Corn Tortillas - The Macgyver Method

So in this entry I present to those of you who want to make corn tortillas without a tortilla press ("tortilladora") my "Macgyver Method". I eventually came across a tortilladora at the Scoop-and-Save in Fredericton. They come in two sizes and cost between 15-35 dollars and they are made of metal. Still, a tortilladora is not necessary to make good corn tortillas so if you want to save your cash or can't find one, this method is for you. Here is what you'll need:



* Note: I used plastic wrap but waxed paper works well too.
Step 1: Mix the Maseca with water to form dough. The amount you use is up to you but on the back of the package it gives you the directions as to how to use for a serving of 16-18 tortillas, 2 cups of Maseca with 1.5 cups of water. The recipe also calls for a quarter teaspoon of salt. Mix and knead the dough until it is moist, if it is too dry you can add a little bit more water. After I do this, I separate the dough into 16 equal balls of dough and cover them so they do not dry out. Maseca can be purchased at both Wal-mart and the Scoop-and-Save.

Step 2: I wrapped my cutting board with plastic wrap and then take another sheet of plastic wrap and set it aside. I take my first ball of dough and place it on top of the plastic wrap in the center.



Then I cover the ball with like other piece of plastic wrap like this:



Step 3: Now take your rolling pin and flatten the ball of dough into a thin disc. This can be quite difficult as it can be hard to keep the thickness and shape of the tortilla even so often times they fall apart. This takes a lot of practice.



This can be tricky so often times I would opt to use a plate or anything flat and heavy to act as a makeshift press. Place the plate on top of the ball and with your hand in the center, press down to flatten the ball evenly.



Step 4: Cooking the tortillas takes the least amount of time and is super easy. I used a regular non-stick frying pan but any frying pan or griddle should work fine. They only take a about a minute to cook on each side using medium heat and should look lightly toasted. Be careful peeling your dough tortillas off of the plastic wrap though because they are quite delicate. I sometimes use a spatula to help me pry the tortilla from the plastic.



Enjoy!

Corn Tortillas - Parte Dos

My last entry concerned the history and ancient procedures for making corn tortillas. Now what you must be thinking is, "Wow, gee, that's fantastic but I don't have time to spend my entire day grinding corn into masa or mas harina (corn flour). Is there a less time consuming method? Where do I buy these supplies? ETC." Well, I asked myself those same questions and there are several options to consider.

Option A: You can now buy corn tortillas in local grocery stores as well as Mexican grocers, if you are lucky enough to live in a town with one. Since I live in Fredericton, I will let all you Fredericton people in on where to purchase corn tortillas: Sobeys, The Atlantic Superstore (Dominion and Loblaws to those in Newfoundland and Ontario) and most likely at the Scoop-and-Save on Prospect Street. Easy, right? Well the downside is that, in my humble opinion, these premade tortillas are never quite as good as fresh, homemade ones and they expire and dry out very quickly. They are also more costly than your typical flour tortillas.

Option B: Making your own Corn Tortillas! This is not the daunting task that it seems and there are several methods. The most common way is to use pre-ground, lime fortified corn flour (masa harina) which is then mixed with water to created dough. Regular corn flour, NOT corn meal, can be found at the Atlantic Superstore and many other whole foods stores. Now, for a more authentic tortilla, you can purchase a popular Mexican brand of masa harina called "Maseca" at the Scoop-and-Save and now at Wal-mart.



Super easy, right? Well, it can be a bit more difficult from here on. The tricky part is forming the tortillas. Typically, a person would also purchase a tortilla press to make round tortillas of even thickness, as is demonstrated in this recipe. I hit a snag here as I had quite the difficult time trying to find a tortilla press and after MUCH searching, I turned up empty handed. Don't fret, if you really feel that you need a tortilla press and you can't find one, you can order one online from many websites. However, plastic wrap or wax paper, a spatula, a rolling pin and/or a plate work just as well.

Corn Tortillas - A Historical Overview

Throughout my research, one important aspect of traditional Mexican culture that has become quite evident to me is the importance of corn or maíz in the national diet. In ancient cultures, corn was highly revered and was an important part of religion and daily life. Before European settlers arrived in Latin America, the indigenous peoples in Mexico formed their entire diet around corn as their staple food. The Spanish introduced wheat later on and although many people tried to convince he general population that wheat was superior to corn, these pleas fell on deaf ears. One major reason being that corn thrived in Mexico while wheat struggled and as for a second reason, the people didn't want to sacrifice corn for wheat. Even despite rumors that wheat promoted a healthier diet which we know now that this is untrue.

To make corn tortillas the "old-school way"; a woman would remove the kernels of corn from the husks and then boil them in hot water containing lime mineral. This would soften the corn to make it easier to grind; however, there are added health benefits to this method as lime mineral added much needed calcium to the tortillas. After the corn is softened, it would be ground into dough on a "metate" or a three-legged grinding stone. This would literally take hours upon hours.



Eventually, enough dough or "masa" would be made to make enough tortillas for the day. The women would then shape the dough into even thin discs and place them on a "comal" or griddle to cook. Tortillas were designed to economical in every way, they negate the need for plates and utensils and require little fire wood to cook, a rare commodity at the time.

¡Que vivan los tamales!

What a great read! This book was a great contributor to my research and helped me shape the direction of my project. Pilcher's voice is one of experience and great personal exploration in the field of Mexican food and identity in culture. He writes of his travels and of his own experiences and memories of Mexico as well as those of other people. It is the memories and personal experiences tied in with history and other research that makes his book a unique and interesting read.

This book really changed the outlook of my project so I decided to post about it here for the benefit of Mexican food enthusiasts everywhere. The book begins with a great introduction and later delves into the ancient history of Mexican food and indignous life, life after European settlers arrived, the discourse over corn vs. wheat, the role of women in developing a national identity, modern Mexican food and more.

As for where to find it, it can be ordered online through Amazon and Chapters. For those who attend UNB or STU, there is a copy at the Harriet Irving Library and for those people outside of Fredericton, you can always try your local library. If you still can't find it or maybe you just want a taste, the introduction and first two chapters are available for preview through Google books:

¡Que vivan los tamales!: Food and the Making of Mexican Identity by Jeffrey M. Pilcher

Memories of Mexico!

Here is one story sent to me by one of my professors at UNB, Ellen Rose:

I love Mexican food in general--the refried
beans, the rice, the enchiladas, and those
hard-to-find tamales. But my favourite part of
the Mexican meal is the plain, simple tortilla.
When I was very little--we're talking 4 - 5, my
mother and father and I lived in a rather seedy
section of downtown San Francisco. Once a week,
we all went to the grocery store, and as part of
this weekly expedition, we went out to dinner to
a nearby Mexican restaurant which, if I saw it
today, I would also probably call seedy. But the
food, at least in my memory, was wonderful, and
has become the touchstone for all Mexican food
that I eat now. This was also one of the few
times in the week that we ate together as a
family, sitting around a table, so it was a
special moment. At the beginning of the meal,
before the rest of the food was brought out, the
Mexican waiter would bring us a basket of warm
corn tortillas and butter. My mother would put a
little butter on my tortilla and roll it up--and
man, that tasted good. And ever since then, I've
been a sucker for Mexican food and, in
particular, the plain old corn tortilla.

Great stuff, I really enjoy these personal stories that people send me. The correlation between food and memory is strong and in my research I have found that people often describe Mexican food using personal experiences. Thanks, Ellen!

Mission Statement (Take 2)

I created this blog, "La Mexicocina" to supplement my research for a project I am doing for my Multimedia Studies program in Fredericton, NB. My project concerns Mexican food, identity and memory. I hope that through this blog I can interact with people and share their stories and memories about Mexican food and what it means to them.

I am interested in your stories and anecdotes about Mexico and how food plays an integral role in the life there. What is your favourite meal? Why is it your favourite meal? Do you have any memories about preparing, eating, serving, etc. this meal that you would like to share? These are only a few questions you can ask yourself. If you are from Mexico or have visited Mexico and you would like to share your stories, feel free to leave a comment!

I also have an e-mail address if you want to send me a story: n2wdc@unb.ca