Growing up in Alaska, my first introduction to Mexican food was the classic American version of the taco. You know the one, the hard shells that come from a yellow box, the packet of taco seasoning (yes, in a yellow bag) that you mix in with your ground beef, some lettuce, cheese, tomato and salsa from a jar. Good to go…or so I thought. This was how I remembered Mexican food. Fast forward twenty years, and I now live in San Diego, and boy did we have it all wrong in Alaska! Short of crossing the border, I’m not sure where you will find better Mexican cuisine here in the states. But even as I have become accustomed to great Mexican food, I’ll admit I sometimes make tacos the old fashioned way just like when I was a kid. (more…)