Our oil replaced the traditional lard used in such recipes, appropriately enough, since for Jewish ritual purposes Joseph and Mary would never have prepared or eaten pork of any kind. Once the broth was ready and cooled, we prepared the corn dough, first adding baking powder and salt to the corn meal (masa) and then progressively beating and beating and beating broth and oil into the mixture until the dough was just firm enough to hold its shape. We also prepared a multi-ingredient mole sauce and a green sauce made from tomatillos, onions, cilantro and other greens. While the broth was simmering, we soaked the corn husks and banana leaves, adding a few drops of disinfectant, drained and dried them. We began by preparing a rich chicken broth, saving the chicken for a filling. We don’t have an Aztec recipe for tamales, but a dear friend, who had found a baby Jesus in her rosca at five different parties one year, involved me in making tamales for the better part of the day before Candlemas in that year. Tamales appear to have been part and parcel of Aztec cuisine long before the first Christian set foot on the North American continent. And corn, representing life, was always a part of the celebration of the first day of the Aztec year, which coincidentally occurs on February 2. However, the one ingredient essential in tamales is corn. One might think that the tamales, wrapped in either corn husks or banana leaves, represent the swaddled infant. Why tamales on Candlemas? The day celebrates the first presentation of Jesus at the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem after his mother Mary (or Miriam in Hebrew) observed the prescribed Jewish rite of purification for mothers who have given birth to a son. People who find a tiny figurine of the baby Jesus in their slice of cake are then traditionally obligated to provide tamales on Candlemas, February 2, to all who shared the same rosca. On January 6, the celebration of the visit of three kings bearing gifts for the baby in Bethlehem, a cake called rosca de reyes is traditionally served. Tamales, in addition to being among the most delicious Mexican treats, are a bridge between two holidays and two cultures.

Tamales dia de la candelaria