Making Tamales
Today my neighbor Luisa showed me how to make tamales. It was quite a process and I’m certain I could not repeat it alone but it was really fun learning from her and working along side her. (I do find it a tad amusing that during our two winters in Mexico I never learned to make them, but I’m happy to be learning now.) Here’s what we did: Yesterday we went to La TapatÃa, a Mexican grocery store in Portland, and she picked out the ingredients I would need. Chicken, chilies, tomatillos, onion, garlic, anise, and masa of course. Last night we cooked the chicken in a large pot with a few garlic cloves and half an onion. After it was cooked, I removed it, shredded it, and put it in the fridge. The broth also went in the fridge to use the next day to make the dough, but since it needs to be cold, it makes more sense to do it the night before. This morning I placed the corn husks that my neighbor had given me into a bowl of hot water so they would soften. She arrived around 9:45 in the morn