taco tuesday

Taco Tuesday hit a little differently this week because I decided to go all in and cook everything from scratch for my boyfriend, Jason. I started by mixing up a batch of fresh chorizo; ground pork loaded with chili powder, cumin, paprika, minced garlic, onion, and a few other things that turn the bowl into a spice bomb in the best way. It’s messy, it stains your hands a little, and it smells incredible before it even touches heat.

While the chorizo rested and the spices opened up, I got the masa going. Just Maseca, warm water, and salt, mixed until it turned into a smooth, soft ball of dough. It always surprises people how simple it is. After a short rest, it was tortilla time—press, peel, onto the griddle, flip, and stack. Once you get into the rhythm, it’s actually pretty relaxing. The tortillas puff up in spots, leave little toasted marks behind, and the kitchen starts smelling like you’ve been doing this for years.

Jason drifted through the kitchen a couple of times, drawn in by the smell of fresh masa hitting the griddle. It’s one of those smells that just pulls people.

With the tortillas stacking up, I cooked down the chorizo until it tightened up, deepened in color, and filled the whole place with that warm, smoky aroma that basically guarantees the tacos are going to slap.

The topping board came together fast: sliced radishes, lime wedges, jalapeños, cucumbers, cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, warm tortillas wrapped in a towel, and a bottle of crema that we always pretend we’re going to use sparingly. Spoiler: we didn’t.

Watching Jason build his taco is its own kind of entertainment. He’s intentional about it—layers everything thoughtfully, neat and balanced, like he’s plating for a magazine. Mine look like I’m racing the clock and having fun doing it. But that’s the whole point: same ingredients, different hands, equally good tacos.

Fresh tortillas bend instead of crack, the chorizo is spicy and rich without being heavy, the lime wakes everything up, and the radish-and-cucumber crunch makes it feel bright instead of greasy. Every bite was the kind you nod through because talking can wait.

It wasn’t a big deal kind of night—just a good one. Good food, good company, a kitchen that smelled amazing, and a simple Tuesday that turned out way better than it needed to.

If every Taco Tuesday came out like this, I’d never skip one.