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Tamales

AlmondAlmond 1,427 Posts
edited November 2010 in Strut Central


Tamales have been my favorite food of late.

The "Tamale Man" shows up to my workplace in an old Mercedes Benz with a trunk full of steaming homemade tamales and burritos. As a vegetarian, I can only buy the cheese tamales, and damn, are they good. The other intern and I wait all week for the security guard to send out an email saying "The Tamale Man is here!" We are crushed when he doesn't visit for a couple weeks at a time.




The poutine thread inspired this. Somehow.

  Comments

  • CBearCBear 902 Posts
    The first thing I typed into the map on my iPhone was "tamales." I promptly went to try all of them. If anyone cares, Tamales Chiampaneco in San Diego was my favorite. They do a mole wrapped in banana leaf.
  • DORDOR Two Ron Toe 9,899 Posts
    No really decent places in my city for Tamales :(

    Sad really. I made up for it yesterday getting awesome empanadas!

  • street_muzikstreet_muzik 3,919 Posts
    They are best from an old lady carrying a bucket full.

    For some reason, dude with a old Mercedes seems legit.
  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    I got burned out on the semi-authentic cheese/jalape??o ones that Costco carries.
  • WoimsahWoimsah 1,734 Posts
    http://www.cornmaidenfoods.com/

    LA heads NEED to know the deal, if they don't already.

    Actually -- ALL should know the deal -- as you can get these shipped to your crib.

    NO JOKE -- the straight corn ones taste like candy. I've been known to even sprinkle a little sugar on em.

    Don't let the design of the website fool you -- these have been a Farmers Market staple (the original Hollywood Sunday Farmer's Market on Hollywood Blvd) since the 90s -- they're legit.
  • street_muzikstreet_muzik 3,919 Posts
    Woimsah said:
    http://www.cornmaidenfoods.com/

    LA heads NEED to know the deal, if they don't already.

    Actually -- ALL should know the deal -- as you can get these shipped to your crib.

    NO JOKE -- the straight corn ones taste like candy. I've been known to even sprinkle a little sugar on em.

    Don't let the design of the website fool you -- these have been a Farmers Market staple (the original Hollywood Sunday Farmer's Market on Hollywood Blvd) since the 90s -- they're legit.

    No old Mercedes, no old lady with a bucket, I ain't tryin'. Tamales are best made in the home and flipped on the street.
  • buttonbutton 1,475 Posts
    There's a killer spot a few minutes from my house that specializes in vegan and vegetarian tamales. I need to remember tidbits like this when I'm feeling depressed about life.
  • AlmondAlmond 1,427 Posts
    button said:
    There's a killer spot a few minutes from my house that specializes in vegan and vegetarian tamales. I need to remember tidbits like this when I'm feeling depressed about life.

    The Tamale Man has become our Tambourine Man. He certainly lifts spirits.
  • PrimeCutsLtdPrimeCutsLtd jersey fresh 2,632 Posts
    Almond said:


    The "Tamale Man" shows up to my workplace in an old Mercedes Benz with a trunk full of steaming homemade tamales and burritos. As a vegetarian, I can only buy the cheese tamales, and damn, are they good.

    I don't want to bust your veggie bubble but there is a good chance those cheese tamales are made with pork lard.
  • coffinjoecoffinjoe 1,743 Posts


    i love me some de elote, one of the biggest things i miss about dc/nova
    no decent tamale in hicksburg

    i also like the chicken ones with potato & olives & such mixed in


    so different from the mexican styles

    i also miss the tamales flat cousin
  • The_Hook_UpThe_Hook_Up 8,182 Posts
    One thing I miss about Texas during this time of year is the little ladies and their baskets of tamales that come into the bars around closing time and slang 'em. Sooooooooo good.
  • GrandfatherGrandfather 2,303 Posts
    My mom goes NUTS with the tamales this time of year. Christmas and New Years are going to be insane.
  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    PrimeCutsLtd said:
    Almond said:


    The "Tamale Man" shows up to my workplace in an old Mercedes Benz with a trunk full of steaming homemade tamales and burritos. As a vegetarian, I can only buy the cheese tamales, and damn, are they good.

    I don't want to bust your veggie bubble but there is a good chance those cheese tamales are made with pork lard.


    STICKS FINGERS IN EARS. Don't talk about that shit with veggies around. Either you will ruin their dining experience or they will ruin yours.

    NYC needs more tamales. One lady with an icebox is not enough for my neighborhood.
  • white_teawhite_tea 3,262 Posts
    The_Hook_Up said:
    One thing I miss about Texas during this time of year is the little ladies and their baskets of tamales that come into the bars around closing time and slang 'em. Sooooooooo good.

    Got a few of those folks in Chicago, too--some of that same crew (I think) also slangs magic brownies.
  • AlmondAlmond 1,427 Posts
    PrimeCutsLtd said:
    Almond said:


    The "Tamale Man" shows up to my workplace in an old Mercedes Benz with a trunk full of steaming homemade tamales and burritos. As a vegetarian, I can only buy the cheese tamales, and damn, are they good.

    I don't want to bust your veggie bubble but there is a good chance those cheese tamales are made with pork lard.

    I'm not that strict of a vegetarian.
  • LaserWolfLaserWolf Portland Oregon 11,517 Posts
    My first tamales were from places that just made small extra greasy pork tamales and that was it.
    You would by a half dozen for $3.00 and eat them all. These were Louisiana style, not Mexican.

    In most restaurants, if you made the mistake of ordering tamales, you wound get this horrible California thing smothered in cheese sauce with lots of sour cream on top.

    When tamales were almost impossible to get here we started making them on New Years.
    A whole day project, but worth the effort.

    These days everyone has a tamale lady.
    I feel that pork is still the traditional way, but the best my lady makes are the veggies, which are carrots, and other stuff, maybe cabbage, onions, peppers, not really sure what all she puts in, but they are great, and somehow the carrots are much better than you would think.

    In San Francisco, we had tamales from the truck at the farmers market near city hall.
    Lots of flavors, very good.

    I heartily endorse this product or event.
  • discos_almadiscos_alma discos_alma 2,164 Posts
    Best tamales are in Oaxaca, southern Mexico:



    Tamales Oaxaquenos FTW!

    Mole pork / chicken in spicy masa, wrapped in a banana leaf and steamed.
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