This is a very simple recipe for masa, to make tamales.  Feel free to use this recipe as it is and fill your tamales with something as simple as cheese and a spoonful of salsa.  Or get creative and come up with something more daring like the chocolate tamales.  (When I make chocolate tamales I add chocolate ganache, coco powder and brown sugar to this basic masa recipe.)

For a slightly sweet masa, add a little bit of sugar.  If you add corn kernels to your slightly sweet masa it makes a great tamale also.  You can fill this masa, or when your tamales are ready to be served you can serve it with something like a tomatillo sauce (pg. 148 Isabel’s Cantina) spooned over the tamales.

BASIC TAMALE MASA
1 ½-cups masa harina
1/2-cup vegetable shortening (or other fat such as olive oil, corn oil, butter etc.).
1-teaspoon baking powder
1/2-teaspoon kosher salt
Approx. 2 cups water

Place masa harina, shortening, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand up mixer. With paddle going slowly, drizzle water while mixer is going.  Mix until combined.  Masa should have a very soft “play-doh” type consistency.  More or less water can be added to achieve desired masa consistency.

Coming Soon:  Step by step tamale filling photos.

For Love and Food,

Isabel Cruz

(Written by Neens: Customer/Blogger/Photographer)  There’s really not much to say about the event tonight, simply because it was AMAZING! Isabel and Warwick’s teamed up to host a cooking class and book signing at Cantina. The event sold out (and even overflowed for a second event June 1st), so I knew it was going to be a good one. As soon as the 50 or so eager culinary students signed in, the fun began! I’ll let the photos tell the story, but just to be informative for those that missed out, here’s a short summary of what took place….

You get to learn how to make a variety of tamales including CHOCOLATE tamales, as well as sopes (super tasty!), a refreshing citrus-ey beverage in time for summer, and balsamic dressing. Isabel and her crew don’t just teach you, but you get to go back in the kitchen and try it out for yourself! To top it all off, you also get to eat everything you just learned how to make. Need I say more?

The experience to me felt like Isabel invited 50 of her friends and family over to her house to learn how to make good food. That’s how the vibe was…more like family. It was amazing. So if you’re interested in signing up, don’t hesitate to call Warwick’s La Jolla (858) 454-0347.

Now if you want to see all of the beautiful people that attended the event and the mess they made in Isabel’s kitchen, click here.

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