Truck Food Cookbook Giveaway
Food trucks have become a huge trend in the past decade, and John T. Edge captured a lot of the reasons why in his book, “The Truck Food Cookbook.” I’m giving away an autographed copy of this book, which features 150 innovative recipes from food trucks around the country. Taiwanese Fried Chicken, High Noon Quesadillas, Cardamom-Spiced Doughnuts, Spicy Chicken Buradi Roll, Cubano Sandwiches, Liba Falafel Sandwiches, Toritos (cheese-stuffed chiles wrapped in bacon), are just a few.
To enter the drawing, leave a comment at the end of this blog post. I’ll be drawing out a winner in the next few days, so don’t delay.
I met the author John T. Edge, in 2000. We both won food writing awards from the Association of Food Journalists, and were seated at the same table at the awards banquet in Kansas City, Mo. He’s a keen observer of culinary history and trends, as the director of the Southern Foodways Alliance at the University of Mississippi.
I reconnected with Edge in summer of 2012 when he came to Salt Lake City promoting “The Truck Food Cookbook: 150 Recipes and Ramblings from America’s Best Restaurants on Wheels.” At the time, he predicted the food truck scene would soon take off in Utah. He was right, as food trucks like Waffle Love, Cup Bop, World’s Best Corn Dogs, and many others, are now part of the Utah’s culinary scene. But back when he was roaming the country doing research for the book, Utah didn’t have much to choose from. Thus, no Utah recipes are featured in his book. Since then, I’ve wondered why he named the book, “Truck Food…” instead of “Food Truck.” I should have asked, but didn’t.
Again, to enter the drawing for a copy of this book, just leave a comment at the end of this blog post. If you win, I’ll be in touch privately to get your snail mail address.
Here’s a recipe from the book, inspired from El Ultyimo Taco in Houston, Texas. Another recipe, Sloppy Jerk Pork Sandwiches, is featured in my interview with Edge back in 2012.
Chorizo Tacos
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 6-inch flour tortillas
6 ounces good-quality fresh Mexican chorizo
8 large eggs, lightly beaten
Combine the onion and cilantro and set aside.
2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and warm the tortillas one at a time in the skillet until pliable, about 30 seconds on each side. As you work, wrap the tortillas in a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove and discard the casings from the chorizo, crumble the chorizo into the skillet, and cook it until browned, 4-5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the eggs to the skillet, and cook, stirring, until the egg and chorizo mixture is set to taste. Divide the scrambled eggs and chorizo equally among the 4 tacos. Garnish each with some of the onions and cilantro mixture, then fold up the tortillas, if desired.
—“The Truck Food Cookbook.” BY John T. Edge
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