Daniel Hernandez is Food editor at the Los Angeles Times since 2022, leading to multiple awards for Food staff including a James Beard Award and a nomination. He previously covered culture for Entertainment and was honored with the Nell Minow Award for Cultural Criticism from the National Press Club for that work. In two other stints, he’s been a reporter in Metro and in the Mexico City bureau. He’s also contributed to Opinion. Hernandez has worked as a staff writer at LA Weekly; Mexico bureau chief and correspondent for Vice News; and reporter for Styles at the New York Times. In 2017, he led a relaunch of the local site L.A. Taco, eventually leading to the James Beard Emerging Voice Award in 2020. He has appeared as a contributor or host on a variety of major platforms, including NPR (“All Things Considered”), Netflix (“The Taco Chronicles”; “The Day I Met El Chapo”), HBO (“Vice News Tonight on HBO”), and Vice (“The Munchies Guide to Oaxaca”). A native of the San Diego-Tijuana border region, Hernandez studied English at UC Berkeley, where he served as editor of the Daily Californian. He is the author of a nonfiction book “Down & Delirious in Mexico City.”
Latest From This Author
Unincorporated Muscoy gives birth to an unofficial taco row that features a rare specialty in L.A., split-roasted baby goat tacos. Authorities crack down, but the scene continues.
What is pajarete and is it safe? The drink from western Mexico involves fresh goat or cow milk, raw from the udder, mixed with cane alcohol and sugars.
This guacamole will look deceptively like simple smashed avocado in a bowl, but after one bite, the heat and acid of lime juice and chiles might make you never again return to tricolor guacamole (or any of the infuriatingly ridiculous interpretations from social media).
After one bite of this guacamole, you’ll never look back at watery (or otherwise inane) versions again. It’s time to raise the acid of lime juice, the punch of garlic and the heat of chiles.
We’ll be reminiscing about these dishes well into the new year.
The observance offers a perfect moment to reset as we careen toward the holidays.
Take a porcine taco tour with the best al pastor, chorizo and chicharrón tacos from the 101 Best Tacos in Los Angeles guide.
We’re back with totally new spice blends in collaboration with Burlap & Barrel. Here are five creative ways to cook at home with our new mixes, L.A. Asada and Salty Angeleno.