[.ca] Tamales 101 (ISBN 1580084281)

Yes, you *can* become a tamalista!:
A couple of weeks before Christmas, I found myself facing a luncheon for 15 foodie friends for which I'd promised fresh tamales--and my promised helper, the only person I knew who had made them before, came down with the flu! I was on my own. Fortunately, I had Tamales 101 in hand. Got a few tips from a guy at the local Tamale Festival, but mostly I just devoured this book, took a deep breath, and started. My masa floated, the corn husks peeled off my tamales easily, and they were firm and delicious! I spent over three days cooking and ended up with a cornucopia of Red Chile Pork, Chorizo-Potato, Jalapeno and Cheese, and two kinds of dessert tamales, plus all the salsa and other trimmings. (I'd made enough to take to three other events, it turned out.) And I *enjoyed* myself doing it. Making tamales is both harder and easier than you might think. What's hard is the amount of time and effort, but what's easy is the routine you get into after making a few. The day of the luncheon, I taught an early guest how to fill and fold them (using the very easy foldover method illustrated in the book), and she taught everyone else who wanted to try a few. As they say, a good time was had by all. My tips and observations for those who want to give this a try: Get *very* organized in advance: ingredients list, timetable, list of accompaniments, etc. A large steamer is a must (I used an oriental two-level steel one, but a Mexican one that looks like a canning kettle works well, too, and both are fairly inexpensive). An electric mixer is also a must. I used a hand mixer, but a stand mixer would have been easier. You *must* maintain several inches of boiling water in the pan (I just about burned mine out at one point), and it is possible to burn both hands at once if you use potholders instead of oven mitts to pick up the upper pan to check the water level. From the festival tamale maker, I learned that it's important to use all the lard called for (part can be butter or margarine) and also all the salt called for. I read somewhere else that much of the lard is absorbed by the husks, and I hope this is true. From the book, I learned to use fresh masa (easily available here in the southwest) rather than dry, and to whip the lard for at least 5 minutes and then the worked-in masa and broth for another 10 to 15 minutes, and also to use an ice cream scoop to measure the right amount of masa onto the husks/leaves. I won't be waiting until next Christmas to make more tamales, now that I know how easy and good they are. Just thinking of all the varieties in Tamales 101 that I haven't tried yet has me drooling. Give it a try!

The Best Christmas Gift:
I bought the book on Christmas Eve out of my desparation to get the recipe for the Puerto Rican pastelles. Being an Italian New Yorker, making the pastelles was totally foreign to me. I wanted to make them for my Puerto Rican lover who longed for pastelles around Christmas time. So, I spent most of Christmas Eve, making the pastelles, following the recipe in the book. The instructions were very clear and precise. There were several drawings to show me how to fold/wrap the banana leaves. The recipe was so detailed that I had no problem making the pastelles for the very first time. By the time, my lover came home from work, I had a platter full of freshly steamed pastelles. His face was all "sparkle" with joy and tears. The best Christmas gift, he said. The pastelles were gorgeous and they tasted unbelievably delicious. He couldn't believe that I made them because in his words, they were as good as his grandmother's! A new holiday tradition is born in our home! TAMALES 101 has brought a lot of joy to my home this Christmas, many thanks to Alice Guadalupe Tapp.

Childhood Memories Reclaimed:
Tradition in my Mexican family is that tamales are made every Christmas Eve for Christmas day dinner. I have very fond memories of my grandmother, aunts, and cousins getting together and making unbelievable amounts of tamales from scratch. So this year I wanted to make tamales myself, but with the passing of my grandmother, her recipes went with her. Tamales are not the easiest thing to make (I remembered all the time and effort they require). Not all masas or fillings taste the same and everyone that makes them, has their own specail "touch". I wanted to be able to recapture the same texture and flavor of the tamales my Mama Luz (grandmother) used to make. So...in my quest for tamale guidiance, I turned to this book. I wasn't sure if I'd get good results, but decided to take the gamble. Well let me tell you, my tamales came out AMAZING!!! The recipe for the tomatillo salsa was a big hit! I paired this salsa with chicken and it was great! I also made the traditional sweet tamales and they tasted just like the ones my grandmother used to make. The recipes were easy to follow and the illustrations were very helpful. I'm a pretty avid cook but I had always been intimidated of tamales. Well nevermore! My childhood memeries of tamales will now not just left to be a yearly tradition in my household because I now know I can whip up a batch at a whim. I'm very happy that I found this book and glad that I took the gamble on this book now. Thank you Alice Guadalupe Tapp for helping me bring back a cherished tradition into my home.

Good, but the definitive guide is yet to be written:
This is a nice little book with lots of traditional recipes and the author is enthusiastic but her fat of choice is margarine, a fact I have trouble digesting, if you know what I mean.