In days of Christmas fast, tamale tradition keeps rolling on

“When everything Christmas comes with a shortcut - the pre-signed Christmas card, the pre- decorated tree, even cookies already cut because who has time for slicing - the high-maintenance homemade holiday tamale is facing grim times, indeed.

Tamales are a beloved icon of local culture, but those lovely, luscious bundles can take three days to prepare. The recipe has to be extracted from generations of memory: Many of those nanas refused to write it down. And assembling the precious dozens requires a horde of helpers who must eke a spare Saturday out of Decembers insanity. All of this, and you can get a dozen from the drive-through for $18. “

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