Saturday, September 14, 2013

Haciendo Tortillas (Making Tortillas)

The other day I was lamenting the fact that there are no fresh tortillas in Marion. I never learned to make tortillas in Mexico because you can run down to the corner 7-11 (and there is a 7-11 or Oxxo on ever corner) and pick up a package of fresh hot tortillas.  Here in Marion the best tortillas I can find are at only one Hy Vee (Iowa's version of HEB) which come uncooked and I put them on the comal (a flat rimless pan). They're OK but I still would like to buy a package of the hot and fresh stuff. Asi es. Don't get me started on the nearly nonexistent jalapeño section at the store. And if I every buy anything exotic like tomatillos or serrano peppers, I bet 10-1 the clerk will ask me what they are. Anyway, back to my tortilla story. As I said I was lamenting the fact that I can't find good tortillas so I asked one of my Saturday adult students if his wife could show me how to make them. As I related the desire to make tortillas to Will  (he's another story for another time, but I will tell you he's from Reynosa, Mexico), he interrupted me to give me some very important information. Apparently one should not say, "Quiero hacer tortillas con la esposa de Florencio" which translates to "I want to make tortillas with the wife of Florencio".   It's a perfectly good sentence but it has another meaning in Mexico. When two women are making tortillas (hacen tortillas) it means they're in a lesbian relationship... not that there is anything wrong with that.  Basically I told Florencio that I want to get lovey-dovey with his wife and somehow he kept a straight face.  I won't make that mistake again. Just like I won't order "camarones sin ano" - shrimp without assholes - again.
Posted by Crazy Rita at 8:50 PM

10 comments:

  1. UnknownSeptember 15, 2013 at 12:34 PM

    That is hilarious! I hope you learn how to make your tortillas. I wish I had learned while my grandma was still alive, but it has become a lost art. Living in a border town, it's easy to get homemade tortillas anywhere. When I lived in the Baltimore area, I suffered for 4 years without any good Mexican food, so I know what you are going through! Thanks for the laugh!
    Bonnie

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    1. Crazy RitaSeptember 18, 2013 at 8:36 AM

      As soon as these nephews are raised, I'll be running for the border again.

      Delete
  2. AnonymousSeptember 15, 2013 at 4:01 PM

    Too funny Rita. And when you do learn, I know where you can cook them AND ride ziplines. :-)

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    Replies
    1. Crazy RitaSeptember 18, 2013 at 8:37 AM

      We have proven that ziplining and cooking can be a combined activity.

      Delete
  3. BarbSeptember 15, 2013 at 7:54 PM

    This is the kind of faux pas I'm afraid of making. When Mexicans smile at me while I'm trying to converse, I can't help but wonder if it's because I've mixed up words, my accent or if I've said something similarly "inappropriate".

    Anyways, tortillas. Yes. I can find the smaller ones only in corn which we don't really care for. The flour ones are gigantic. I'm going to bring a boatload back the next time we go down.

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    Replies
    1. Crazy RitaSeptember 18, 2013 at 8:33 AM

      I prefer corn tortillas. Somehow I learned to prefer them over the flour ones, but the actual Mexican here prefers the flour tortillas. Weird, isn't it?

      Delete
    2. AnonymousSeptember 18, 2013 at 8:30 PM

      I was told some time ago, after I moved down here, that the corn vs. flour tortilla thing was a reflection the old class divide. In the old days the separation of classes was defined by who could afford flour and who had to settle for corn.

      Actually, I like them both. I wouldn't know how to scoop up the goodies with a flour tortilla because they are so big and floppy.

      Delete
  4. Emily Bonderer CruzSeptember 16, 2013 at 10:28 PM

    LOL, that's awesome!! I've had my fair share of language slip ups. The one I have all the time is saying "estoy exitada" which in my mind means I'm excited, to a Mexican? I'm telling them I'm horny. Fantastic.

    ReplyDelete

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