San Diego, CA -- Mexican food has long known been spicing up American palates, but one chef is breaking out of his taco shells.

Pepe Lopez, the head chef of the El Torito food chain, spends weeks each year combing the back parts of Mexico, looking for pueblos full of locals willing to share their recipes.

Lopez says the best recipes always come from women and says that while Mexican food has a reputation for fast food, some types of mole sauces "can't be cooked long enough."

The best recipes get added as a chef's specialty on the menu and sometimes have long-term popularity. For instance, El Torito is the chain that introduced fajitas to mainstream America back in the 1980s.

Lopez thinks some of his current chef specialties also have that possibility, including a chicken tamale that is cooked in banana leaves and a Papaya Tequini, a blend of papaya necter and tequila.

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