drawn in. Between the spot-on styling, the authors fresh voice and the amazing recipes it was hard to put down.

I loved that this was not a snobby cookbook. It remained playful. Make no mistake this is obviously from taco experts, it just didn't sounds stuffy. Just written by people who love Mexican food and especially tacos. It celebrates fresh ingredients and even includes many vegetarian and vegan recipes. The book was not stingy with the recipes either. I was happy to see such a huge variety. Everything from salsa to drinks was included. This book is just in time too, I plan to make quite a few of these recipes for 4th of July!

I received a digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for my review.

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheerfully written, the whole cookbook sounds so bright-like the recipe flavors themselves. Each recipe is full of many steps but with a bright tone they don't seem difficult (and they really aren't) especially since everything is clearly stated. The cocktail options were really extensive-I too like tequila but I rarely drink it because most places have limited cocktail options. Now I feel like there's going to be more tequila drinking happening at home (hmmm...).

There, however, needed to be a few more pictures of the recipes themselves. I have a pretty good idea of what a generic taco looks like but the recipes sound like they produce very varied results.
And finally, there were only 3 vegetarian taco options. They were unusual ones but vastly outweighed by the tons of pulled meat options.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my families favorite meals is Tacos, so when I saw this book, I just knew it had to be a part of our family. Sara Deseran introduces you to different taco styles along with different sauces, salsa's and cocktails, both adult and family friendly.

There are just so many new things that we want to try, that we can't wait to try them out. Things such as the Legendary Orange Sauce, which is a blend of roma tomatoes, onion garlic and arbol chiles. Mexican Party Mix which is a mexican take on chex mix. Potato and homemade Chorizo taco, which pretty much explains it. And some yummy margaritas and kid-friendly white nectarine-blueberry aqua fresca.

This cookbook has a little something for everyone. If you don't have your own copy, I suggest running to your local bookstore to pick up a copy.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

As if I needed an excuse to eat more Mexican food. This cookbook was wonderful. I look forward to trying even more of the recipes in the future. I liked the tips/tricks that appeared throughout the book. As for recipes, I tried the simple Lazy salsa and it was excellent. I loved that the authors did not shy away from using a variety of peppers and heat levels. Perfect for this time of year when a lot of the peppers are freshly grown and can be picked right from your garden and used right away. In addition to tacos, there are a variety of other recipes including side dishes, drinks, salsas and anything else to make the perfect Mexican dinner.

I received a copy of the book for review from NetGalley.

[Aleece · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tacolicious is a wonderful book that starts readers off with history and basic concepts that you will need throughout the book. I don't cook with a lot of ingredients and I found that there are some very basic but tasty looking recipes as well as some more advanced recipes that I would be willing to try when I became more comfortable with the ingredients (and cooking in general). I really enjoyed the different pictures but wished there were more to look at. I like to see what I am making (and if it turns out the way it should). This is a great book with a lot of variety that I will be looking forward to trying some recipes soon.

I received this advanced copy from Ten Speed Press through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Katie Johnstonbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here in the spicy Southwest, this cookbook has been THE one (and I have SCADS of cookbooks!) my family wants me to keep opening up and using. It has taught me about dried chile wonders and has opened up my authentic Mexican cooking palate in unbelievably delicious ways. Every SINGLE thing I’ve made out of it is fabulous! The recipes are simple, provided you can access dried chiles easily and if you've been making ground beef tacos with those little seasoning packets? This will blow you mind in new ways. The book includes Salsas, pickles, snacks and sides, tacos, cocktails and aquas frescas and even a section on throwing your own taco party.Every foodie needs it on their wishlist.

[Nerisa Eugenia Waterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cookbook Tacolicious is definitely….hands down…delicious!
If you love tacos, tamales, salsa, margaritas…you name it…then this cookbook is for you.

If you are a foodie and had the pleasure of dining in 1 of the 4 Tacolicious restaurants then this cookbook is definitely for you.
If you love Mexican food, this cookbook will bring the culinary art to your kitchen, and make you the bell of the ball in your own kitchen.

My Full Review: http://myohosisters.webs.com/apps/blo...-

[Cas H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tacolicious by Sara Deseran will make your mouth water. I love making Mexican food, but I can never get the meats to taste just right. Also, anytime I ask a friend what they use to flavor the meats, and the measurements, they are unable to give an exact accounting. I love how this book tells you exactly what to do, and if it is a hard to find ingredient, they give you hints as to where to find them.
I received a free copy of this book in return for my honest opinion.

[Tabby Shiflett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mini bio of the history of how Tacolicious began and where the owners got inspiration for their signature dishes. After the bio is a collection of original and eclectic recipes, taco related. Each recipe is explained well and easy to follow, and I look forward to attempting the tamales. The drinks are satisfying. Some of the dishes served at Mosto sound good enough for this Georgia girl to take a road trip to California.

Net Galley Feedback

[Meredith]

This one gets 4 stars because it doesn't have color photos for every recipe. But I did buy it and I can't wait to try the recipes!

PS - The carnitas tacos were the best tacos I have ever eaten! The Siesta Margarita was very good, as well.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one gets 4 stars because it doesn't have color photos for every recipe. But I did buy it and I can't wait to try the recipes!

PS - The carnitas tacos were the best tacos I have ever eaten! The Siesta Margarita was very good, as well.

[Katie]

This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey.

[Robin Rinaldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure chest of delicious and easy-to-make recipes from the best (Cal)Mexican restaurant in Northern California.

[Beverly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The recipes here look fantastic. Lots of fun. A wide selection. Not too many obscure chiles. Can't wait for warm weather to cook from this little book.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grade: 95% / 'A'