In article >,
(Just Me) wrote:

> Ok im making tamales for the first time ever..Yes im mexican and my
> family are the ones that always did the cooking and today i want to make
> them or at least try. Well my question is ?
> What can i use to steam the tamales in to cook them..I dont havve


You want to buy a steamer. They are just a few bucks where you buy
kitchen stuff. The one I have at home has four legs to hold the food
above the boiling water. It has a central solid metal part with holes
that the legs are attached to, with a central metal rod that can be used
to lower the steamer into your pot. Around the edge of the solid metal
part are metal "leaves". These are interconnected so that when you move
one, they all move. You can fold them into the center for compact
storage, and then unfold them for use. When you lower the steamer into a
pot that is smaller than the steamer with the leaves extended fully, then
they partially fold to fit the pot exactly so food can't fall down into
the boiling water.

There are other designs for steamers that you can put into your existing
pans, and they come in different sizes. Any grocery or hardware store
should have these.

There are also dedicated steamers that use electricity. These have
various features and can be used for various things including rice. They
also take up space in your kitchen and cost more money. Here is an
example of one:


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...97755?v=glance

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS