What do you get when you add a touch of capitalism,  a proper market analysis, human smarts, clandestine cooking and salsa verde... You get the best flipping tamales in New York City.

Just as we start getting into the rhythm of pumping food out of the kitchen the intercoms awaken and the store herald broadcasts Tortas, Tamales! A most welcomed announcement.

I don't know about you but I'm not that hungry when I wake up at around a quarter to five in the morning.
My breakfast cravings do not kick in until eight or nine o'clock. By then I don't have the luxury of running out to get a bite nor  can I prepare eggs on the hot real estate market; that which is called the stove top. With soups, sauces, beans, pasta and other foodstuffs cooking I cannot justify giving up a burner to prepare a meal (what a martyr). To note,  I really don't feel like having eggs or anything breakfasty like that.

With that said, so enters this story's heroine

Let us call her Señora (to maintain her secret identity). Señora is the Mexican Tortas and Tamales lady, she arrives three to four times a week to sell her delicious homemade creations.  The standard meals are tortas and tamales, hence the name.

Señora's days begin very early Monday through Friday. She is off on Saturdays and Sundays. Her kitchen becomes alive at 4 AM when she starts to steam her tamales. There is final cooking and packaging to be done. In addition to visiting my place of employ she also stops at several other locations within the West Village area.  Her day is usually done around 2 or 3PM.  After that Señora restocks at her supermarket and goes home to prepare her comfort food delights for the next days run.

Through out the week she does throw in a few specials,  sometimes you will find sopes, tacos and quesadillas.  Everything that she sells is lovingly packaged.

 

Tamales are found in many Latin American countries. The basic set up is as follows

1-Dough

2-Filling (vegetables, protein, cheese) basically anything you want it to be

3-Wrapper (plantain leaves, or corn husks)

4-Cooking method can be steamed or boiled in water

The dough or masa in Mexican Tamales is corn based.  The corn used to make masa is first treated in lime water (slaked lime) which makes the outer shell or hull fall off and leaves you with the softened kernel.  The kernel gets washed and what is left is ground and then dried.  That is your masa harina or dough flour

You cannot substitute cornmeal for masa harina as it comes from a different type of corn! 

Señoras tamales come in red or green.  The green has salsa verde and chicken, the red has beef and is spicier. 

Tortas are Mexican sandwiches that can be served hot or cold.  Señora's tortas always have the following:

Shredded lettuce, avocado, pickled jalapeño and a protein.  The protein sometimes is a braised beef or a fried chicken cutlet. I always like to add a little lime juice or hot sauce to mine.

If you are wondering if she has proper documentation to sell these things I will have to answer with I don't ask.  Then why Erio would you eat this food? Does she have the proper facilities to prepare food and then sell it?  What about food handling, sanitation and food safety?

Well let me give you this one for thought.  I was in the city waiting online to go to the taping of a show with some family members.  I was really craving a hotdog.  I walked over to the Street Meet Vendor and ordered a hotdog.  He then opened up his supposedly hot water bath where you would find said hot dogs.  Mr. vendor told me that it would take about 10 minutes for the next batch to be ready.  He then reached in with his bare and very very filthy blackened hands grabbed a bunch of unheated wieners and put them (along with his hands) into the lukewarm water bath.  Mmmm just what I want to eat.

Señora I hope to see you tomorrow.

Gracias!

-Erio 

Hello everyone, sorry for the long break. I've recently been hired at Murray's Cheese as one of the new chefs.  I've been a free agent for several years and now I am part of a large collective; A collective of serious food, drink and of course cheese intellectuals (scholars of the culinary arts and culinary pleasures, if you will).  I am on my third week at the store and have been enjoying my employ by collaborating on the new menu for the prepared foods section, recipe testing and developing new products and ideas for the store.  What really amazes me is the hard core, loyal, knows what he or she wants customer that visit Murray's.

The personalities of the employees, the products and of the store are all very unique and I am looking forward to working with everyone and to keep on learning! I am also very proud to be able to say that the products that we work with in the kitchen are of high caliber.  Our proteins come from Ottomanelli's Meat Market, and our eggs and dairy comes from Lancaster Farms in Pennsylvania.

So stop by and visit the store.  I am most certain that something or someone will pique your interest.

-Erio