O N T H E COV E R
A T C O IN PRAISE OF THE
SB’S UBIQUITOUS CULINARY PLEASURE By Jeff Miller
I
n England around 1762, the Fourth Earl of Sandwich (aka John Montegu) famously called for some roast beef between two slices of bread, so he could keep gambling whilst dining, and the “sandwich” was born. Was that the first easy-delivery meat-within-wrapper system ever devised? Not even close. The taco predates it by at least a century and a half. And now it’s impossible to imagine a taco-less world, especially in Santa Barbara, which might offer more tacos per capita than anywhere on Earth. No one knows exactly where or when the first taco was made. In fact, the origins of the word itself are unclear. Early dictionaries mention things
w w w. f o o d – h o m e . c o m
like plugs, billiard cues, and little sticks of dynamite, none of which (except for the last one) bear any relation to delicious savories folded within a crispy tortilla. And frankly, nobody cares about the word or the history. It’s the deliciousness that matters, and Santa Barbara takes that deliciousness seriously. So much so that the simple taco has exploded into dozens of variations here, limited only by the chefs’ imaginations, which appear to be limitless. Take, for instance, the cauliflower taco at Corazon Cocina. That’s right – cauliflower, plus radishes, avocados, roasted almonds, and tomatillo salsa, rolled up into something unexpectedly delectable. FOOD & HOME
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