Mexican Cooking (alt.food.mexican-cooking) A newsgroup created for the discussion and sharing of mexican food and recipes.

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  #41 (permalink)   Report Post  
krusty kritter
 
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>From: (Hazels65)

>The tamale was recorded over 5,000 years ago in precolumbian.
>
http://www.culinary-cooking-schools-...y_tamales.html

Great research, Hazel. The frog and tadpole tamales sound especially tasty, but
I'm holding out for an authentic *gopher tamale*, just like *mi abuelita* never
used to make...

Just kidding...

"There were plain tamales, tamales with red, green, yellow and black chile,
tamales with chocolate, fish tamales, frog, tadpole, mushroom, rabbit, gopher,
turkey, bee, egg, squash blossom, honey, ox, seed and nut tamales. "

That website certainly should inspire some creativity amongst the more
adventurous cooks...




# * 0 * #
^



  #42 (permalink)   Report Post  
Peter Dy
 
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"Hazels65" > wrote in message
...
> The tamale was recorded over 5,000 years ago in precolumbian.
>
> http://www.culinary-cooking-schools-...y_tamales.html



Nice work! Thanks for the link. I agree with Krusty--some nice sounding
tamales out there.

One part annoyed me though--and one runs into so much wrong information in
cookbooks, the food section of newspapers, etc.

"As the warring tribes of the Aztec, Mayan, and Incan cultures grew, the
demand of readying the nixtamal (corn) itself became so overwhelming a
process, a need arose to have a more portable sustaining foodstuff."

But nixtamal isn't corn, exactly. It's corn treated with lime or wood ash.
I thought only Mexico and Central American countries did that--and hence not
the Incas. Can anyone confirm that? Do and did they do nixtamalization in
Peru?

I could be way off...

Peter


  #43 (permalink)   Report Post  
Peter Dy
 
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"Hazels65" > wrote in message
...
> The tamale was recorded over 5,000 years ago in precolumbian.
>
> http://www.culinary-cooking-schools-...y_tamales.html



Nice work! Thanks for the link. I agree with Krusty--some nice sounding
tamales out there.

One part annoyed me though--and one runs into so much wrong information in
cookbooks, the food section of newspapers, etc.

"As the warring tribes of the Aztec, Mayan, and Incan cultures grew, the
demand of readying the nixtamal (corn) itself became so overwhelming a
process, a need arose to have a more portable sustaining foodstuff."

But nixtamal isn't corn, exactly. It's corn treated with lime or wood ash.
I thought only Mexico and Central American countries did that--and hence not
the Incas. Can anyone confirm that? Do and did they do nixtamalization in
Peru?

I could be way off...

Peter


  #44 (permalink)   Report Post  
Peter Dy
 
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"Peter Dy" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Hazels65" > wrote in message
> ...
>> The tamale was recorded over 5,000 years ago in precolumbian.
>>
>> http://www.culinary-cooking-schools-...y_tamales.html



Another, even more blatantly annoying thing about that article.

"The tamale is recorded as early as 5000 BC, possibly 7000 BC in
Pre-Columbian history. Initially, women were taken along in battle as army
cooks to make the masa for the tortillas and the meats, stews, drinks, etc.
As the warring tribes of the Aztec, Mayan, and Incan cultures grew, the
demand of readying the nixtamal (corn) itself became so overwhelming a
process, a need arose to have a more portable sustaining foodstuff. This
requirement demanded the creativity of the women...hence the tamale was
born."

The Aztecs are such a late group to emerge in Mexico. They first made their
presence known when they arrived in the Valley of Mexico in the early 1300s
AD! If the tamal is recorded as early as 5,000 *BC*, what on earth does it
have to do with the growth of the Aztec warring culture that appeared 6,300
years later??

Sorry, it just annoys me to see such sloppiness when it comes to food
writing...

Peter


  #46 (permalink)   Report Post  
Rhonda
 
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I will be making Tamales for the first time. I have never been in areas
where Mexican food was plentiful and I am wondering what is the proper
or customary way to eat them. Do you hold them in your hand and eat
them or do you unroll them and eat them off of a plate. I apprecaite
any help you all can give me. Thanks.

  #47 (permalink)   Report Post  
Ernie
 
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"Rhonda" > wrote in message
...
> I will be making Tamales for the first time. I have never been in areas
> where Mexican food was plentiful and I am wondering what is the proper
> or customary way to eat them. Do you hold them in your hand and eat
> them or do you unroll them and eat them off of a plate. I apprecaite
> any help you all can give me. Thanks.
>


Either way is appropriate.
Ernie


  #48 (permalink)   Report Post  
David Wright
 
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On Mon, 06 Dec 2004 16:22:45 GMT, "Ernie"
> wrote:

>
>"Rhonda" > wrote in message
...
>> I will be making Tamales for the first time. I have never been in areas
>> where Mexican food was plentiful and I am wondering what is the proper
>> or customary way to eat them. Do you hold them in your hand and eat
>> them or do you unroll them and eat them off of a plate. I apprecaite
>> any help you all can give me. Thanks.
>>

>
>Either way is appropriate.
>Ernie
>

I agree with Ernie. The first time around, whether bought or homemade,
they're on the plate, and usually drizzled -- or slathered -- with a
red or green chile sauce. After that first meal, they're fair game for
eating out of hand, cold from the fridge. One of my all-time favorite
breakfasts!

Just don't do what President Gerald Ford did on a campaign trip to San
Antonio in 1976. He tried to take a bite out of a tamal (correct
singular) without knowing you're supposed to take it out of the shuck!

Have fun with your tamalada, Rhonda.

David
  #49 (permalink)   Report Post  
Rhonda
 
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Thank you David and Ernie. I am really looking forward to this new
eating adventure. I think I can handle it now. I will be visiting San
Antonio next summer so I will have plenty of time to practice.

  #51 (permalink)   Report Post  
John Doe
 
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in the 1940s, but I taught others later by using the Sunset Mexican
Cookbook because it has pictures, and a pretty good recipe for the
masa.

David

David where does one get a copy of Sunset Mexican Cookbook? I make Tamale
pie all the time but I want to be able to make Tamales also.
Appreciate
Buck


  #52 (permalink)   Report Post  
David Wright
 
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On Tue, 7 Dec 2004 15:15:29 -0800, "John Doe" >
wrote:

>David where does one get a copy of Sunset Mexican Cookbook? I make Tamale
>pie all the time but I want to be able to make Tamales also.
>Appreciate
>Buck
>


I found the one I now have in a used-book store. While you're looking
(or instead of looking), check he


http://mexicancooking.netrelief.com/...s_recipe.shtml

and he http://www.rollybrook.com/tamales.htm

David
  #53 (permalink)   Report Post  
Ernie
 
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"David Wright" > wrote
<snip>
> I found the one I now have in a used-book store. While you're looking
> (or instead of looking), check he
>

http://mexicancooking.netrelief.com/...s_recipe.shtml
://www.rollybrook.com/tamales.htm
> David


And her is another good site:
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/feature...s/tamales.html

Ernie


  #54 (permalink)   Report Post  
John Doe
 
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http://mexicancooking.netrelief.com/...s_recipe.shtml

and he http://www.rollybrook.com/tamales.htm
David

Thanks David and Ernie, they are in my favorites now.
Appreciate the great help.

cu
Buck


  #55 (permalink)   Report Post  
John Doe
 
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http://mexicancooking.netrelief.com/...s_recipe.shtml

and he http://www.rollybrook.com/tamales.htm
David

Thanks David and Ernie, they are in my favorites now.
Appreciate the great help.

cu
Buck




  #56 (permalink)   Report Post  
Paul Covey
 
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I hadn't seen that site before - very good also.
Paul

Ernie wrote:
> "David Wright" > wrote
> <snip>
>
>>I found the one I now have in a used-book store. While you're looking
>>(or instead of looking), check he
>>

>
> http://mexicancooking.netrelief.com/...s_recipe.shtml
> ://www.rollybrook.com/tamales.htm
>
>>David

>
>
> And her is another good site:
> http://www.fabulousfoods.com/feature...s/tamales.html
>
> Ernie
>
>

  #57 (permalink)   Report Post  
Paul Covey
 
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Actually I did know this one which is also great, I meant Ernies.
Paul

John Doe wrote:

> http://mexicancooking.netrelief.com/...s_recipe.shtml
>
> and he http://www.rollybrook.com/tamales.htm
> David
>
> Thanks David and Ernie, they are in my favorites now.
> Appreciate the great help.
>
> cu
> Buck
>
>

  #58 (permalink)   Report Post  
Jim D
 
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"Ernie" > wrote in message
. com...
> Hi everyone, what are the best Tamales you ever ate?

snip
> Ernie Harrison
>

The best tamales I ever had (and I lived in the southwest for 28 years) were
from Grandma's Tamales in El Paso, Texas. Surprising, but true - commercial
tamales - and superb!

Their sweet desert tamales are something not to be missed either, especially
at this time of year!!

Jim


  #59 (permalink)   Report Post  
Hazels65
 
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I liked the tamales cooked by a neighbor in Metairie, Louisiana. She came from
Honduras. They were very large compared to any I've ever seen, and did not
have that reddish meat in the center like the little ones. The masa harina was
seasoned delicately, cooked and then smeared on fresh banana leaves. On top
went marinated pork or chicken, a couple thin slices tomato, a few slices green
olives, thin-sliced onion, a few raisins.Sometimes she would put a thin slice
or two of potato in, and if you liked it spicy, a tiny red pepper. Then they
were wrapped in the banana leaves, tied with string, wrapped individually in
tin foil and steamed most of the day. She could never fill all the orders and
they sold for $2.50 each over 10 years ago. She would never part with her
seasoning recipe for the masa or the marinade for the pork. I tried. Sigh.
The combination of flavors was fabulous. She was a beautiful woman who had
been a professional dancer in Honduras, and when they fled to the US, they had
to leave everything behind.

One would make a meal, two would make a feast.

Henrietta
  #60 (permalink)   Report Post  
Ernie
 
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"Hazels65" > wrote in message
...
> I liked the tamales cooked by a neighbor in Metairie, Louisiana. She came

from
> Honduras. They were very large compared to any I've ever seen, and did

not
> have that reddish meat in the center like the little ones. The masa

harina was
> seasoned delicately, cooked and then smeared on fresh banana leaves. On

top
> went marinated pork or chicken, a couple thin slices tomato, a few slices

green
> olives, thin-sliced onion, a few raisins.Sometimes she would put a thin

slice
> or two of potato in, and if you liked it spicy, a tiny red pepper. Then

they
> were wrapped in the banana leaves, tied with string, wrapped individually

in
> tin foil and steamed most of the day. She could never fill all the orders

and
> they sold for $2.50 each over 10 years ago. She would never part with her
> seasoning recipe for the masa or the marinade for the pork. I tried.

Sigh.
> The combination of flavors was fabulous. She was a beautiful woman who

had
> been a professional dancer in Honduras, and when they fled to the US, they

had
> to leave everything behind.
>
> One would make a meal, two would make a feast.
>
> Henrietta


Sounds delicious. have you ever tried making them?.
Ernie




  #61 (permalink)   Report Post  
Hazels65
 
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>Sounds delicious. have you ever tried making them?.
>Ernie
>


I have never achieved the flavor of the masa that she had and they fall far
short of hers.

Henrietta
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