A Cherry Cola Christmas (20 page)

Voncille and I wanted to share with all of you—our good friends—another essay my Pamela wrote in her journal the week before she died a few years ago. Her clarity of vision at such a time has always seemed remarkable to me. We think it especially makes sense here at Christmastime when we send out our best wishes to so many people who are reflecting upon the passage of another year and their lives in general. She wrote the following:

 

2 pounds beef
2 pounds pork
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
Salt
Black pepper
Red pepper
10 cups masa harina (corn flour)
3 cups lard or shortening
Corn husks

 

Making tamales is a labor of love and is time-consuming. Please keep in mind that it will require 5 to 6 hours from start to finish. So take off your instant gratification hat. The meat and masa (dough) are prepared separately, then combined to make the tamales. We suggest you invite friends and family over when making tamales so it is as much a social event as it is a good day's work in the kitchen!

 

 

 

2 pounds beef
2 pounds pork
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 cup yellow onions, chopped
Salt, black pepper, red pepper to taste

Combine beef, pork, 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, 1 cup of chopped onions, and salt, black pepper, and red pepper to taste in a large pot and cover with water. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 3½ hours. After 3½ hours, remove pot from heat and allow to cool. Once moderately cool, remove and strain meat from liquid and shred. Be sure to keep the strained liquid for use in your masa later. Once you have shredded the meat mixture, place in refrigerator to cool.

 

 

DOUGH
(
MASA HARINA
)

 

 

10 cups masa harina (corn flour)
3 cups lard or shortening
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
Red pepper to taste
Seasoned water that meat was cooked in

 

Mix your 10 cups of masa harina, 3 cups of lard or shortening, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of black pepper, and red pepper to taste in a large container. Slowly add the hot strained liquid from the meat mixture and mix thoroughly. We suggest that the masa have the same consistency as thick cornbread. Allow to cool once masa has reached desired consistency.

 

 

CORN SCHUCKS
/
HUSKS

 

Wash the corn shucks under running water, removing the corn silks, and then soak in a big pot of hot, but not boiling, water for at least 3 hours in order to soften the shuck so it is easy to handle. This step can be done while the meat is cooking. Once the shucks are pliable, you can lay them out to be filled with the dough and meat mixture. Spread the dough (masa harina) on with a knife; then spread the meat mixture over the masa. The meat mixture will be heavier and thicker than the masa mixture. Once the masa and meat are applied to the shuck, the narrow end of the shuck is folded up and the shuck is then rolled up from side to side. Tie the tamales in bundles of six with a string prior to the final step.

 

 

 

Once the tamales are all bundled, place them in a steam basket and cook them over water. It is important that the water is not completely steamed away at any time. Keep the steamer full of water so the tamales do not dry out. They are best served hot right out of the pot. Suggestion for libation: ice-cold beer.

 

—Courtesy David Gammill, Natchez, Mississippi

 

15-ounce bag or package of baby kale (do not use mature
kale)
15-ounce bag or package of baby spinach
Dried dill weed
1 11-ounce package of fresh blueberries
2 ounces Feta cheese crumbles
Balsamic vinaigrette dressing (any bottled brand)

 

Wash baby kale and spinach leaves; place in very large salad bowl. Sprinkle dried dill weed throughout. Wash blueberries and distribute throughout salad. Sprinkle Feta cheese throughout; drizzle dressing to taste. Toss everything together lightly, but do not bruise or crush blueberries. This recipe serves up to six. Halve ingredients, except dill weed and cheese crumbles, to serve two or three. An excellent light dinner party selection and a cool accompaniment to any hot tamales being served.

 

—Courtesy Marion Good, Oxford, Mississippi

1.
Do you agree that the end of the year brings out the better nature of people?

2.
Have you ever had an unusual experience of a spiritual nature occur around Christmastime?

3.
The issue of Alzheimer's is brought up in this novel. Has this issue affected you personally?

4.
How do you feel about the character of Councilman Durden Sparks after four novels? Better? Worse? The same?

5.
How do you view Maura Beth's growth as a woman and a librarian after four novels?

6.
Where do you think Cherico would be if Maura Beth had never created The Cherry Cola Book Club?

7.
Discuss special events your community has created for the Christmas/Holiday season.

8.
There will be at least two more novels in this series. What would you like to see happen?

9.
Which character has changed the most since the debut novel,
The Cherry Cola Book
Club
?

10.
If this series is ever made into a movie or TV series, whom do you see portraying Maura Beth?

11.
Has the series made you want to support your local library more?

12.
Discuss other actors who might portray the rest of the cast.