Diana Kennedy at a Taco Truck

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Evan, Diana Kennedy and Jimmy Shaw
Evan, Diana Kennedy and Jimmy Shaw (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Diana Kennedy was in town a couple of weeks ago.  She is a scholar and anthropologist of Mexican Cuisine.  She’s also a mentor to many amazing chefs, including Jimmy Shaw.  Jimmy hosted a dinner for Diana at his restaurant, Loteria, which featured dishes from Diana’s new book Oaxaca al Gusto.

Evan and I decided to take Diana on location for an interview.  We went to Mariscos Jalisco, a taco truck that parks on Olympic in East LA.  Raul, the owner, makes incredible red aguachile and an amazing shrimp taco.  At first, Diana was a little nervous, that we were putting her on the spot.  All that went away when she took a bit.  “It’s quite good,” she said in her English accent.

One of the highlights of Evan’s conversation with Diana was Diana’s emphasis on fresh, authentic ingredients.  She says that correctly made tortillas are harder and harder to find.  Her interview is this week on Good Food.