Instructions: Tamales, tamales, tamales. My girlfriend and I make tamales, have a batch to make right now. John, to get the filling in the husks (am supposing you are using corn husks soaked in water), just take a spoonful of filling mixture and spread about 1/4 inch thick on the husk. Then just sprinkle the filling on. Then you roll them. We steam with water in the juices from the meat we boiled to make the filling. You pour the meat juice into the open ends of the tamales after placing them open-end up in a steamer (dont panic, wadded up alumunum foil makes a great steamer). The trick is to get them to stand up and to provide them some protection from the water. (I could never drop them in a pot of boiling water, they would come apart if they are fresh) Cover, and steam for about 20 minutes. Let them cool, wrap in freezer paper, six to a package. Freeze what you dont eat immediately.

To re-heat, throw them in the microwave for five minutes. I promise to give you our full recipe but Ill have to get it from my friend. It starts like this: early in the morning mix orange juice and Asti Spumante. Drink. You are about to have to taste the Massa (yecky old cornmeal and lard) to see if you have enough chili powder, cumin, salt and meat juice in the Massa.

One must have at least two

Mimosas before starting. Anyway, I remember the procedure but the Mimosas cloud the exact amounts of ingrediants. Promise the full one later.

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