Tamale time

This charming promotional piece was found on the Bolner's Fiesta rack at the Pleasant Valley Albertsons yesterday. The paper is probably recycled. I'd change the "tamale recipe" typeface on the cover and kern the letters, but that's all. Inside this beautiful little trifold are a good recipe (specifying, properly, lard, although promoting garlic powder in addition to the proper chopped and mashed fresh garlic) and instructions for assembly, which is the really hard part. This recipe specifies ground pork and ground beef; my preference is shredded pork. I like it that it says, "It is best to have four or five people helping you." At least! It also says to take an unbroken hoja. These are tough to find and even tougher is to sort of overlap two of them and hold them together in one palm while filling them with the other hand. Travis Heights Elementary is conducting its annual tamalada this week and seeks volunteers this Wednesday and Thursday from 4 to 7 pm in the school cafeteria, which is a good way to learn. I've always loved it that Bolner's Fiesta sells both "chili petines" (round) and "chili pequins" (oval).