The Great Tamal Experiment:
We're Getting There
Two years ago we began our quest for the perfect Cuban tamal. We started with an ideal: the best Cuban tamales in Miami as provided by the Latin American Market.
With only a basic understanding of what goes into a great tamal -- freshly grated corn, masa harina, and roast pork -- we started experimenting in our own kitchens, trying a little of this and a little of that until we got the taste right.
Over the past two years we have cooked and eaten a LOT of tamales (an expanding waistline is just one of the costs of thorough research) and we can now say that our recipe produces a tamal that is 98 percent as good as the best Cuban tamal in Miami!
Check out our completely re-imagined recipe, lavishly illustrated with step-by-step photos!
Our next experiment? A simplified recipe that will allow anyone to make pastelitos at home! (more) 
Papa Rellenas
If you're not Cuban, there's one typical snack that is probably totally bewildering to you. When we have guests from out of town, we ask them if they'd like to try one and they almost always say, "What in the heck is that?" Even if we try to explain it, they just don't get it!
We finally figured out that the best way is to not say anything at all. We just hand them a hot papa rellena and say, "Here taste this!" We haven't found a "victim" yet who didn't end up loving these delicious treats! (more)
