As the holidays continue and we ready for the new year, many will offer blessings for our heart and hearth.And nothing blesses my hearth more than a few dozen tamales lovingly hand-made in homes or selected from a steaming basket that an experienced tamale-maker offers as she passes from office to office. For those who do not possess the skills nor the energy to craft their own tamales, DFW is rich with eager cooks willing to share their bounty.
Local chef Stephan Pyles co-authored a book on tamales and makes literally thousands of them for the holiday season. Says Pyles, “West Texas has heavy southern and Hispanic influences and one of my favorite early memories is my discovery of tamales. I was most intrigued by the fact that they came in their own special ‘gift-wrapping.’ That early fascination was enough inspiration for me to compose an entire book on the subject.”
by Steven Doyle
