by Danny Trejo
First published 2020
Danny Trejo opens his kitchen to reveal the Mexican flavors that shaped his life and built his restaurant success. The actor turned restaurateur presents 75 recipes that blend traditional techniques with Los Angeles innovation. Trejo guides readers through slow-braised carnitas with bacon and chiles, award-winning vegan cauliflower tacos, and his mother's barbacoa-inspired brisket. He transforms fried chicken and Mexi-falafel into versatile taco fillings and elevates simple sides like cotija chile mashed potatoes. Between recipes, Trejo recounts his food journey from childhood meals in the San Fernando Valley to post-filming celebrations with Hollywood friends. He maps his favorite Los Angeles dining spots and explains how prison time unexpectedly led to both his acting career and restaurant ownership. The cookbook captures Trejo's path to becoming an addiction counselor while building a food empire that celebrates Latino culture in Los Angeles.
Genres: american, memoir, non-fiction, biography-memoir, cooking, 21st-century, food-and-drink, food-writing
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: food-as-love, personal-journey
Setting: Los Angeles, San Fernando Valley
Period: 21st Century
224 pages · Hardcover · Clarkson Potter