When he came home after the war they asked him how the other soldiers liked the Tamales. "Those damn Yankees hated them. They don't know good food!"
I am sorry, I never understood the allure of tamales, especially the weird sweet ones with raisins.
We used to have many tamale ladies and I would buy their wares because I get the work that goes into it and want to support them for keeping tradition alive, but Lord, tamales aint my thing.
When I was a kid visiting my aunt in Poughkeepsie New York in 1962 at Christmas,we would make tamales by the hundreds and freeze them. Take them out and heat them up. Great memories.
One day a yankee from Mi was in the VFW in Tx when the tamale girls came in.
Eager to fit in, he ordered some.
He bitched like hell that he found a human tooth in one.
I said that’s a pigs tooth dude, you are really ignorant about tamales..
Here in Little Tijuana(Pacoima), there is a sidewalk cafe complete with tables and chairs every few hundred yards, tamales everywhere.
That was a great short story. I had no idea that tamales were all the rage in the 1890s through the beginning of the 1900s.
The History Guy should trash that stupid bowtie. They make men look effeminate.
My yardstick is “which one contains the most MEAT?”
This is the Mexican
Don José Calderón
One of God’s countrymen.
Land of the buzzard,
Cheap silver dollar, and
Cacti and murderers.
Why has he left his land
Land of the lazy man,
Land of the pulque
Land of the bull fight,
Fleas and revolution.
This is the reason,
Hark to the wherefore;
Listen and tremble.
One of his ancestors,
Ancient and garlicky,
Probably grandfather,
Died with his boots on.
Killed by the Texans,
Texans with big guns
At San Jacinto.
Died without benefit
Of priest or clergy;
Died full of Minié balls,
Mescal and pepper.
Don José Calderón
Heard of the tragedy.
Heard of it, thought of it,
Vowed a deep vengeance;
Vowed retribution
On the Americans,
Murderous gringos,
Especially Texans.
“Válgame Dios! qué
Ladrones, diablos,
Matadores, mentidores,
Carracos y perros,
Voy a matarles,
Con sólo mis manos,
Toditas sin falta.”
Thus swore the Hidalgo
Don José Calderón.
He hied him to Austin.
Bought him a basket,
A barrel of pepper,
And another of garlic,
Also a rope he bought.
That was his stock in trade;
Nothing else had he.
Nor was he rated in
Dun or in Bradstreet,
Though he meant business,
Don José Calderón,
Champion of Mexico,
Don José Calderón
Seeker of vengeance.
With his stout lariat,
Then he caught swiftly
Tomcats and puppy dogs,
Caught them and cooked them,
Don José Calderón,
Vower of vengeance.
Now on the sidewalk
Sits the avenger
Selling Tamales to
Innocent purchasers.
Dire is thy vengeance,
Oh, José Calderón,
Pitiless Nemesis
Fearful Redresser
Of the wrongs done to thy
Sainted grandfather.
Now the doomed Texans,
Rashly hilarious,
Buy of the deadly wares,
Buy and devour.
Rounders at midnight,
Citizens solid,
Bankers and newsboys,
Bootblacks and preachers,
Rashly importunate,
Courting destruction,
Buy and devour.
Beautiful maidens
Buy and devour,
Gentle society youths
Buy and devour.
Buy and devour
This thing called Tamale;
Made of rat terrier,
Spitz dog and poodle,
Maltese cat, boarding house
Steak and red pepper,
Garlic and tallow,
Corn meal and shucks.
Buy without shame
Sit on store steps and eat,
Stand on the street and eat,
Ride on the cars and eat,
Strewing the shucks around
Over creation.
Dire is thy vengeance,
Don José Calderón,
For the slight thing we did
Killing thy grandfather.
What boots it if we killed
Only one greaser,
Don José Calderón?
This is your deep revenge,
You have greased all of us,
Greased a whole nation
With your Tamales,
Don José Calderón,
Santos Esperitos,
Vicente Camillo,
Quitana de Ríos,
De Rosa y Ribera.
—O. Henry
Growing up in inner city St. Louis in the 40s, it was common to see and hear tamale vendors on the corners. Usually in front of a tavern.
My hometown, San Antonio, is of course famous for our tamales. But back in the 1800s San Antonio was Notorious for its chili parlors. Chili queens were everywhere.
The best tasting tamales are the ones that are made with real lard.
A sack of tamales and a good chili sauce make for a yummy and easy weeknight dinner.
A fond, way back when memory; in the run-up to Christmas my wife and her sisters would spend an evening preparing “Hallacas” – Venezuelan style tamales. Bonding at it’s finest. A night’s work of a one-hundred or more hallacas wasn’t unusual.
Originally prepared by the “help” with leftovers from the Dona’s kitchen, hallacas are basically holiday tamales made from a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, bell peppers, chopped Italian-style Giardiniera pickle mixture, red or yellow onions, tomato, sliced eggs, plenty of sliced olives - green & purple and seasoned to suit. And yes, include a handful or so of RAISINS! Wrap prepared hallecas in plantain leaf then seal in aluminum foil. Boil in a deep crab-pot like pot for 45-60 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.
Big difference in hallacas and other tamales is the former are wrapped in banana leaves while corn husks are used preparing Mexican-style tamales.
Served with “salsa de criola” – a relish type condiment made from sliced red onions, cilantro, vinegar and chopped tomatoes - hallacas are a quick and fulfilling meal especially when company stops by. Now easily frozen, we’ve had hallacas well into the summer.
Bonus Round!; a complimentary dish served nearby to hallacas is “Pan de Jamón”. Basically bread dough rolled out then topped with boiled ham slices spread with a relish of chopped green olives and raisins. Roll-up like a jelly roll and bake. I’m a poor bread baker, if not a lazy one, so bagged pizza dough from the deli works well.
Happy Motoring and Buen Provecho