Re: [ranchos] Christmas Memories

[Mary Allen <mary.allen3770@...>]

Christmas time at the office of course means foods, lots of it.  But tamales cause the biggest rush to the break room and the discussion eventually turns to who makes the best tamales.  Everyone has their own favorites.  Frankly I vote for the ones of puerco and res and not too much masa.  And not too hot, chili wise.   Of course, sometimes   we forget to tell the newcomers who have never seen a tamale, how to eat one. They learn fast.  I cannot imagine Christmas eve without tamales.  

 

When I lived on the border, I had never learned to make tamales, but a wonderful lady, Mrs. Gutierrez, offered to teach three of us the secrets for perfect tamales.  She gave me a long list of ingredients to buy.  Then came the great day.  We donned our aprons and started and worked and worked and worked.  When we finished, several hours later, we were faced with 72 dozen tamales!  There were just three of us.  Mrs. Gutierrez didn't want any.  For a year we ate tamales, we gave away tamales, we froze tamales, tamales became a conversation piece, and no, we never made them again.  But I treasure the experience and appreciate the amount of work that goes into a perfect tamale.   I had never heard of a sweet tamale until recently when I came face to face with a pink one in Guanajuato. And it was there that I also ate one that looked like a square little package wrapped in banana leaves.  I think the vendor said they were from Oaxaxa. 

 

Mary G. Allen   
Margarita Vallazza <TeaCozyGran@...> wrote:

> I buy tamales (de chile and de dulce) every year around this time and 
> share them with my daughters and grandkids.  If I was home
>  visiting my 
> sisters and my tias in El Paso, I would have a REAL Mexican Christmas, 
> too.  Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año, primos y primas!  Marge:)