Tamales and Wine

Every year, my mother, aunt, two sisters and I get together to make tamales before Christmas.  This is such a popular event with Hispano families throughout the entire world around Christmas.  We have made tamales for many years and in our region, the most familiar tamale is red chile corn masa stuffed with simmered and shredded pork shoulder marinated in more red chile (or for some, chile colorado) all wrapped together in a corn husk.  We made these and got creative with a few others.  One of which, I will be sharing its recipe.  At first, I thought I would not share it because some things should be kept within the family.  However, tamales are such a worldly food, it is really the basic elements that we keep and their ingredients continuously change.  In fact, tamales have popped up in the Mississippi Delta, so really here in NM, we are not reinventing the wheel, but I am not claiming this to discredit any cultural context of Latin American countries but instead I want to impress how strong this cultural event has influenced the entire world to embark on tamale making.

Early tamales were traced back as early as 8000 BC in Mesoamerica. The Aztecs and Mayans are believed to have used them as a food for necessity for travelers.  It was a portable, starchy, and had some kind of protein element.  Later around 1200 BC, tamales were used as a food commemorating important feasts and status—including and excluding certain members of society (LeCount 2001).  This might be why I don’t want to share the recipe. You know, keeping it within the family.  Well thousands of years later, the tamale is still a food commemorating a feast although in Mexico City, tamales are a comfort food staple for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. They are made with a variety of ingredients.

Our little group makes tamales by the dozens and has a great time doing it.  We have never referred to it as a tamalada, but in essence that is exactly what it is.  After we prepare them, we steam a few for us to eat and this year we had quite the selection. Of course we made the traditional and regional pork marinated in chile Colorado.  My mom also made a green chile chicken style.  My aunt made a few stuffed with calabacitas and cheese.  I made two sweet varieties:  Dark chocolate, with a coconut, almond, mocha filling and a white chocolate anise with dried fruit and walnut filling.  One of our biggest surprises is that they paired up with a red wine really well.  We had a great time sipping wine and eating tamales, kids playing peacefully, and laughing about how my stepfather has an uncanny resemblance to Foghorn Leghorn.  Until next year. Merry Christmas!!

Don't hate me because I drink box wine

References:

LeCount, Lisa J. 2001. “Like Water for Chocolate: Feasting and Political Ritual among the Late Classic Maya at Xunantunich, Belize.” American Anthropologist 103 (4) (December 1): 935-953. doi:10.1525/aa.2001.103.4.935.

and Wikipedia.

Elements for white chocolate anise tamales with dried fruit filling (I have only made this once and did not use measuring cups so all of this is approximately done by purely eyeballing it. Good Luck) As I make this, my measurements might change. Please let me know if you run into problems.

For the masa

4 cups of Maseca

1 tbls of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

2 tsp of anise seeds

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of butter (2 sticks)

2 cups of milk

1 cup of half and half (you could use cream, but this was all I had)

2 cones of panocha sugar (find in Mexican food stores, ½ cup brown sugar if you can’t find it)

5 star anise

3 oz of white chocolate chopped

1 tlbs vanilla extract

For the filling

1 12oz bag of dried apricots (chopped)

2 cups of toasted walnuts

6 oz of dried cranberries

1 tbls cinnamon

1 jar of apricot preserves

2 shots of whiskey (optional)

1 cup of brown sugar

1-2 bags of dried corn husks

Method

Fill sink with hot water and place husks in to soften.  Warm milk, cream, panocha sugar, and star anise over low heat. Do not boil.  When panocha is dissolved and milk is hot to touch, pour over white chocolate and mix until melted. Add vanilla and discard star anise.  Let mixture cool. Meanwhile, blend dry ingredients together.  Add butter and mix with mixer or hand.  I smoosh it around with my hand.  Add chocolate mixture and mix until it becomes pasty.  Set aside.

Combine all the ingredients for the filling until it becomes a sticky mess.

Once corn husks are softened, wipe off excess water. Spread about 1 heaping tablespoon of masa onto lower half portion corn husk. This takes practice, I use my hand, my sister has more skills and uses a spoon.  Fill it with another heaping tablespoon of filling.  Fold up husk around it.  If you cannot fold the husk, then you have put in too much filling or spread the masa too thick.  Improvise. 

Steam tamales for about 45 minutes or until firm.  

The Accidental Sweet Life with Extra Salt

Well it has been quite some time since I wrote on this blog. Graduate school took almost all my writing priority this semester. As did the fact that my toddler no longer naps. I felt guilty indulging in a little free writing time when I have a family and other responsibilities that needed my already stretched thin attention span. Well it is December which means this semester is over and time to move on. In the meantime, I have cooked a ton, but I guess I will just start at where I am right now.

I learned a lot this semester. Something shifted inside me and I attribute it to increased knowledge and a realization in how important it is to care for others, not just to say it. I am grateful for the colleagues in my classes who shed light on issues that really touched my spirit and compelled me to integrate what I have learned into my life no matter how subtle. Here is a recap, it’s choppy, but I hope you can understand it.

This semester, I learned that bullying is wrong on a physical, emotional and spiritual level and I hope that God blesses those who are poor in spirit. Thanks Lindsey

I learned that there is a huge problem with our toxic environment…what we eat, what we use to clean our homes, and what we see and hear that deters us away from that reality. Thanks Liana

I learned that although we as health scholars are up against some pretty tough health issues, we can stay positive and find solutions with a fun factor. Thanks Micki

I learned that we all work together and teach each other. Thanks Chidi 

I learned that it’s ok to talk to a classmate for 2 hours instead of typing up a lit review just because I needed a break. Thanks Sara

I learned that we really have it good because our health does provide agency to aspire to do what we want to do. Thanks Daniel and Karen G. 

I learned that it is courageous to point out the obvious. Thanks Margarita 

I learned that I am not the only one who believes in the “thrifty gene theory” and anthropological history to the obesity epidemic. Thanks Andrea

I learned to look at health issues through different lenses and how to approach them systematically, but I am still learning…Thanks Dr. Avila and Dr. Perry and OLA middle schoolers 

Most importantly, I learned that I have a supportive family who respect that I truly believe in making a better place through my language of love…food. Thanks Fil, Devin, and Sam 

During my last week of school, I skipped some meals (not on purpose, well kind of. I chose to do homework instead) and lost some sleep. On the night before my last class, while scrambling to finish my literature review about the what researchers, popular culture and biotechnology do to impair solutions to the overconsumption epidemic causing our population to gain weight, I craved the sweetest most chocolatey thing I could get my hands on. Oh the irony! I made hot chocolate…Not hot cocoa. 

Yes, there is a difference. Hot chocolate? So what? This was a big deal because it was through an accident that I made the best hot chocolate that I ever had. Maybe it was because I hadn’t had something sweet in a while, but it put Starbucks to shame. Here is how it goes. I scrambled to my kitchen desperately looking for the cocoa powder because I knew we ran out of those premade packets of Nestle. I remembered that I left all my baking stuff at my sister in law’s house. Dammit! Frantic, I shoved stuff around the cabinet when I saw…Bingo! A few Trader Joes bittersweet chocolate disks. It was only an ounce, so I hoped it would work. 

I warmed up a little skim milk and poured it over the disks and mixed it around. I was supposed to add just a pinch of salt, but too lazy, I poured it from the box and it was more like half a teaspoon. SHIT!!! My chocolate was ruined. I tasted it and made the ick face. I added some sugar and got an idea…I told myself, screw the low fat skim milk and poured about 4 fluid ounces of half and half in a cup and warmed it up. I also found a little bit of caramel sauce in the fridge. You guessed it, chocolate + salt + caramel and cream = salted caramel hot chocolate. I combined the cream and caramel with the chocolate milk mixture, whisked it and topped it with a lot of whipped cream. Typing up my lit review was a whole lot sweeter. 

Recipe 

6 or ¾ cup fluid oz of a mixture of milk and cream 

1-2 oz about ¼ cup of bittersweet chocolate (I am going to try bitter and milk chocolate next time) 1-2 tsp sugar 1-2 tablespoons of caramel sauce

½ tsp-1 tsp salt. You can even get fancy here and use fleur de sel

A few drops of vanilla 

See above for method…Add the vanilla last. Instead of a photo of the hot chocolate, I have a collage of my accidental sweet family. I drank the chocolate of course! I will post photo soon.

Quality of Life Chocolate Muffins

What a crazy couple of weeks.  I am so behind on my blog and I have had so many topics to write about that I did not write down so I forgot.  I have something today and if life slows down a bit, I may be able to jot down another topic this weekend.  My kiddos have strep so hopefully they sleep in.  I semi-caught up on my reading (I really never catch up) so I think I can manage a quick writing session because after all, this is an enjoyable activity for me and that is what I would like to write about—Quality of life.  

What is the definition of the quality of life?  I am sure we all have a unique definition, but I think that it encompasses that our body, mind, and spirit are in a balance that enables us to seek our aspirations and, well, just be happy.  Is this a right?  Are we entitled to have a great quality of life?  I think so. However, it is a group process, not just an individual and I guarantee that others will not ensure that your quality of life is up to par.  With that said, I also believe that the playing grounds are not fairly distributed and that although we should make the best of what we have available, we should also strive to achieve a more level playing ground.  It is not a hand-out as some people would like to believe.  

There is not a fair distribution of services, economic opportunities, air quality, exercise options, food security…The list goes on and on.  Is there someone to blame? Maybe, but why waste time investigating the perpetrator, when instead determining the reason or cause is much more productive, because that is what you can change.  When it comes to diseases related to lifestyle, I know that there are determinants that keep us from feeling better.  There are also responsible groups that contribute to these diseases.  But as hopeless as it may sound, you along with others can combat these determinants.  You can’t do it alone and others cannot do it for you.  

I don’t know about you, but I really think we are here to heal each other.  Who doesn’t enjoy friendship and intimacy?  I truly believe that breaking bread together is a way to accomplish many of our goals and enhancing our quality of life.  As a collective, we can do so much together.  If we made our lives more of a collaborative event, loneliness would not last as long, physical illnesses would not affect us so negatively, and lifestyles would be healthier.  Today, I think I am going to eat our last chocolate muffins with my kids and not feel one bit guilty about it.  (Well maybe the fact that I put zucchini in them does help).

Challenge:  Make something together or something that tastes good and enjoy it with a friend. Try this recipe for size.  If you feel like there is some aspiration that you cannot achieve, take a bite, talk it over and seize the day.

Zucchini Chocolate Muffins

1 cup of brown rice flour

½ cup tapioca starch

½ cup sorghum flour

1 cup of cocoa powder

1 cup of sugar

¼ cup of flax meal

1-2 cups of chocolate chips

1 cup of vanilla yogurt

2/3 cup of canola oil

4 eggs

1 tbls baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups of zucchini

2 tsp xanthan or guar gum

½ - 1 cup of buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl except chocolate chips.  Mix wet ingredients except buttermilk and vanilla in a separate bowl or large measuring cup.  Combine both wet and dry ingredients together.  Add buttermilk to make a batter consistency.  Add vanilla and chocolate chips.  Spoon batter into muffin pan cups.  Bake in oven for 25-35 minutes. As soon as you smell that rich chocolaty scent, take out of oven and cool on rack for 5 minutes.  Remove muffins from pan and cool or eat with milk.  Mmm. Warm muffins and cold milk. This recipe makes enough for 2 dozen muffins and you can half it easily. 

Plant a Seed and Consume its Sweetness

One of my favorite memories as a child was watching my grandpa in his garden.  I used to help him with the harvests and we would sit under the willow tree in the front yard and snap beans and shell peas.  I learned a lot about life during the conversations that we had.  I was so blessed to have someone sit and listen to my childhood ramblings for hours.  I have a hard time doing that now.  I really think our grandparents know that children inherit the Earth, so they take time to listen and less time to gossip.  Since I have started gardening, I am reminded of the parable in the bible about planting seeds on good soil.  To me, good soil is the faith and truth you put into it in order to yield a large harvest.  We can apply the meaning of this parable to many different things.  It truly does outline the image of total health.  I hope to achieve this with people in my own neighborhood.  I see this coming to fruition throughout many neighborhoods in my community. 

One of the hardest tasks I encounter is trying to balance my professional life with my family life, but I really try to keep up with the haps in my own community.  One project I have been looking at is Project Feed the Hood. They organize to help eliminate food deserts by engaging with communities through gardening and helping to build self-efficacy in low-income and diverse populations by providing the opportunity and the right to feed their families healthy meals without having to travel far or spend a lot of money for fruits and vegetables. In addition, providing food that you have worked to grow gives a person something to be proud of. They have an urban garden in the SE heights, a food desert near the air force base.  They also have a garden in the Westgate area to provide the opportunity for those who live in an area that is not only a food desert, but face challenges planting their own gardens due to lack of space and sandy dry terrain. Another project with the same idea in mind is East Central Ministries.  It is a micro-business in the International District to help the community through gardening and selling gardening products.  You can find vegetable and herb plants and ollas at Whole Foods Market.

These are not the only places doing this.  More and more people throughout the U.S. are developing areas to combat food insecurity.  They do run into challenges like cost, lack of water, and property issues.  In the next month many of us gardeners are going to see an increase in water use rates due to lack of revenue by the Water Utility Authority claiming that all the conservation efforts has backfired and now they are strapped for cash.  I have faith that we will still meet these challenges and continue with these very important projects. 

On to sweetness, blueberries are in season and I made something to celebrate their sweet and nutritious qualities and I didn’t have to add a whole lot of sweetener. 

GF Blueberry Cobbler w/Lemon Cornmeal Topping

For the berries

5 cups blueberries

1/3 cup cane sugar

Juice from one lemon

1 tbls cornstarch

Mix all ingredients together and set aside to let juices macerate a little

For the cobbler

1 cup of cornmeal

½ cup brown rice flour

1/3 cup of tapioca starch

½ tsp salt

3 tbls sugar

Zest from one whole lemon

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp xantham gum

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk a little more or less, you could use any milk but use less

3 tbl melted butter

Mix dry ingredients and then mix wet ingredients.  Combine wet ingredients with dry ingredients and mix until it is like a drop biscuit dough.  Pour blueberries into a buttered 8x8 casserole dish or cast iron pan. Drop biscuit dough on top and put in a 325 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes.  Crust will be a golden yellow and blueberries should have leaked their juices through some of the dough.   *Note: You can probably use about 2 cups of regular flour for the gf flours.