Tradition!!!

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 1:42 pm

I was invited to Mama Tita's holiday tamale making party this AM. Yes I was the only white woman there. I felt very honored. BTS and I got 4 dozen tamales out of it too. It was funny though when some of the other ladies were making white woman jokes about my skill...I was laughing too because I was pretty technically bad. I told Mama I would have to go home and cry (joke). Mama relplied - OH you don't need to go home to do that.......... OK it doesn't translate on this page but she is smart as a whip at 87. I even got to hand mix the masa.

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 1:51 pm

Oh, I'm so jealous. Homemade tamales! Are you making the sweet ones too? Maybe some with the cactus also? (we did that in L.A., it was like candy)

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 1:54 pm

Gosh, the meat varieties, the sweet ones with the raisins..............now I want some for Christmas too!

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 1:56 pm

chonsigirl wrote: Gosh, the meat varieties, the sweet ones with the raisins..............now I want some for Christmas too!

I can give you the masa recipes I learned today............I had made some really bad ones before......the tamales were like that cut rubber jello stuff.........

chonsigirl · Post by **chonsigirl** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:03 pm

I would love the recipe-we used to order ours ahead of time, from the carniceria-I remember going down with the metal buckets to pick them up. Those who didn't order early, didn't get good eats!

My neighbor made the cactus ones, oh, just like candy. Not like when they cook it as a veggie-then it is yuchy.

I remember us teachers going out to eat at a Mexican restaurant, and my pal had order cactus on the side-but didn't know what it was. He thought is was green beans! Ha-ha, and I didn't tell him. When we left, he asked me why the food tasted so funny, and I told him he ate cactus, then he chased me all around school when we got back. The students thought it was funny, we all knew it was napalitos!

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:15 pm

Mama Tita only uses Ramirez masa. It is very yellow in color because it is made from corn meal only. She told me if you can't get it where you live then mix corn meal with water until it is just still..add the juice of 2 limes for 5 pounds.

THEN.................

For every 5 pounds of corn masa add:

1 pound of lard - it has to be melted but not HOT

1 T. of salt

1 T. of baking powder

about 2 cups of the juice from the meat you have cooked for the tamales

You gush all that up with your hands.

The texture is spreadable with a spatula onto the corn husks.

You spread on the "rough" side of the softened husk - yes one side has actual ridges in it.

Set them upright in a pan (about 1/3 filled with water up to the tameles) and steam for 30 minutes - then let it sit for 10 minutes - then drain them and DONE.

Red chile for the Pork:

get dried red cjile pods

add water to a blender

add the pods until it is medium thick

pour over meat and mix.

Tombstone · Post by **Tombstone** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:39 pm

nvalleyvee wrote: I was invited to Mama Tita's holiday tamale making party this AM. Yes I was the only white woman there. I felt very honored. BTS and I got 4 dozen tamales out of it too. It was funny though when some of the other ladies were making white woman jokes about my skill...I was laughing too because I was pretty technically bad. I told Mama I would have to go home and cry (joke). Mama relplied - OH you don't need to go home to do that.......... OK it doesn't translate on this page but she is smart as a whip at 87. I even got to hand mix the masa.

Okay...anything you don't eat. Please send it to:

Tombstone

Idaho, USA

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 2:49 pm

Tombstone wrote: Okay...anything you don't eat. Please send it to:

Tombstone

Idaho, USA

Is that like a

Santa

North Pole

Address? :wah:

Tombstone · Post by **Tombstone** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:02 pm

nvalleyvee wrote: Is that like a

Santa

North Pole

Address? :wah:

Let's see...darn close!

It's a sunny and bright 15 degree day outside today. Don't worry about your package spoiling. It'll get here frozen solid.

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:13 pm

Tombstone wrote: Let's see...darn close!

It's a sunny and bright 15 degree day outside today. Don't worry about your package spoiling. It'll get here frozen solid.

Good - I don't need to ship with dry ice..............it is on the way tomorrow....:wah:

booradley · Post by **booradley** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:20 pm

what the hell are tamales? In English please...

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:38 pm

booradley wrote: what the hell are tamales? In English please...

Yeah, let me know when you find out. But with 1lb of lard in it, I don't think my heart would hold out.

booradley · Post by **booradley** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:40 pm

rendered pig fat...mmmmmm!

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:42 pm

A tamale is any kind of meat - preferably with spicy sauce - steamed in a corn flour wrapping. Traditional tamales are pork baked in red chile and then wrapped in a corn paste and steamed inside a corn husk. That doesn't sound very good ............ but they are.

booradley · Post by **booradley** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 3:54 pm

blimey, sounds fiddly! No wonder it took a little while to catch up with the experts.

they sound yummy. I love spicy food. Do you get pakoras? they are the best

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 4:05 pm

booradley wrote: blimey, sounds fiddly! No wonder it took a little while to catch up with the experts.

they sound yummy. I love spicy food. Do you get pakoras? they are the best

Blimey - sounds fiddly?? Pakoras?? what is that.....I am such a confused American.

booradley · Post by **booradley** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 4:07 pm

ooh..pakoras are just nice! Especially when they come from an Indian restaurant. Full of green chillies and onion...

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:04 pm

I don't eat meat meself unless I absolutely have to.

nvalleyvee · Post by **nvalleyvee** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:05 pm

OpenMind wrote: I don't eat meat meself unless I absolutely have to.

You can do fruit.......

OpenMind · Post by **OpenMind** » Sun Dec 18, 2005 5:07 pm

Oh yes. I do fruit a lot!!! Fruit, fruity, etc.