I’ve enjoyed eating tacos many times at many locations. From restaurants to taco stands, from the east to west coasts, and even in Mexico (much spicier) I’ve sampled many different combinations of ingredients and salsas. As expected, I’ve sampled some very good tacos and some not-so-good ones. But I hadn’t expected to find the best tacos I ever tasted right here in Maine. It wasn’t at a restaurant or at a taco stand; rather, a home-cooked meal prepared by best selling novelist Tess Gerritsen at her home in Camden
We were visiting Tess to create one of our "Food of Art" features for the magazine (Holiday 2006), with Tess as the subject. I was caught up in process of photographing the event, while Merill conversed with Tess and her husband Jacob to flush out the article. Tess had mentioned that she would be preparing tacos for lunch, but neither of us had really been thinking about eating at that point. We were having a great time just being there and enjoying the conversation that evolved.
And then it was time for our taco lunch, which Tess prepared for us in her lovely modern kitchen. What a surprise. Not that I didn’t expect the tacos to be good, it’s that I didn’t expect these to be the absolute best tacos I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating, anywhere, anytime. Turns out that Tess grew up in a family of food lovers, has a penchant for Mexican food, pays attention to the details of it all, is quite particular about ingredients, and the right ingredients certainly do make a difference.
Anyway, those tacos were delicious. I had to bite my tongue to keep from grabbing more and more from the serving platters in front of me. I ended up restraining my taco jones, and regret it to this day. But at least I didn’t eat the photo this time!
I wish Tess would take a few months from writing her novels each year and open a part time Taco stand somewhere near our Rockland office. In my wildest dreams, I really don’t expect this to happen. But Tess’s Taco Stand would definitely be a regular lunch spot for me if she did. For now, that’s a very pleasant kind of fiction to think about.
I could tell you a lot more about her tacos, and about Tess and her fascinating background, but you can read our article as well as get her taco recipe in the Holiday 2006 issue of our magazine: Tess’s Tacos
Tess Gerritsen, you make a mean taco!
Jim Bazin is the creative director of Maine Food & Lifestyle magazine.
r who tried to climb on the back of one while his wife waited to document his mission with her camera. I believe she was successful in capturing an image of his last adventure among the living. Ride-em cowboy no more.
