Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
before you roll them up. Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
*******ization? (I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh
sweet corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)

I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
think they should be, so maybe it's me...

Bob

On 12/13/2010 01:54 PM, zxcvbob wrote:
> Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
> goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
> before you roll them up. Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
> *******ization? (I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh sweet
> corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
>
> I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
> think they should be, so maybe it's me...
>
> Bob

I'm not an expert in these things, but look he

<http://www.recipegoldmine.com/swtamale/swtamale.html>

for the widest collection of tamale recipes in one place *I've* found on
the internet.

Disclaimer: This is just an interesting site. I have no financial
interest in this company. I've never actually used any of their products
or made any of their recipes. Buyer beware. Void where prohibited. Etc.

On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:54:01 -0600, zxcvbob wrote:

> Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
> goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
> before you roll them up. Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
> *******ization? (I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh
> sweet corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
>
> I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
> think they should be, so maybe it's me...

In my experience, sweet ones are often mixed with the masa, but
savory are always filled and wrapped.

I haven't had many sweet ones so my observations may be skewed. I
think they were pureed apples and cinnamon, and cinnamon raisin.

-sw

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
> goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
> before you roll them up. Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
> *******ization? (I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh
> sweet corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
>
> I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
> think they should be, so maybe it's me...
>
> Bob

Mixing in the ingredients is valid and legit; at least around here.
Sweet tamales often have the ingredients mixed into the masa. Do what
you like.

On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:54:01 -0600, zxcvbob >
wrote:

>Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
>goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
>before you roll them up. Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
>*******ization? (I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh
>sweet corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
>
>I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
>think they should be, so maybe it's me...
>
>Bob

Bob, the only tamales Ive seen that have the ingredients mixed into
the masa are corn and cheese tamales.
What are the ingredients of the tamales you are talking about? I'd
liketo learn some new tamale ideas..

koko

On 12/13/2010 9:38 PM, wrote:
> On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:54:01 -0600, >
> wrote:
>
>> Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
>> goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
>> before you roll them up. Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
>> *******ization? (I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh
>> sweet corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
>>
>> I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
>> think they should be, so maybe it's me...
>>
>> Bob
>
> Bob, the only tamales Ive seen that have the ingredients mixed into
> the masa are corn and cheese tamales.
> What are the ingredients of the tamales you are talking about? I'd
> liketo learn some new tamale ideas..
>
> koko



Cheese, spinach, mushroom, dried fruit, huitlacoche, sweet corn, pecans,
and combinations there-of.

I haven't decided which ones I want to try; maybe spinach, mushroom, and
that Mexican equivalent of Parmesan cheese (can't remember what it's
called. It starts with a 'C')

I was gonna do leftover turkey and dried cranberries with ancho and
chipotle peppers for a potluck, but I got lazy (and the potluck was
canceled due to blizzard) but now "DD the Vegetarian" is coming home for
the holidays and we might make tamales together while she's here.

If I make turkey tamales, I'll use goose fat in the masa instead of lard
(because I have a bunch of goose fat.) If I make vegetarian tamales,
I'll use coconut oil and/or butter.

Bob

On Dec 13, 10:50*pm, zxcvbob > wrote:
> On 12/13/2010 9:38 PM, wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:54:01 -0600, >
> > wrote:
>
> >> Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
> >> goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
> >> before you roll them up. *Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
> >> *******ization? *(I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh
> >> sweet corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
>
> >> I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
> >> think they should be, so maybe it's me...
>
> >> Bob
>
> > Bob, the only tamales Ive seen that *have the ingredients mixed into
> > the masa are corn and cheese tamales.
> > What are the ingredients of the tamales you are talking about? *I'd
> > liketo learn some new tamale ideas..
>
> > koko
>
> Cheese, spinach, mushroom, dried fruit, huitlacoche, sweet corn, pecans,
> and combinations there-of.
>
> I haven't decided which ones I want to try; maybe spinach, mushroom, and
> that Mexican equivalent of Parmesan cheese (can't remember what it's
> called. It starts with a 'C')
>
> I was gonna do leftover turkey and dried cranberries with ancho and
> chipotle peppers for a potluck, but I got lazy (and the potluck was
> canceled due to blizzard) but now "DD the Vegetarian" is coming home for
> the holidays and we might make tamales together while she's here.
>
> If I make turkey tamales, I'll use goose fat in the masa instead of lard
> (because I have a bunch of goose fat.) *If I make vegetarian tamales,
> I'll use coconut oil and/or butter.
>
> Bob- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and got lots of
info,
just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say lard. Thanks, Nanzi

On Dec 14, 11:20*am, Nan > wrote:
> On Dec 13, 10:50*pm, zxcvbob > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On 12/13/2010 9:38 PM, wrote:
>
> > > On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:54:01 -0600, >
> > > wrote:
>
> > >> Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
> > >> goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
> > >> before you roll them up. *Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
> > >> *******ization? *(I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh
> > >> sweet corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
>
> > >> I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
> > >> think they should be, so maybe it's me...
>
> > >> Bob
>
> > > Bob, the only tamales Ive seen that *have the ingredients mixed into
> > > the masa are corn and cheese tamales.
> > > What are the ingredients of the tamales you are talking about? *I'd
> > > liketo learn some new tamale ideas..
>
> > > koko
>
> > Cheese, spinach, mushroom, dried fruit, huitlacoche, sweet corn, pecans,
> > and combinations there-of.
>
> > I haven't decided which ones I want to try; maybe spinach, mushroom, and
> > that Mexican equivalent of Parmesan cheese (can't remember what it's
> > called. It starts with a 'C')
>
> > I was gonna do leftover turkey and dried cranberries with ancho and
> > chipotle peppers for a potluck, but I got lazy (and the potluck was
> > canceled due to blizzard) but now "DD the Vegetarian" is coming home for
> > the holidays and we might make tamales together while she's here.
>
> > If I make turkey tamales, I'll use goose fat in the masa instead of lard
> > (because I have a bunch of goose fat.) *If I make vegetarian tamales,
> > I'll use coconut oil and/or butter.
>
> > Bob- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Is Crisco Lard?? *No flames please, I did google lard and got lots of
> info,
> *just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say lard. Thanks, Nanzi- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

I found it, thanks anyway.

Nan wrote:
> On Dec 13, 10:50 pm, zxcvbob > wrote:
>> On 12/13/2010 9:38 PM, wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:54:01 -0600, >
>>> wrote:
>>>> Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
>>>> goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
>>>> before you roll them up. Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
>>>> *******ization? (I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh
>>>> sweet corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
>>>> I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
>>>> think they should be, so maybe it's me...
>>>> Bob
>>> Bob, the only tamales Ive seen that have the ingredients mixed into
>>> the masa are corn and cheese tamales.
>>> What are the ingredients of the tamales you are talking about? I'd
>>> liketo learn some new tamale ideas..
>>> koko
>> Cheese, spinach, mushroom, dried fruit, huitlacoche, sweet corn, pecans,
>> and combinations there-of.
>>
>> I haven't decided which ones I want to try; maybe spinach, mushroom, and
>> that Mexican equivalent of Parmesan cheese (can't remember what it's
>> called. It starts with a 'C')
>>
>> I was gonna do leftover turkey and dried cranberries with ancho and
>> chipotle peppers for a potluck, but I got lazy (and the potluck was
>> canceled due to blizzard) but now "DD the Vegetarian" is coming home for
>> the holidays and we might make tamales together while she's here.
>>
>> If I make turkey tamales, I'll use goose fat in the masa instead of lard
>> (because I have a bunch of goose fat.) If I make vegetarian tamales,
>> I'll use coconut oil and/or butter.
>>
>> Bob- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and got lots of
> info,
> just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say lard. Thanks, Nanzi


Crisco is a brand of synthetic lard made from vegetable oils. In
common usage, the name has become synonymous with all solid vegetable
shortenings, and even some off-brand shortenings that are made with
beef fat and vegetable oil. (I actually like those better for what
little baking I do with shortening)

I used to work with some Mexican nationals, and they said to use
Crisco in tamales, but I would rather use coconut oil or animal fat
(and preferably a fat with some flavor to it.) Some recipes call for
corn oil instead of lard or shortening, but /that's just wrong/.

HTH,
Bob

Nan > wrote:

-snip-
>
>Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and got lots of
>info,
> just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say lard. Thanks, Nanzi

IMO- Crisco is a decent substitute for pure lard. I would use it
before I bought the adulterated lard you'd find in a grocery store. If
you can buy pork fat and render your own, it isn't hard- just ties you
to the kitchen for a while.

Someone posted last week that they buy the pure stuff from a local
source [farm?-- That would be second best.

Jim

On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:20:20 -0800 (PST), Nan >
wrote:

> Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and got lots of
> info, just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say lard. Thanks, Nanzi

I think Crisco is lard, like margarine is butter. They're pretty much
interchangeable. I've never looked at a recipe that calls for lard
and thought I couldn't use Crisco instead... American style pie crust,
for instance.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:19:19 -0800, sf > wrote:

>On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:20:20 -0800 (PST), Nan >
>wrote:
>
>> Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and got lots of
>> info, just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say lard. Thanks, Nanzi
>
>I think Crisco is lard, like margarine is butter.

Actually Crisco is margerine.

Brooklyn1 wrote on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:58:33 -0500:

>> On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:20:20 -0800 (PST), Nan >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and
>>> got lots of info, just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say
>>> lard. Thanks, Nanzi
>>
>> I think Crisco is lard, like margarine is butter.

>Actually Crisco is margerine.

Isn't this a bit silly? Crisco is to lard as margerine is to butter: a
vegetable substitute.

From Wiki: "Crisco is a brand of shortening produced by the J. M.
Smucker Co. popular in the United States. Introduced in June 1911[1] by
Procter & Gamble, it was the first shortening to be made entirely of
vegetable oil." Whether the results are better for lard than Crisco is
a matter of argument, though Crisco is a hydrogenated oil and no
healthier than lard.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On 14/12/2010 4:58 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:19:19 -0800, > wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:20:20 -0800 (PST), >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and got lots of
>>> info, just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say lard. Thanks, Nanzi
>>
>> I think Crisco is lard, like margarine is butter.
>
> Actually Crisco is margerine.


That's curious. According to the Crisco web site you can use Crisco as
a substitute for butter or margarine if you had a little water to it,
but you can not use it for a substitute for no bake cookies.

On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 17:33:57 -0500, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

> Brooklyn1 wrote on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:58:33 -0500:
>
>>> On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:20:20 -0800 (PST), Nan >
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and
>>>> got lots of info, just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say
>>>> lard. Thanks, Nanzi
>>>
>>> I think Crisco is lard, like margarine is butter.
>
>>Actually Crisco is margerine.
>
>Isn't this a bit silly? Crisco is to lard as margerine is to butter: a
>vegetable substitute.


Crisco IS margerine... both are hydrogenated vegetable oil...
margerine is artificially butter flavored adn colored is all... now
Crisco is made butter flavored/colored as well.

Lard is animal fat, so is butter but butter is also dairy (breast milk
fat).

zxcvbob wrote:
>
> On 12/13/2010 9:38 PM, wrote:
> > On Mon, 13 Dec 2010 15:54:01 -0600, >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
> >> goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
> >> before you roll them up. Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
> >> *******ization? (I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh
> >> sweet corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
> >>
> >> I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I
> >> think they should be, so maybe it's me...
> >>
> >> Bob
> >
> > Bob, the only tamales Ive seen that have the ingredients mixed into
> > the masa are corn and cheese tamales.
> > What are the ingredients of the tamales you are talking about? I'd
> > liketo learn some new tamale ideas..
> >
> > koko
>
> Cheese, spinach, mushroom, dried fruit, huitlacoche, sweet corn, pecans,
> and combinations there-of.
>
> I haven't decided which ones I want to try; maybe spinach, mushroom, and
> that Mexican equivalent of Parmesan cheese (can't remember what it's
> called. It starts with a 'C')

Cotija is a queso seco, suitable for grating.

>
> I was gonna do leftover turkey and dried cranberries with ancho and
> chipotle peppers for a potluck, but I got lazy (and the potluck was
> canceled due to blizzard) but now "DD the Vegetarian" is coming home for
> the holidays and we might make tamales together while she's here.
>
> If I make turkey tamales, I'll use goose fat in the masa instead of lard
> (because I have a bunch of goose fat.) If I make vegetarian tamales,
> I'll use coconut oil and/or butter.
>
> Bob

Those fats could work in their respective tamales. Butter maybe has too
much water in it for a decent tamal, but some Anglos do use it.

Try sweet tamales too. The local Mexican megamart sells pink masa, which
is probably strawberry flavoured, for those tamales.

On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 20:39:06 -0600, Omelet >
wrote:

>In article >,
> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
>> On 14/12/2010 4:58 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>> > On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:19:19 -0800, > wrote:
>> >
>> >> On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:20:20 -0800 (PST), >
>> >> wrote:
>> >>
>> >>> Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and got lots of
>> >>> info, just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say lard. Thanks, Nanzi
>> >>
>> >> I think Crisco is lard, like margarine is butter.
>> >
>> > Actually Crisco is margerine.
>>
>>
>> That's curious. According to the Crisco web site you can use Crisco as
>> a substitute for butter or margarine if you had a little water to it,
>> but you can not use it for a substitute for no bake cookies.
>
>I knew someone once who's cake frosting recipe consisted of Crisco,
>powdered sugar and food coloring.

What do you think bakeries do... that's standard procedure...
naturally they add flavoring too, and often coloring. Most every
buttercream frosting recipe uses 50/50 butter/shortening... many
bakeries sub margerine for butter, and no one can tell the difference.
Neighborhood bakeries don't need to list ingredients and no law says
buttercream frosting must contain butter... butter flavoring makes it
kosher, literally and figuratively.

http://www.wilton.com/recipe/Buttercream-Icing

In article >,
Omelet > wrote:

> In article >,
> Dave Smith > wrote:

> > That's curious. According to the Crisco web site you can use Crisco as
> > a substitute for butter or margarine if you had a little water to it,
> > but you can not use it for a substitute for no bake cookies.
>
> I knew someone once who's cake frosting recipe consisted of Crisco,
> powdered sugar and food coloring.
>
> Bleargh!
>
> It worked but it was gross!

Crisco, and its friend lard, are solids at room temperature. I went to
a wedding last June. The bride wanted a buttercream frosting. Ok, but
it doesn't hold up. The baker kept the cake pieces in the fridge as
long as possible, but at some point she needed to assemble the three
layers and put the doodads on top. The wedding was delayed, and the
fancy decorations ran due to the heat (no air conditioning in the
building).

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

Omelet wrote:
>
> In article >,
> Dave Smith > wrote:
>
> > On 14/12/2010 4:58 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> > > On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 10:19:19 -0800, > wrote:
> > >
> > >> On Tue, 14 Dec 2010 08:20:20 -0800 (PST), >
> > >> wrote:
> > >>
> > >>> Is Crisco Lard?? No flames please, I did google lard and got lots of
> > >>> info, just not that. Some of my MIL recipes say lard. Thanks, Nanzi
> > >>
> > >> I think Crisco is lard, like margarine is butter.
> > >
> > > Actually Crisco is margerine.
> >
> >
> > That's curious. According to the Crisco web site you can use Crisco as
> > a substitute for butter or margarine if you had a little water to it,
> > but you can not use it for a substitute for no bake cookies.
>
> I knew someone once who's cake frosting recipe consisted of Crisco,
> powdered sugar and food coloring.
>
> Bleargh!
>
> It worked but it was gross!
> --


That's basically what goes on most supermarket sheet cakes; with a bit
of artificial vanilla flavouring.

"zxcvbob" > wrote in message
...
> Many of the tamales recipes I find on the Internet have you mix the
> goodies into the masa dough instead of filling them as a separate step
> before you roll them up. Is this legitimate or is it a time saving
> *******ization? (I suspect it's somewhere in-between; OK for fresh sweet
> corn tamales and a few other types, and not OK for others)
>
> I haven't found any non-meat tamal recipes that are filled the way I think
> they should be, so maybe it's me...
>
> Bob


Google translation:

http://mx.answers.yahoo.com/question...1120124AAsgyua

Sweet tamales

If you use bacon fat, you get the added flavor of the salt, but must adjust salt accordingly. Hard to remove salt from a bullion cube, so your own stock might ne the perfect signature for the final dish.

Next time, I think I'll try chicken or duck fat to bind the deal together.