10,000 TACOS: Recent Episodes
Isidro Salas
The stories and experiences told by the host Isidro Salas, who has personally spent more than 10,000 hours not just making, but more importantly, eating tacos. The taco truck that produced a whole bunch of tacos in the 80s and 90s in a little busy corner of East San Jose. A truck ran by immigrants from Mexico who, along with their children, were part of a growing movement to sell as many tacos as they could - not just survive but also to to be a part of the American Dream.
Today in this episode, I tell you about this friend of mine named Nacho and how he did not snitch (tattletale) on me.
And how his actions ultimately changed the course of my young life.
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 you is allowed to get away with it. That by forgiving means you've allowed those who hurt you to take advantage of you.
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.
It's that time of the year! Yes, it's the holiday season. It is also Tamale Season. It's a time to gather around in a small kitchen and spend the next several hours making tamales. And we're not talking making a dozen or two. We are talking big numbers here. In some cases, some families will make up to the hundreds.
In today's episode (bonus), I'm a guest on the podcast called "Between 2 Mics" with hosts Zach Moreno and Rockwell 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 podcast got started, my journey in storytelling, and, most importantly, why I'm podcasting about my Taco Truck Life.
Today on the show, we tell you about a young lady named Maria. A young mother from a central town in Mexico.
More specifically, a time Maria took her four children from the home they ever knew and traveled north.
There were many obstacles in her way. And many of those were well within Maria’s will to overcome.
And this story is about the night Maria had to watch her children get whisked away by strangers, she had no choice but to trust.
In essence, it’s a story of FAITH.
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.
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 GUAC.
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 football, Birthday Sauce has brought me success in other parts of my life.
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 the traditional tacos.
I don’t believe that a soft shell taco exist. It simply is just a taco.
The word Taco is being Columbused. To find out more about what is “Columbused” please download and listen to it. On this episode, we talk about what is NOT a Taco Truck and what IS a Taco Truck! FACOs and Toyota are calling their Tacoma trucks TACO TRUCKS. And as you near the end of the episode, you’ll know why I take that very personal!
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!
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 make it a habit to misrepresent what a TACO really is. But it's not just tacos.
Why are we doing this? Well, it's because there is a problem.
FACOS misrepresent what a TACO is. While doing so, they also distort Mexican cuisine along with the culture. FACO(s) spread falsehoods that eventually become a thing.
Today I'd like to ask all of our listeners for a favor. It's my father's (JUAN SALAS) birdthday. If you can record Happy Birthday on your device's voice memo app and send it to us at "comments@10ktacos.com" or text, if your mobile plan allows it and does not charge you extra, to 646.926.2490.
The plan is to take all the birthday memos and put them on one file so as if to sound like everyone is singing happy birthday to him all at once.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Today’s episode is a replay of one of my favorite episodes. On this Father’s Day 2019 I tell you why my dad was one of the baddest taqueros ever to roam this earth.
It’s the last episode of a three part series that was published back in January 2018.
He, along with my mother, is the reason why we do this podcast.
It truly is a tribute to them.
Thank you for giving us your time!
On this bonus episode, I want to thank all of you for helping me get to this milestone. Yes, in many other instances (podcasts) 10,000 downloads is not a lot. But to me, it's a significant number, and I don't take it lightly. It is difficult just to get one download, let alone 10,000! You cannot have a podcast called 10,000 TACOS and not commemorate 10,000 downloads! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!
Today on this the last episode of Season 2, we tell you about a time I had to make a phone call - in order to get bailed out of a situation I had gotten myself into. And yes, you guessed it, that person was my mother. Not only did she answer the phone (who does that now?) but she also fixed the meal I happened to mess up. All for the purpose of feeding 20 co-workers who were expecting a Mexican dish called Menudo! You don’t want to miss how it all turned out! So, download the episode and find out!
Today on this episode we go back to a time I was overpaid on my first ever Corporate job pay check. Even though my new employer did not know about it, I could not ignore their mistake. Even though I would have received double my original salary for a whole year. My days in the taco truck taught me that you cannot take what you have not earned.
How do you know when it’s time to leave? How do you know when it’s time to get out? Like a bad relationship, in which you want to get out but you can’t seem to find the strength and will to do so, what I’m talking about is a job, a place of work. On this episode, we take you to a time where I was sitting with a sickening feeling. A feeling that lead me to resign from a job that I was really enjoying. Though I was new to that line of work, I was really enjoying learning a new field. I had to get
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 often refer to it as La Libreta.
The importance of the libreta was that it meant people got to eat.
Have you ever wondered how restrooms at public places get cleaned? What about those who clean our roadways, drains, and gutters? If you were in need of employment and this is the only job offered, would you do it? If not, why not? Today on the show I tell you of a time when I took a job that I felt was degrading and embarrassing. I wanted to quit. But a little voice – a humble bee – told me to stick it through.
Today on the show, we start a series of episodes collectively called: Taco Truck Training. These episodes will cover some of the hidden benefits of working in the taco truck so many years ago. In this case, unintended benefits that helped me get out of a particular situation that, perhaps, may have turned out differently had it not been for the taco truck. On this episode, we go back to 1988. On that summer night in which I was involved in a “Quarters” match.
On this, the first episode of 2019, we talk about chile. No, not the country of Chile, though Santiago - the capital - is a lovely place to visit. So, why do I love chile so much? Today we dive deeper into this question. In doing so, I tell you a little bit more about my personality, my perspective, and my home! I can't tell you exactly when it was that I took my first bite and my mouth felt the fire. Chile is part of my life. Like tacos, I cannot see my life without having it.
It's that time of the year! Yes, it's the holiday season. It is also Tamale Season. It's a time to gather around in a small kitchen and spend the next several hours making tamales. And we're not talking making a dozen or two. We are talking big numbers here. In some cases, some families will make up to the hundreds.
Today on the show I want to share with you my take on Lengua. Not that many people, at least in America, are familiar with this tender type of meat. Especially on a taco. Lengua translates to tongue. I'm going to tell you a little bit about this meat. This meat and the many steps to ultimately get it into a taco used to drive me nuts.
How on one ordinary day, I got to see a different side of her and how that experience later benefited my perspective about using laughter to make things go better.
Using your hands to flip tortillas has always been normal. I always wondered why people using tongs or any other device to flip tortillas was not normal. Using a tool to get your tortillas and flip them takes too long. But another reason to flip them with your bare hands is that doing so gets you closer to your senses. And your senses are key to your awareness. Being aware puts you in the center of the earth ’s, and it helps you to make better choices. Better choices lead to better tacos!
Chile Rellenos is a very popular dish in Mexico. It's also a favorite of mine, but for a reason, you may not expect. Today on the show, we talk about the some of the hidden steps a chile poblano goes through to then become a Chile Relleno. The ordeals my family had to endure to make a successful transition to this country is that of a chile poblano. We left our original home and had to change/adjust to a new place. We had to leave everything behind and start a new. We found what we were meant to be and what
You ever come up to a taco truck and stare at the menu? And before long you just don’t know what to order because everything you see looks so freakin good! The power to choose the right one becomes very difficult.
“The Paradox of Choice” the concept of “Why more is less” and how too many choice, at times, can leave us motionless in our ability to choose. It actually slows us down.
It’s something we do every single day. We do it from the moment we wake up, to as we go on about our day and finally, when or what time we are going to go to bed.
Today on the show I’d like to talk to you about that word “CHOICE”. Why would I want to talk to you about choice today?
- Well, for one; it’s a very important process in our lives – it can be said that some of the choices we make define us.
- Second, I want to go back to our first season “The Baddest Taquero pt 1” episode, when I told you about my dad’s first day selling food and how the choice to make a Left impacted my life – that’s important – at least to me it is!
- Lastly, I’d like to leave you with a bit of information on how to make your own choices – especially when it comes to what type of tacos you should choose!
The choice to go back and try again is one of the best choices my pops ever made. Even when making a bad choice, he still had the ability to make a different choice.
It’s one of these freedoms we fundamentally have! Many of us take it for granted.
Choose those who have your best interest! Your gut has your best interest!
TAQUOTE “ Your gut usually leads to good tacos – Follow your GUT!”
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On today’s bonus episode 2, we take trip down to southern California. Ontario California to be exact. Here, we are hosted by Israel Miranda, the owner of The Taco Man. He runs two locations in the outskirts of Los Angeles (east of LA) – in what is locally referred to as the Inland Empire. He also operates a thriving and efficient catering service out of the Ontario site.
On this bonus episode we check-in to let you know - while we are working on season 2 - we'll be providing updates both for the podcast as well as my personal life.
This update is a personal one. I've decided to no longer field calls from recruiters or employers seeking to fill an EHS position. EHS stands for Environmental Health and Safety, which is what I did for the past 12 years.
After getting a call from a perspective employer in which she said, "We've decided to go with the other candidate" and getting over my feeling of rejection, I decided to move on from that profession. Instead, I'll be focusing more on this podcast and devoting more attention to it. That is a good thing.
More time, more tacos!
At some point or another, we’ve all had to face a bully. For my parents, that happened early on in their journey to break into the TACO TRUCK business.
This episode tells you of a time when a “Food Truck Bully” tried to get over on my parents. This person tried to bully, intimidate, harass and threaten my parents.
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.
Today’s episode, Isidro tells us something many people do not know about him. He is a huge OAKLAND RAIDERS fan. Those who know him wont be surprised he’s a big RAIDERS fan. But even those close to him may not know the real reason he is a RAIDERS fan.
In today’s episode of 10,000 Tacos, Isidro takes us to a time where he and his dad went to a World Cup game. Get ready for another emotional taco truck ride as Isidro pays a tribute to his uncle, the man responsible for helping his dad move the family to the United States in 1978.
Today on this episode of 10,000 Tacos, Isidro concludes his story about how he got caught in a big lie and how not even the taco truck could have saved him from that embarrassment. His then partner was adamant about finding out why there were others telling her he was out in a limo instead of the taco truck. She did not want to believe them but then the evidence was too good to ignore.
On today’s show, Isidro takes us back to the time he was caught in a little lie – it was actually a big lie. He takes us back to a time he thought the taco truck was going to help him cover up for that lie.
In this episode, Isidro sits down with his folks to ask them how his sister came to drive. What were the circumstances that lead them (his parents) to allow his sister to drive a car at such a young age? This is a tale of why his mom needed her to drive after his dad mistakenly left for the day’s run without her.
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https://tenthousandtacos.com
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On today’s episode Isidro talks a little about parenting, specifically a time when his parents helped him, at the ripe old age of 31, set up his own apartment. The lesson he learned was not to be so quick to judge people when it comes to how and what parents will do for their children. He is very grateful that his parents were TACO TRUCK PARENTS!
TAQUOTE: “Parenting is like making tacos – don’t try to make them perfect, just try to make them good!”
Today on the show, Isidro starts by asking what are the hidden ingredients in every great taco?
Though it may be hidden by all sort of toppings on a taco, it’s not the meat. It also isn’t the seasoning or the blended ingredients in the salsa. And though all those things are important, it is not what he is referring to.
Con confianza! Which translates to "WithTrust!"
Today on the show, Isidro talks about what he refers to “Tacos that I used to know.” When he thinks of them, a little sadness ensues because he knows he will never get to taste those tacos again. Isidro tells us a little more why he hated selling tacos as a kid and some of the reasons for that odium.
On this episode, Isidro sits down to have a good conversation with a fellow podcaster - Rob Gokee, the host of Tacocity Podcast - Rob shares a little bit of his journey as well as some personal stories while growing up in Los Angeles. They both agree, this conversation could have lasted a whole week!
In this episode Isidro talks about how his dad would use the following phrase to deal with the harsh rhetoric from people telling him things like, "GO BACK TO MEXICO!" or "IF YOU DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH, THEN YOU SHOULDN'T BE IN THIS COUNTRY!" The phrase he'd use was, "NO ME CHINGLES!" - which, if you speak Spanish, can be easily construed as a "bad" phrase. "Don't mess with me" -
Today’s episode Isidro describes what he referred to his parents having a whole lot of “Ganas” – recall in the very first episode– which is popularly known today as GRIT.
What is it? How do you know if you have it?
He gives us a few examples of what it is as well as a personal tale told to him by his good friend who grew up in the same side of town as Isidro did.
Today’s episode concludes this 3 part series of how Isidro’s dad became one of the “Baddest Taqueros” who roamed this earth. Isidro best describes why his dad was a badass taquero by telling us his father was always “GAME”.
On this second part of “The Baddest Taquero”, Isidro describes how his dad was a taco truck pioneer. Isidro talks a little bit about how his father set himself apart from the rest of the taqueros of his time.
Today we talk about the person who literally drove the truck! Isidro’s father - the person who Isidro considers the “Baddest Taquero” who roamed this earth.
Today we dive into some of the operations within the wheels of his parent’s taco truck and all the work that went into making it run smoothly. It’s not an easy task to run a taco truck and Isidro’s parents did it every day, 7days a week. Hours of prep along with early mornings and late nights were a testament to how devoted his family was to run the truck correctly.
The vehicle in which our family served up amazing food with a strong personal connection wasn’t just your normal truck. For that, we dedicate today’s episode to La Chiquita, the special taco truck. We walk you through the truck and break down how we managed to cook and put out so much good food in a small cozy space.
In today’s episode we get an “inside-the-shell” look at Isidro’s family and how they founded, cultivated, and operated a successful taco truck business. Isidro’s mom was the CEO of their family and used her resources and experiences of farm life as one of 17 children to create a fruitful business for the family. Isidro's mom was like the Google of humans, she seemed to have all the answers quickly.
This episode features a first in the world of 10,000 Tacos — our very first guest! We welcome David, visiting from Melbourne, Australia. David grew up in Scotland, where Mexican restaurants are few and far between and where their “Taco Tuesday” consists of a hard-shelled boxed taco and salsa out of a jar.
Today we tell you a little bit about the food the truck used to bring home.
This episode was inspired because I remember what my friends would say every time they would come over to eat. And that was, “Dude, where did you get this food - from what restaurant?”
My friends did not realize that my mother would make this food and that it was from the food truck’s day’s run. Whatever did not sell, we’d eat at home. There was always something good coming home.
We begin by introducing LTS. LTS stands for “Little Taco Syndrome” or also known as “Little Man Syndrome” and the “Napoleon complex.” Isidro himself has dealt with being “vertically challenged” and was the object of teasing as an adolescent. With the help of the lessons learned from his family's taco truck, he went from being a cute little kid standing on a milk crate to an adult that understands how important it is to treat people the same no matter what we perceive their limitations may be
“Slow down! You are eating so fast!” If you have ever heard this statement before, this episode is for you. It’s easy to eat fast when you are preoccupied, rushed or just really into your food and can’t hold back the excitement of the beautiful taco before you.
Today’s episode features the great “meat on a grill,” or as we know it, carne asada! The carne asada taco represents many good things to Isidro as we hope it does for you as well. This was the most popular dish that his family sold through their taco truck, and the time and attention they took when preparing it for their customers folded into his tight family unit and strong bond.
As we mentioned in our introductory episode that we'd be talking about the perfect taco. In today's episode, we ask, "Is there such a thing as the perfect taco?" We give our opinion, but more importantly, we uncover why some people think there is such a thing. We finish off with what I think comes close to how the tacos our family used to make. This familiarity with how they used to make them only to find out the perfect taco is not a taco at all. At least not by itself!
Welcome to the 10,000 Tacos Podcast! This is a podcast about, you guessed it, tacos! Maybe even the occasional tortas, enchiladas or chile relleno, but tacos are the reason we are here. Isidro’s family sacrificed tremendously so that himself and his family could have the best life possible, and this podcast is just one way of sharing the gratitude he has for all their hard work, heart and ganas.