Menudo the breakfast of champions! This year I have found a market with menudo that I find okay. I still think it is best the next day and I buy it without posole so I can add my own.  This post has inspired me to talk about Menudo all month. Like other ethnic foods, you either love it or hate it. I am talking to those who eat it and will talk about variations, nutrition, and other trivia. Menudo, means little pieces and the menudo I am writing about is from Mexico. Menudo is eaten almost weekly, restauants, cafes, butchers and other outlets that serve it generally make it on Sat and Sunday. My grandfather Miquel, went to mass every morning at 5am and on Sundays it was not unusual for him to pop by our house with a pot of menudo, bolillos and sweet bread that he picked up from a bakery. What a treat that happened frequently including restraunts that have a pot going almost 24/7.  More to come with pictures. None today!
​Buen Provecho and Happy New Years Eve!

This year I was inspired to make tamales. It started at Thankgiving with making a cut up turkey for that purpose. Then I had second thoughts and tried a lot of tamales until deciding only my sauce and masa would do this year. 

I am including the small batch recipe I created while visiting Boston over the holidays about 2004. It can be a forgiving recipe and each person adapts it to their taste with time. If making more than you can eat in a few days freeze them when just made. Also if making double batches. I found freezing the raw tamales in a bag the shape of the pot to be used to cook them in works very well. I did that when I was more zealous as well as during my bakery deli days. I like tamales as a quick luch or snack and pack them in 2's for freezing, they microwave well. To heat up steam, or in the microwave. I generally sprinkle a little water on the husk. I thnk it is imporatnt to note that I do not come from a tradition of putting sauces on tamales. I do use syrup with the sweet ones and those are made very seldom. My sweet ones have anise, almonds, and raisins and the syrup is anise and piloncillo. This recipe will not be in my Abuelita cookbook as my mom, aunt, and grandmothers all bought their tamales from the Nuns of Perpetual Adoration, a cloister near their homes. Plus my dad's parents were too busy sourcing all of West Texas and New Mexico with Bunuelos for Christmas and New Year.