Mini-quesadilla on a Talavera de la Reyna plate
Who would have thought that making fresh corn tortillas would be so easy? I have watched for years as Magda takes her organic corn kernels to the local molina (corn grinder) in Teotitlan del Valle, then adds lime and salt, mixes the dough, tenderly pats out the little corn circles by hand, and tends them with her thumb and forefinger at the hot comal in the garden kitchen. I make a mental note: Too much trouble. Easier to buy them. But it doesn’t have to be like that!
I discovered the simplicity of homemade tortillas during the cooking class I recently took with Pilar Cabrera Arroya, chef of La Olla Restaurant in Oaxaca. She bought the masa (corn dough) already prepared fresh that morning at her local market. Back at class, we used the tortilla press to make 6″ tortillas that we used for mini-quesadillas — a perfect botana (appetizer).
Testing the masa (dough) for pliability
So, back home in North Carolina I bought a similar tortilla press at my local Mexican tienda, stopped at my local organic market and purchased a bag of Bob’s Red Mill Masa Harina (not organic), followed the recipe on the bag and went to work. (Readers recommend using Gold Mine organic masa harina.) Of course, the comal (griddle) you see below is a thin steel one that I picked up from the Tlacolula market, hauled home and then seasoned. You might be able to find a comal like this at your local Mexican store, too. Thinner is better for making tortillas and roasting peppers, garlic, onions, tomatoes, etc. Season it first before using!
I use Bob's Red Mill Masa Harina (organic)
Steps for excellent, fresh and easy tortillas:
1. Mix the dough according to package instructions. Let it rest for an hour in a covered bowl. Test the dough with your thumb to be sure it is soft and no cracks appear on the surface. If needed, flick water on it, then knead to absorb moisture. Your thumb should make a nice, soft impression!
2. Take a small thin plastic bag that you have used to package your vegetables from the supermarket. Be sure it is clean has has no veggie residue on it. Cut it in half and trip off any excess. Lay one half on the bottom of the tortilla press.
Dough ball is centered on plastic
3. Heat your comal on a medium-high burner. Do not add oil. The comal should be dry.
4. Form a 1-1/2″ to 2″ ball of masa with your palms. Center it on top of the plastic. Lay the second sheet of plastic on top of the ball. Press. Flip the plastic covered dough to the other side and press again. Flip and press again (3x).
5. Lift the plastic encased dough off the press. Gently remove one side of the plastic. Careful, don’t tear the edges of the tortilla! Then, remove the second sheet. Place on the hot comal.
Gently peel the plastic from the tortilla
6. Good things come in 3’s! Pilar says to cook the tortilla on one side for about 30-45 seconds, turn it, cook again, and then turn it and cook one more time. I like a little color on my tortilla, so you can watch to see how well you like it done. There should be little bubbles on the surface of the first side, then the second side should be smooth and a little puffy.
Cook tortilla until it begins to puff, turning 3x
Lay tortilla onto hot comal (no oil)
7. Make a little quesadilla: use Oaxaca string cheese (quesilla) or a slice of Swiss or Monterrey Jack cheese. Put the tortilla back on the hot comal. Add the cheese, a tablespoon of green salsa verde, chopped onion or scallion, a sprig of cilantro, and Buen Provecho!
Quesadillas with fresh corn tortillas hot off the comal
And the taste is so much better than what you could buy in the store. Plus, this would be a great party activity — make your own tortillas!
P.S. Come to Oaxaca with us for the 2011 Day of the Dead Documentary Photography Expedition led by Bill Bamberger. Register today!
Macuilxochitl, Tlayuda Capital of the Tlacolula Valley, Oaxaca
Church at Macuilxochitl
What makes Macuilxochitl unique is more than its gorgeous three-domed church that stands proudly in the center of the zocalo, waiting for continuing restoration. This is a village noted for its tlayudas. These are the extra-large sometimes marigold-colored tortillas that are made in the traditional way using masa pressed by hand and then toasted on the comal until the dinner-plate sized discs are puffy and toasty brown on both sides.
My story today is about tlayudas and the hands of women who make them. We enter into the smokey, cavernous space called kitchen, obscure and mysterious. This is a large adobe brick structure that holds the cooking stove, comal, and a flock of chickens that nest under the wood-fired stove.
This is not easy work. First, you must prepare the large rock-sized balls of masa, ensuring that they don’t dry out and are the right consistency for kneading. Then, you take a fist size piece and form it into a ball, flatten it and bring it to the tortilla press, where between two sheets of plastic wrap, you press and press and press again using all your upper body strength to make this staple as flat and transparent as possible.
With nimble fingers you spin it like a pizza dough to stretch it out even more, then lay it gently on the very hot, lime-coated comal (griddle), taking care not to burn fingers. With thumb and forefinger, the tlayuda gets turned every 30 seconds or so to be sure that it cooks evenly and doesn’t burn. It needs to be toasty and not soft. There are so many ways to make masa into tortilla variations.
Today, this masa is more white. Sometimes, it is yellow or has a red or blue tinge, depending upon the type of organic, locally grown corn used. Perhaps it is a blend of white and blue or white and red, which gives it a more subtle shade.
Jane tries her hand at the press
The tlayudas go into a tall, multi-colored basket, stacked and covered with cloth, ready to take to market. We try our hand at the labor-intensive task. After two or three tries, we are tired. This is work and we sit to rest. Our hosts keep at it. This is their livelihood.
Macuil, as the locals call it, is also a Zapotec village of skilled stonemasons, called albañiles, who work in construction, building traditional adobe houses and more contemporary ones made with brick or concrete block. As an agricultural village, it is also noted for raising sheep (borregos) and growing tending the milpas (small plots of corn, squash and beans). Within walking distance from Teotitlan del Valle, Macuilxochitl is also accessible from Pan American Highway 190 via a moto-taxi tuk-tuk or collectivo.
Tlayuda Recipe: One large flat, crunchy tortilla toasted and dry, about 12″ in diameter. Smear with black bean paste. Drizzle with green or red salsa according to taste. Add shredded string cheese or Oaxaqueño string cheese, shredded chicken, diced tomatoes, Julienne red peppers and onions that have been sautéed until soft, top with thin slices of avocado. Mexican version of pizza. Cut into triangles and serve. Great entrée with salad or as an appetizer.
Portrait Photography Workshop: Capture Your Experience, April 2-9, 2012, Teotitlan del Valle, Oaxaca, Mexico
Like this:
Comments Off on Macuilxochitl, Tlayuda Capital of the Tlacolula Valley, Oaxaca
Posted in Cultural Commentary, Food & Recipes, Photography, Travel & Tourism, Workshops and Retreats
Tagged blogsherpa, eating, food, Macuilxochitl, Mexican pizza, Mexico, Oaxaca, photography, recipe, tlayuda, Tortilla, workshop