After years of searching from Alaska to Louisiana, to Cleveland and Atlanta, north and south of the border (actually only in Tijuana), I had diminished hopes of ever tasting a tamale as good as the ones my Grandmother Perez made. I never expected to find any better. Last night, the quest ended.
I had been to Habaneros before, but never had the tamales. At the dinky little hole in the wall food place (I can’t bring myself to call it a restaurant), I stumbled on the Wednesday special. Two tamales, rice and beans for $6.99. Okay, that isn’t a great deal by Mainland standards. But the tamales were to die for. I confess they were better than grandma’s (pronounce that with a soft a, like muff.) The salsa is the hottest I have every tasted outside of Dave’s stuff and kimshi.
And you thought I came to Hawaii to look for a condo.
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- Valerie Perez
- Born and raised near Saratoga Springs, New York, Valerie Perez first joined the US Army and spent three years in Alaska as a photo lab technician. She earned her undergraduate degree in business from Georgia State University in Atlanta and an MBA from the University of Michigan and was a managing partner with Design Management Alliance until she got a bug up her butt and decided to be a writer. Good luck with that!! Shortly before her fiftieth birthday, she joined the Peace Corps fulfilling a lifelong dream. She was sent to the Federated States of Micronesia where she worked with disadvantaged youth. The author has traveled and hiked through South America, Nepal and Thailand and now lives in Hawaii.
2 comments:
Glad you found the best tamale ever! The first tamale I ever had was your grandma's...she was up for a few weeks during someone's birthday...and she made tamales and we were all invited over to eat them. Very foreign to our young palates. But you need to go eat in NM sometime. My last trip there a few weeks ago included eating chile at every meal....and I was fortunate to come home with some frozen tamales homemade by my friend Marie Rodriguez...her tamales are among the best! Plain and pure...simple...great! I have some in the freezer for the traditional New Year's feast. My husband isn't overly fond of tamales...so they are all for me! That and a pot of posole and I am good for 2008. Great photos of Hawaii....
I remember that day very well. My grandmother came to make tamales for my birthday. What a treat!
Enjoy your special treat on New Year's eve. Cool tradition.
Jennifer picked up a few family recipes at Tahnksgiving. They have never been written down and my aunt is that last with direct the knowledge of my grandmother's cooking.
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