[null, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uj5mzDtbfVM/TYImU3lwfPI/AAAAAAAAIxw/uMKGFBA0C5c/s800/IMG_0587.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uj5mzDtbfVM/TYImU3lwfPI/AAAAAAAAIxw/uMKGFBA0C5c/s800/IMG_0587.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HqPtWI_5DxQ/TYImUgSqq_I/AAAAAAAAIxo/azYwz5w3tBg/s800/IMG_0586.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HqPtWI_5DxQ/TYImUgSqq_I/AAAAAAAAIxo/azYwz5w3tBg/s800/IMG_0586.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fpikXNu52A8/TYIk8JBDIRI/AAAAAAAAIw4/XFe4KSFlY7w/s800/IMG_7520.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fpikXNu52A8/TYIk8JBDIRI/AAAAAAAAIw4/XFe4KSFlY7w/s800/IMG_7520.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N2gcTnKZ_d0/TYIk8S8-ZVI/AAAAAAAAIxA/P_vP-Rc_A1w/s800/IMG_7521.jpg", "src": "http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-N2gcTnKZ_d0/TYIk8S8-ZVI/AAAAAAAAIxA/P_vP-Rc_A1w/s800/IMG_7521.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5bcvxIVZtgo/TYIl_jofztI/AAAAAAAAIxI/rwabcS8ibUA/s800/IMG_7522.jpg", "src": "http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5bcvxIVZtgo/TYIl_jofztI/AAAAAAAAIxI/rwabcS8ibUA/s800/IMG_7522.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WK0lju58trE/TYIk7x0FzJI/AAAAAAAAIww/4panHXLoQ4g/s800/IMG_7519.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WK0lju58trE/TYIk7x0FzJI/AAAAAAAAIww/4panHXLoQ4g/s800/IMG_7519.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SPwjdHPQ5M0/TYImANGQzMI/AAAAAAAAIxQ/W25Ug8cvr6w/s800/IMG_7523.jpg", "src": "http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SPwjdHPQ5M0/TYImANGQzMI/AAAAAAAAIxQ/W25Ug8cvr6w/s800/IMG_7523.jpg", "formatted_filename": "IMG"}, null, null, null, null, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "//lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FhldMxA4xVU/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAASnE/J4UUVwVHxo0/s80-c/photo.jpg", "src": "http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FhldMxA4xVU/AAAAAAAAAAI/AAAAAAAASnE/J4UUVwVHxo0/s80-c/photo.jpg", "formatted_filename": "photo", "alt_text": "My photo", "rendered_width": 80, "rendered_height": 80}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae172/leighbug_photo/MyPicture-1.jpg", "src": "http://i969.photobucket.com/albums/ae172/leighbug_photo/MyPicture-1.jpg", "formatted_filename": "MyPicture", "alt_text": "Photobucket"}, null, {"document_url": "http://aloneontop.blogspot.com/2011/03/tamales.html", "unformatted_src": "http://www.blogher.com/files/BH11-150-Shoes.jpg", "src": "http://www.blogher.com/files/BH11-150-Shoes.jpg", "formatted_filename": "BH Shoes", "alt_text": "I\u2019ll be Wearing Cute Shoes to BlogHer '11!"}, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null]



My friend Sylvia is the tamale queen. (She's also Chinese, like me. I have always thought ...all through college that there was a little latina inside me - maybe it's true for all us Asian chics?) She gave tamales as Christmas gifts back in 2008. I have not forgotten the taste. I have since tried to find tamales as good as hers, and failed miserably.

In Newark, CA there's the Mexican Tortilla Factory that grinds fresh masa daily. The masa Sylvia uses is the red masa. Red masa rules. I don't know what's in it, but all sorts of magical goodness, because it is tasty. If you go, you can also get some delicious, made to order Mexican food, in addition to browsing all the Mexican grocery items to your heart's content. I'm starting to get hungry just typing this paragraph. Soak the corn husks to make them pliable for tamale folding. Hello delicious masa... I love you. Pretty. So pretty. Get in my belly. 

Posted by Queen Scarlett at 8:05 AM LDS Newsroom RSS Feed Queen Scarlett
 My gift to you on Fridays Gettin' bloggy wit' it I am also a consumer Where you'll find me posting, commenting, reading Is it weird I'm putting your pictures on my fridge now? Most Loved Books Serenity Now People in my Bloghood