It was around two months ago when a co-worker of mine asked me if there were any books that I was reading at the time, just for the sake of conversation. Normally I would let out a little chuckle and respond with something like, “Ha! Nooo, I don’t really have the time to read.” However, this time I was able hold my head high and say, “Yes! As a matter of fact! I am reading something!” And proceeded to tell him that I was reading a book about Food Trucks. I think the poor guy seriously didn’t know what to say. I know I caught him off guard as he literally stopped what he was doing to say, “Uh, really? That’s…cool.”

So, it is only fitting that on this day, the season premier of the Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race, that I review the book “Food Trucks” by Heather Shouse.

In response to my co-worker’s bewilderment, I say, “Yes! It is very cool!” Let me explain. It was after season one of The Great Food Truck Race that my interest in food trucks was acquired. Before that, I never had any reason to consider that such a phenomenon existed beyond an occasional taco truck. Even then, I didn’t think twice about it! When I learned that there was such a culture of gourmet eats, I was hooked. My trip to L.A. to visit my sis last September only escalated my excitement when we were able to visit not one, but two very popular trucks in the LA area. It was the whole experience of it that kept me wanting more. From the moment she suggested we hit up a food truck for dinner in Venice Beach for my first night, I thought, “Oooh! Let’s do it!” Buying dinner from a truck and eating it in the front seat of her car wouldn’t seem like a lovely reunion dinner on my first night with her, however, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Asian fusion tacos at Calbi for something like $2 for three? The price of it was amazing itself.

 

(That’s Erin. Cute isn’t she? Love you, sis!)

Using the social network to track a truck is so common place where she lives. For example, while we were in hot pursuit of NomNom, the truck that you might recall was a finalist in season one of The Great Food Truck Race, she was on the phone with her friend determining their location via Facebook, while also following them on Twitter. Turns out we were just shy of them both times and couldn’t keep up. But we found one called The Flying Pig that served us a Thai Chicken inspired taco and a duck taco with pickled beets! Gourmet at a truck on the sidewalk in Burbank. Loved it!

It felt like Christmas when Chris surprised me with my Food Truck book back in June. It was just released and therefor extra special because I hadn’t known it existed yet. The book is an easy-to-read account of the author’s year-long travels across the U.S. in search of food trucks. The contents are divided into regions throughout the country. West Coast and Pacific; Pacific Northwest; South; and so on… The author’s quest was not only to find food trucks, but experience their culture; the story behind each one and it’s owner; the people that frequent the trucks; reveal special recipes and even divulge technical things regarding health code, parking permits, city legislature and grocery shopping (especially when it’s all locally bought).

While you should run out and get a copy of your own just because it is cool and makes an excellent coffee table book, I will help seal the deal by highlighting some of my favorite parts for you. Now you will really know what a treat you’re in for!

First, here are the five trucks that I most enjoy the name, but also the concept:

1. Roli Roti (pg. 31) – A rotisserie grill on wheels out of San Francisco.

2. Hallava Falafel (pg. 62) – But don’t let the Seattle-based, rough-around-the-edges owner who lived a while in Russia, hear you pronounce it Hell-u-va Falafel, the book says that really ticks him off. It’s pronounced, khal-AH-vah.

3. Jamaican Dutchy (pg. 155) – The name is just ironic at this New York truck.

4. Big Gay Ice Cream Truck (pg. 157) – With toppings like wasabi pea dust and olive oil with sea salt, why pass it up next time you’re in the New York area? The owner is a classically trained bassoonist, with degrees from the Manhattan School of Music and Julliard. He is finishing up his doctorate in musical arts while performing with the Boston Pops! That’s enough right there to make me read more and find out why he became a gourmet ice cream truck driver. (Psst! I already did!).

5. Fojol Brothers of Merlindia (pg. 183) – Maybe its just the gaudy, kitschy side of me that loves the idea of being served Indian-inspired food from people in turbans and neon jumpsuits!

There are extra side stories in every couple of chapters, highlighting…well…extras. The sections are aptly named, “Side Dishes,” and include tidbits of a certain type of food, or a little known fact about another food card, stand or truck that maybe didn’t make it into a full feature. I enjoyed the ones spot lighting local coffee entrepreneurs. While I work for the corporate coffee monster, I have a sure appreciation still for the people doing it on their own. Page 83 features a “working-class coffee cart” called Dogfeather’s which sells $1 cups of coffee to a blue-collar audience. HubBub Coffee Company, found on page 174, evidently sits in the shadow of Starbucks and uses a La Marzocco espresso machine, the same model that I was trained on some 12 years ago!

If you asked me what my favorite part of the book was, I would tell you it was the chapter on Hawaii-based trucks because it was so educational, involving Hawaiian history and culture and it used the word, “Kamehameha” a lot and I really love that word. Most of the trucks seem to be located along the Kamehameha Highway and have much to do with shrimp and exceedingly fresh fish (of course!).

If I have peaked your interest and you are so desiring a copy of Heather Shouse’s book, you can order it here: Amazon: Food Trucks Book!