Gustavo Arellano

Though it can get a bit long at times (the chapter on restaurant history really felt like a long haul), the book overall is very good. Arellano is covering a lot of ground, but that is because Mexican food in the U.S. has taken so many forms, it has been transformed so many times, it has been adapted so often that it takes a lot of effort and research to track it all down. Track it all down the author has. From the early restaurants to food in the grocery stores with side trips about tequila and even the invention of the frozen margarita machine, Arellano covers it all from the early days of Mexican and American history to today. I did learn a lot, and I think a lot of readers will learn something as well. What I found amazing is that the food has taken such diverse forms and adaptations. In the end, Mexican food, as the U.S. sees it and consumes it is as much Mexican as it is something new that has been assimilated and adapted to the U.S. It was another immigrant so to speak.

If you enjoy food writing, you will probably enjoy this book. If you enjoy microhistory books, you will like this book as well. There are a lot of interesting stories and details in this book. There are some well known tales, such as Mr. Bell starting what became Taco Bell to the lesser known stories of tamale vendors (well, lesser known today, but Arellano makes sure you know by the time you have read this book). Very good reading, and a book that will make you hungry for some Mexican food and some tequila.

Similar books, or at least ones I have read and that I think will appeal to readers who like this one:

* The Fortune Cookie Chronicles
* Glazed America: a History of the Doughnut


… (meer)

The book has some slow parts, but most of it has some good humor. Maybe because I am Latino (but not Mexican; I am Puerto Rican), I was able to appreciate some of the humor more. There are some things that Latinos, no matter which part of Latin American, say and do universally. The best part of the book were the short question and answer questions. I could read through those pretty quickly. Some of the longer essay segments were hit and miss. Some were interesting; others were a little on the slow side.

Yes, the book deals with stereotypes. That is part of the humor. If you are easily offended or sensitive, this may not be for you. But if you can laugh, sometimes at the author and his stories, other times with the author and his stories, then you will probably like this book. The real strength of the book lies in the fact that in addition to using humor and jokes, he actually teaches you something. Arellano is knowledgeable and well-read when it comes to his culture, and he shares that in the book along with the jokes. From discussing spiritual beliefs of mother goddesses to La Raza Cosmica, you get a small preview of Mexican culture and history along with the humor. You do learn something while you laugh.… (meer)