Maseca

Growing up, this was always scoffed at in my house. It was used for champurrado or for cookies. But never for sopes or tamales.

I vividly remember mom (my grandma) or my aunts grinding the nixtamal in the backyard. The process didn't really interest me, but I understood it. Mom would put some powder in a bin and throw in the water and maiz. Once it was ready, she'd cook it and peel it, then grind it.

Her tamales were THE BEST. That is a fact, not an opinion.

However, I do not own a grain mill or a metate. I am afraid I'll even have to admit, I don't even use my molcajete. I haven't even finished seasoning it. But not to worry, I've long ago turned in my Mexican card!

Well, I'm excited to say that I now own the recipe for gorditas. Not the ones you're probably envisioning. I mean the cookies. I'll have to buy a bag of maseca to try to make my own. All I can think about since mom died is how she would sit at the dining room table to give her legs a break and eat some gorditas with coffee.

I never really enjoyed them all too much because they were so big and since her passing in 2022, it's all I want. Living away from family has made that impossible. But I'll make it happen! For my mom, I'll make some and enjoy with coffee. Just like her.