I looked through a few recipes for corn tortillas (which are hard to make) and this review on epicurious cracked me up. I thought it was fake, but now I think it's real.
Well, I learned my lesson. Decided to drive to
our favorite summer retreat a day early and leave the plane for
transporting guests on Saturday for a southwestern feast. I made my
tortillas on Friday night. First using plastic it was a disaster.
Everything stuck, nothing rounded out, all of the problems listed. Then
I tried waxed paper as suggested. I was proud. Saturday however
brought high, extremely gusty winds, severe turbulence as well as a
wildfire that closed the main route in to Panguitch and spread smoke
over several hundred square miles. Our friend Wes, an excellent pilot
to my passable abilities, used his excellent judgement to determine that
attempting to fly in the unpredictable conditions as well as
occasionally blinding smoke was not the call to make. Realizing that
the weekend was not to be I puttered around the old house and fixed a
simple supper. On Sunday morning, somewhat disappointed I headed home
by car. Determined to make this a culinary success I stopped at a small
farm owned by the Quintana family on the way to my detour around the
fire. We have befriended them and often buy vegetables that they have
in their garden that we don't have in ours. I asked Nana Maria to taste
my tortillas. I asked if they tasted OK. Her response? "For you,
good. For (13-year-old granddaughter) Little Maria? She need to pay
attention and do better." Next time I will save my time and make the
fifteen minute drive north to buy a dozen of Little Maria's fresh corn
tortillas. Sorry, had to tell the story. Bottom line, authentic? At
least for Nana Quintana no. For the rest of us? I thought they were
pretty darn good.
on
06/24/12
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/reviews/Corn-Tortillas-108029#ixzz2GwCwPrSC
4 comments:
for any George Saunders fans out there, this essay gave me chills! I can't wait to read his new book
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/magazine/george-saunders-just-wrote-the-best-book-youll-read-this-year.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0&ref=magazine
A Cook from Panguitch writes like my grandpa. He was a technical writer for a telephone company, and his writing style extended to his style of speaking. For instance, while talking on the phone, rather than say "just a minute" or "hold on", he would say "stand by" with a sorta stern detachment. Even when talking to close family members, and even little kids!
I'm convinced that this Nana Quintana knows her stuff because A Cook made a point of quoting her broken Inglés.
This is the kind of recipe review that I find acceptable.
NL
I found it rather well written, from the heart. I took the author's disappointment that his family couldn't join and admire the attempt to make what Nana Maria has been perfecting for years.
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