Sundays, Lazy Sundays

I expect to be very busy very soon, so it was a real treat to just sit at home all day and worry about nothing beyond whether my tamales would turn out well. We slept in, and then I set to work in the kitchen while J worked from home in the living room.

The corn husks were soaked in hot water for two hours, and then drained but kept damp. The beef was chopped well and mixed with a little broth. The maseca ratio is surprisingly simple: two pounds of maseca corn flour, two quarts of broth from cooking the meat, two cups of corn oil (or lard), and two heaping tablespoons of salt. It took me about an hour, working slowly and taking breaks, to make a mountain of tamales. I didn't count, but there were probably thirty or more medium sized tamales.

We rewarded ourselves with or respective mornings of hard work with two tacos, a beer, and an afternoon movie. The Music Within, for those who haven't seen it, is a great movie. It has a serious message but is actually a lighthearted, fast-paced, at times sharp-witted movie that can be enjoyed by everyone, not just people who like "serious films." And, since I've been on a reading rampage this week, a naughty food poem for y'all. Bonus points for naming the author.

Forbidden Fruit a flavor has
That lawful Orchards mocks--
How luscious lies within the Pod
The Pea that Duty locks--