Looking at my shelf of cookbooks, it appears there’s definitely a formula to titling a good collection of Southern recipes. It breaks down to ingredient/ampersand/ingredient. I have a copy of Ed Lee’s Smoke & Pickles and Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman’s Collards & Carbonara, as well as John Currence’s extended title of Pickles, Pigs & Whiskey. As simplistic as these titles might appear, they are all excellent books that I refer to often. (Seriously, Ed Lee’s roast chicken recipe is revolutionary!)
So I was really excited for several reasons to hear that Eddie Hernandez, the creative mind behind Taqueria del Sol chain of Southern/Mexican fusion restaurants, was coming out with a new cookbook titled Turnip Greens & Tortillas. His co-author is noted Southern food writer Susan Puckett, and I'm also a big fan of hers. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time with Hernandez and enjoy his food on multiple opportunities, and his novel take on soulful Southern food has always impressed me. His personal story is also fascinating; he moved to America at age 16 with the goal of becoming a famous drummer before switching gears to enter the culinary world. He founded Taqueria del Sol with partner Mike Klank in 2000, and the duo have been nominated as semifinalists in the James Beard Foundation Awards Outstanding Restaurateur category for three years in a row.
Plus I flat out love his turnip greens, so the opportunity to have the recipe at hand excited me, because experimenting with potlikker is one of my favorite pursuits. The new book promises more recipes from the fast-casual food of Taqueria del Sol that bridge the commonalities of Southern and Mexican food, with dishes like Memphis barbecue pork tacos, chicken pot pie served in a “bowl” of a puffed tortilla, and the “Eddie Palmer,” sweet tea with a hit of tequila.
Hernandez will be visiting Nashville this Wednesday and Thursday, April 25-26, making appearances at the two local outposts of Taqueria del Sol. On Wednesday, he’ll appear at the first Nashville location at 231712th Ave. S., where he’ll be greeting fans and signing books 5:30 to 8 p.m. The next evening, Hernandez will show up at the newer West Side restaurant at 4500 Charlotte Ave. the same hours. If you’d like to buy a book ahead of time to be signed, you can order one directly from the Taqueria del Sol website. Both restaurants will be featuring specials drawn from recipes in Turnip Green & Tortillas, so you’ll be able to get a preview of what’s inside the pages of the book.
