Book Review: Tacolicious

So, full disclosure: I am a proud Bay Area girl who has recently moved far away from California.  I miss the Bay Area like crazy.  When I received this beautiful cookbook in the mail, I started to cry a little.  This is a testament to the true Bay Area-ness of this book: it really is like bougey East Bay foodie culture wrapped up in a gorgeous package.  Tacolicious is a cookbook by the owner of a popular Bay Area Mexican restaurant of the same name (check out their website here).  This really is a beautifully designed book, apart from anything else.  I love the covers, which are that nubby slightly rough texture of a high quality hardback, with the cover imagery printed directly onto it.  The pages are my favorite kind for a cookbook...not those shiny glossy pages, but these delicious-smelling matte pages.  The layout of the text and images is simple and clear, but varied and not too minimalist.  The photos make my mouth water.  They are really beautiful and seem to translate pictures into tastes somehow, like the best food blog porn.  I haven't cooked anything from this book, but the recipes look simple and delicious, and there are lots of text boxes that provide extra information.  For instance, there's a great one about corn tortillas, including information on how to find the best store-bought ones, and it even includes recommendations for the best grocery store brands.  This seems very radical for a bougey cookbook and I love it!  There's a whole section on how to throw your own taco party, including a list of quick and innovative and totally un-pretentious taco filling ideas.  There are recipes for salsas, cocktails, and snacks, in addition to ones for tacos.  This is a gorgeously designed book, and I can't wait to eat everything in it!

Take a look at some of the deliciousness from Tacolicious below!

(I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.)