Sign up for a Holiday Tamale class here.
All great tamale makers (tamaleros) have no written recipe. Their cookbook is visceral; they know how much ingredients to use by the look, feel, and taste. When I asked the organic farmer featured in the Produce & Water chapter, Nelida, for her tamale recipe, she said, “Chop up some chard, kale, garlic . . . add a little bit of grated cheese and add it all to the masa.”
When I set out to make her recipe I knew I wanted to make the masa from scratch. I didn’t want lard or GMO corn in my tamale recipe. I quickly found that most people didn’t make their cornmeal dough for tamales. Instead, the modern tamaleros purchase masa prepared, cornmeal dough found pre-made at all Mexican markets during the holiday season. This masa is made with manteca—lots and lots of lard.
I succeeded in developing a recipe (with input from good friends) that is moist, flavorful healthy for you and the planet.
This holiday season I invite you to learn how to make masa from scratch with all organic, non-GMO ingredients for your holiday tamales in an Eat Less Water cooking class. Sign up here.
During a 2.5-hour cooking class you will learn how to:
- Prepare the corn husk,
- Make masa from scratch,
- Prepare the filling,
- Techniques to spread masa on the corn husk and wrap, and
- Ideas for steaming. You will take a dozen tamales to steam at home.
The class includes:
- A cooking lesson,
- A tamale dinner,
- And a dozen tamales (made by you) to take home and steam.
During the class, we will stuff the tamales with Nelida’s inspired recipe of Swiss Chard, Kale, and Cheese, but once you learn the basics, you can stuff the tamale with anything you like.
Bring a friend, partner or child for half the price to help you with your dozen.
Eat less water at the kitchen table.
There is power in the collective!
Be well,
Florencia
Florencia Ramirez 