We All Have Our Beginnings: Tortillas

Like most blogs, this too has a story behind its origins. However, it is most unconventional.

While the purpose of this blog is the fulfillment of an assignment, its content stems from a personal project of mine.

Several months ago, shortly before I left for college, my abuela Manuela (who I just call Abue, Nela, or Manny) became ill. While this is a common occurrence, this time it took more of a toll on her daily life. 

This is a woman who has battled disease after disease: breast cancer, lung complications, and finally near-blindness. Without telling her family, she went close to a year only being able to see shadows, only telling us apart by voices. 

Obviously, the cooking had to stop. 

Here's where I step in. Being the not-that-horrible cook that I was I figured it was my duty, nay, my privilege to take over and learn everything humanly possible from my grandma. 

Now, I'm cataloging the first steps in my compilation of what she has taught me. I can only wish to enjoy cooking as much as she does. Hopefully you too can try something out, learn something new, or just have fun watching me try, and maybe fail, figuring out what "un puño" converts to in measurements. 

Here, I'm including the most basic thing I've learned in my cataloging endeavors, tortillas.

These are the tortillas I grew up eating with everything. 

Every time I go home, my grandma somehow manages to sneak to my car and put a bag or two in my suitcase. She never ceases to amaze me.

Ingredients:

3 c. flour (all-purpose should be fine)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

~5 tbsp vegetable shortening

~ 1 1/4 c. hot water

Steps:

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder

Break up shortening and mix into flour.

While doing so, add in water slowly.

Combine until all ingredients are distributed evenly.

If the mixture crumbles, you should add more shortening.

If it forms too-hard clumps, more flour/water may be needed

Trial and error is the only way to go about perfecting this!

Once the mixture is done, begin to form 1-inch diameter balls using your palms to roll.

Let them sit ~5 minutes under a warm, wet towel.

Roll them out(if a rolling pin isn't available, a wine bottle or almost any other can works fine!) until they are roughly 1/8 in. thick. 

Thickness can vary depending on your preferences! 

To cook the tortillas, heat up a comal (skillet- or a pan can work also) until it is roughly 400 degrees F or 'hasta que baile el agua'- "until the water dances"

Place the tortilla face (the side the rolling pin touched) down on the comal.

Once darker air puffs begin to form, it should be time to flip the tortilla(~30 sec.)

After flipping, the same should happen to the other side.

To ensure doneness, press down slightly in the middle, if it looks a darker-beige color, the tortilla may not be done.

Pictures will be added later! For now, here's my beloved Abue. :)

She really is an angel.

Evidently, my family has a difficult time taking pictures.

Left to right: My tia Karina, me, my grandma, and my mother Alma!

Wish me luck,

Leea Marie