Episode 90 Notes and Links to Bill Esparza’s Work
On Episode 90 of The Chills at Will Podcast, Pete welcomes Bill Esparza, as the two discuss, among other topics, ideas of Chicanismo, representation in popular culture and literature, the repression of the speaking of Spanish, and Mexican food as hyper regional and incredibly-varied, with its rich histories shown in Bill’s book and in his recent series about California’s “barbacoa trail.”
Bill Esparza is a professional musician, writer, and fixer whose travels throughout Latin America have made him a leading expert on Latin American cuisines. He fell in love with Mexican cooking at his grandmother's table and on childhood trips to his family's hometown of Aguascalientes, Mexico, where he was introduced to street food. His original style of writing and passion for culture have made Esparza a go-to source for magazines, newspapers, and food travel shows. His knowledge has been acquired the old-fashioned way, from firsthand experience on the streets and at the stands and markets of Los Angeles, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America.
Buy Bill Esparza’s LA Mexicano: Recipes, People, and Places
Bill and Andrew Zimmern on Bizarre Foods in San Diego, including a visit to Aquí es Texcoco
Bill's “California’s Barbacoa Trail” series for Eater LA
Bill’s 2021 series about “The 20 Essential Restaurants in Valle de Guadalupe”
At about 1:25, Bill Esparza talks about his role as a “fixer”
At about 2:50, Bill talks about growing up in Stockton, CA, and how he, like many Chicanos in the 70s did not learn a lot of Spanish due to anti-Mexican and anti-Spanish-speaking racism; he also talks about his overall relationship with language and the library
At about 6:30, Bill talks about his early love of music, fostered by his father and the soul and rock music scenes
At about 8:25, Bill talks about the implications of the term “Chicano” and its generational and cultural connections
At about 11:15, Pete asks Bill about what defines “Chicano Soul”
At about 14:45, Bill responds to Pete’s question about Bill’s views on repreentation
At about 17:50, Pete references standout writer Kali Fajardo-Anstine and her recent social media as an example of the hugely-varied experiences of those who speak and don’t speak Spanish
At about 19:50, Bill describes his relationship with food, and “homebase” at his grandmother’s house and his “pocho” experience through food and Spanish-language televisión; he describes his childhood visits to Aguascalientes as “profound” and how they had “awakened” him
At about 23:45, Bill describes how his unofficial food critic and food student sensibility began on the road, particularly touring with Marisela
At about 25:10, Pete wonders how Bill began writing about food
At about 28:20, Bill explains the significance of his visit to pyramids in Mexican, and the idea of making sure that he didn’t lose his connections to México after his father’s passing
At about 30:35, Bill talks about feeling a responsibility to have Mexican and Mexican-American and others traditionally-underrepresented as chefs and food writers up front, telling their stories
At about 32:30, Pete asks Bill about his time working with Andrew Zimmern and what it’s like to be a food “ambassador”
At about 36:20, Pete expresses his undying love for La Cocina de Doña Esthela in Baja California and thanks Bill for greatly boosting its popularity
At about 38:35, Bill differentiates between birria and barbacoa and their countless iterations and styles of cooking
At about 40:20, Pete and Bill talk about his “California’s Barbacoa Trail” series for Eater LA and the hyper regionality of Mexican food
At about 45:10, Pete and Bill discuss the incredible diversity of Mexican food in Los Angeles
At about 46:45, Pete wonders quixotically about why LA can’t sell Ensenada-style fresh mariscos, and Bill informs him about why it wouldn’t sustainable
At about 49:45, Pete notes how Bill’s “California’s Barbacoa Trail” article series brought up interesting ideas of “home” and the ways of community life in rural towns
At about 52:00, Bill talks about pulque’s significance in connection with barbacoa
At about 54:00, Pete and Bill highlight some of the cooks spotlighted in Bill’s series
At about 55:00, Bill highlights Barbacoa Mejia in Richmond, CA and its incredible ximbó
At about 55:45, Bill and Pete discuss his book, LA Mexicano: Recipes, People, and Places and Bill’s aims in writing the book
At about 58:30, Pete shouts out Madre Oaxacan cuisine in Los Angeles, which Bill notes has the world’s biggest selection of mezcal
At about 59:30, Bill describes why and how he sees his book as a “sequel” to Gustavo Arellano’s classic Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered the USA
At about 1:01:50, Pete asks Bill about the idea of “authentic” food
At about 1:03:20, Bill cites Enrique Olvera and his idea that even the term “Mexican food” is incredibly limiting and a misnomer really
At about 1:04:25, Bill discusses what different regions and towns value as indicators
At about 1:07:20, Bill responds to Pete’s questions about the future of Mexican food-its commercialization, developments, the influx of restaurants from México City coming to LA, etc.
At about 1:10:30, Bill explains why Nixtaco in the Sacramento area is doing so well
At about 1:12:00, Bill shouts out a great spot in Valle de Guadalupe, Wa Kumiai Tabita (check Number 4)
You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I’m @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I’m @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you’re checking out this episode.
This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I’d love for your help in promoting what I’m convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.
The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.
Please tune in for the next episode, a conversation with Annie McDermott, translator of works in Spanish and Portuguese, including Mario Levrero’s The Luminous Novel. The episode will air starting November 16.
Episode 234 with Sasha Vasilyuk, Author of Your Presence is Mandatory, and Master Chronicler of Fiction that Parallels and Expands Upon Real-Life Secrecy, Grief, Trauma, and Shared Humanity
Episode 233 with Jazmina Barrera Velázquez, Author of Cross-Stitch/Punto de Cruz, and Wise Chronicler of the Vagaries of Friendship and History and their Effects on the World
Episode 232 with Kate Brody, Author of Rabbit Hole and Master of Writing Intriguing and Flawed Characters and Crackling Plotlines
Episode 231-April 13, 2024 Live Event to Launch Jose Vadi's Chipped, a reflective, creative, subtly brilliant essay collection
Episode 230 with Chelsea T. Hicks, Author of the Story Collection, A Calm & Normal Heart, Revitalizer and Student of the Osage Language, and Crafter of Poetic, Timely, and Timeless Stories
Episode 229 with Will Sommer, Author of Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Reshaped America, and Keen and Thorough Chronicler of the QAnon Movement Through The Washington Post
Episode 228 with Jennifer Croft, Author of The Extinction of Irena Rey and Award-Winning Translator, and Master of Worldbuilding, Highly-Allegorical Yet Masterfully-Plotted Fiction, and Nuance
Episode 227 with Gina Chung, Author of Green Frog, a Dazzling Collection of Poignant, Offbeat, Chillingly-Realistic and Fantastical Stories
Episode 226 with Priscilla Gilman, Author of The Critic's Daughter and Skilled and Thoughtful Chronicler of the Universal and the Intimately Personal
Episode 225 with Andrés N Ordorica, Author of How We Named the Stars and Generous Creator of Poignant, Resonant "Love and Loss" Scenes and Utterly Memorable Characters
Episode 224 with Peter Coviello, Enthusiastic and Deeply Knowledgeable Critic and Celebrator of Moving Art, and Author of the Essay Collection, Is There God After Prince
Episode 223 with Sarah Rose Etter, Master Balancer of Surrealism, Realism, Dark Humor, and Themes of Grief and Anxiety that are Timely and Timeless
Episode 222 with Andrew Leland, Author of The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, and Masterful Chronicler of His and Other Journeys with Blindness and its Intersections with our World
Episode 221 with Martha Anne Toll, Renaissance Woman, Book Reviewer, Creative, and Award-Winning Writer of the Moving, Contemplative Three Muses
Episode 220 with Aniefiok Epoudom: Keen Chronicler of Hip-Hop, Football Culture and Pop Culture in the UK, and Savvy and Nuanced Master of Telling Personal Stories; Author of
Episode 219 with Roxanna Asgarian, Principled and Dogged Reporter, Caring and Clear-Eyed Journalist and Author of We Were Once a Family: A Story of Love, Death, and Child Removal in America
Episode 218 with Melissa Rivero, Author of Flores and Miss Paula, Keen Observer of Modern Corporate Life and Nuanced Chronicler of Grief’s Many Permutations
Episode 217 with Jeff Sharlet, Author of The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War, and Sharp-Eyed Chronicler of Impending Fascism and Previous Fighters in The Movements
Episode 216 with Kate Maruyama: Author of Bleak Houses, Master Worldbuilder, and Skilled Observer and Chronicler of Family Traumas, Class and Privilege, and Psychological Horrors Modern and Timeless
Episode 215 with Nick Fuller Googins, Reflective and Dynamic Worldbuilder, Educator, and Creator of the ”Hopeful” Climate Crisis Novel, The Great Transition
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Lit Society: Books and Drama
Ex Libris
Write The Book: Conversations on Craft
Black Beauty
Great Expectations
Fresh Air
Myths and Legends