I don’t get down to Mexico often, but when I do, I always look forward to chowing down on my tía (aunt) Mary’s amazing tamales. Unwrapping the corn husk is like unwrapping a little present. The dough is light and fluffy, and the filling moist and delicious. The most popular being pork or chicken in a red chile sauce, but I also enjoy them with refried beans. I’m not big on the sweet ones, but that’s probably because my family didn’t make those often when I was growing up.
This Christmas, I really want to take a stab at making tamales myself. I described how to make tamales in a previous post, and it doesn’t seem too complicated. At least not on paper. Come to think of it, I believe the reason most people think it’s a lot of work is because tamales are usually done in big batches. Really big batches for special occasions like weddings and Christmas… hundreds of them. So, yes, of course that takes all day! We don’t need a hundred tamales – or even 50 – so I know I won’t have to be a slave to the kitchen. I may even get the girls involved somehow. Maura can add the filling and Maya can roll them up. Sounds fun, no? My husband can be the guinea pig that takes the first bite! 😉 Maybe this can become a new tradition for us!
As far back as I can remember, my family has used Maseca products for tamale and tortilla making. They make a corn flour that’s specially designed for tamales. I almost want to ask my aunt for her recipe, but on the other hand, I don’t want to be disappointed if I follow it and they don’t turn out right, so I think I’ll do my own thing! I’ll look through all the recipes for tamales on Maseca’s website for inspiration. Who knew there were so many different varieties?!
For the next few months, I’m going to be working with Maseca as a Blog Amiga. I’ll let you know how my tamale-making goes, share some other recipes, and introduce you to Maseca products through a couple of giveaways. It’s a fun campaign that I’m so happy to be a part of!
For more information, visit Maseca’s relaunched website. It’s brand new, so mostly in Spanish at this point. There are new sections, recipes, promotions, and other surprises coming up. Right now, in Maseca’s ‘Raspa Y Gana’ sweepstakes, you can win instantly. Just put a Maseca product in your shopping cart at a participating grocery store, and look for someone from the Maseca Prize Patrol, who will give you a scratch off card! This fun sweeps ends on December 11th.
You can find Maseca on Facebook and Twitter, and follow the Maseca Blog Amigas’ tweets at #clubmimaseca.
Disclosure: I’m participating in a sponsored campaign with Maseca and Latina Bloggers Connect, but all opinions are my own.
The tamales section in our web is a product of our concern for being helpful to the community; we know the tamale is a sign of our culture, and can show in their taste, the chef feelings, that’s why we were trying to make the best tamale recipes section, because we know the tamales from a country are completely different to another, and the preparation is very special for any of them.