"Eric Jorgensen" > wrote in message
news:20041106233956.78756d0b@wafer...

> "Corn Bread" is a term covering a number of
> dissimilar foods. Sometimes it's made with coarse
> yellow corn meal, sometimes with white corn meal,
> sometimes with white corn flour, sometimes with
> white corn flour. Masa is something else but I'm not
> clear on what differentiates it from corn meal and corn
> flour.

Masa is made from reconstituted dried corn -- quite the interesting
process (for food geeks who aren't from places where masa is part of
the regional cuisine, anyway ).

-j

I got this from somewhere on the web, but the appended web address is
completely incomprehensible; its copyright, though, is 1997 by Rich
McCormack:

*****
Making Masa for Corn Tortillas and Tamales
To make fresh masa, you first need to make nixtamal. Nixtamal is dried
field corn soaked in and then heated in a solution of slaked lime and
water. Slaked lime, calcium hydroxide, is generally available in the
form of "builder's lime" -- not to be confused with unslaked lime,
calcium oxide. Unslaked lime can't be used for making nixtamal unless
you slake it first by adding it to water, allowing it to bubble and
then stand for a bit, and then using the WATER for processing the
dried corn. It's the lime, by the way, that contributes to the unique
taste and texture of corn tortillas. After the corn has soaked for
the required length of time (depending on whether making nixtamal for
masa or hominy), it's rinsed to remove the lime and then rubbed to
remove the husks.

Nixtamal
4 quarts water
2 quarts dried field corn
5 tablespoons powdered slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) -- don't use
unslaked lime (calcium oxide)

Mix lime and water in a large, non reactive (enamel or stainless
steel) pot. Place pot over high heat and stir until lime is disolved.
Add corn and, stirring occasionally, bring to a boil. If making
nixtamalfor masa to make tortillas, boil for a couple of minutes,
remove from heat, cover and let soak overnight. If making nixtamal to
make masa for tamales, boil for about 15 minutes, remove from heat,
cover and let soak for a couple of hours. If making nixtamal for
hominy, boil for 15 minutes and let soak for another 5 to 10 minutes.
After soaking for the desired length of time, rinse the corn in a
colander to remove all traces of the lime while rubbing the kernals to
remove the softened hulls. Once cleaned, the nixtamal can then be
ground into masa or left whole to be further simmered until tender to
make hominy for pozole or menudo.

Making Tortillas using Fresh Masa or Masa Harina...
Masa harina is fresh masa that's been dried and then ground into a
flour-like consistency, to make masa harina you must first make masa.
Masa harina is similar to, but not the same as, fine ground cornmeal.
Trying to make corn tortillas out of regular cornmeal, even finely
ground, would probably be unsatisfying. I suppose it would be
possible to make nixtamal for tortillas, grind it into masa, dry it,
grind it again and then re-hydrate it to make tortillas. But why not
just make fresh masa from nixtamal and then make tortillas with it.
Both nixtamal and masa can be frozen for later use. If you wanted to
be authentic, you could use a metate (a flat stone made from lava
rock) and mano (sorta like a flattened, oval shaped rolling pin also
made from lava rock) to grind the corn into masa...but a plate-style
grain mill is a lot easier. My hand cranked Corona brand does double
duty...I not only use it for masa but also for grinding grain, malted
barley and other specialty malts for homebrewing. For tortilla dough,
you need to adjust the plates for a fine grind to come up with a
smooth dough that isn't grity. Tamales can be made from masa ground a
little coarser allowing the use of a food processor if a plate mill
isn't available. It might be possible to use a food processor for
tortilla dough, but I doubt you would end up with the smooth
consistency desirable for tortillas. After the nixtamal has been put
through the mill, water should be worked into the masa as needed to
make a medium-soft consistency dough. Hand-patting tortilla dough is
an art in itself and the necessary skill takes a long time to learn (I
tried it, but gave up out of frustration). A rolling pin can be used,
but a tortilla press works better. I have both a cast iron and an
aluminum press, but I don't see why one couldn't use a couple pieces
of hardwood and a hinge to fabricate a viable substitute for a
storebought press.

Tortillas de Maiz
1 pound fresh masa for tortillas
*or* 1.75 cups masa harina reconstituted with about 1.25 to 1.5 cups
of warm water

Gradually knead the masa into a smooth consistency, pushing with the
heel of the hand (3 to 5 minutes should be sufficient depending on
whether using fresh masa or reconstitued masa harina). Wrap the dough
in wax paper or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. Place a comal
or heavy frying pan over medium-high
heat. Break off a piece of the dough about the size of a golf ball
and pat it a few times to partially flatten it. Place the ball of
dough between a folded sheet ofpolyethylene (wax paper could probably
be used in place of the plastic) on a tortilla press (a little off
center towards the hinge) and press hard. Remove the tortilla from the
press and peel off the plastic. If the dough has the correct amount
of water, the plastic will peel easily off the tortilla. If the
plastic sticks, the dough is too moist. If the tortilla cracks around
the edges, the dough is to dry. Place the tortilla on the hot,
ungreased comal and bake until the edges start to dry (about 30
seconds). Flip and bake until lightly speckled on the underside
(about 1 minute). Flip a second time and bake for about 30 seconds
more. As the tortillas come off the comal, they should be wrapped
together in a towel to keep them soft and warm. The side that's up
after the second flip is considered the inside...where the filling
would go if
making tacos, flautas, or enchiladas.