Yesterday I attended my first community cooking class at Utah State University's extension in Heber City, Utah. Clarisel Garcia from Chihuahua, Mexico taught the class and although her English was limited it made the experience that much more authentic. Clarisel teaches Health and Nutrition to the Latino population here in the valley. Debbie Proctor, the family and consumer science guru at the extension, assisted in preparations and in the overall running of the class.
For all the Latino people reading this, you know that tamales are no small feat! There is the cooking of the meat, the soaking of the corn husks, the grilling of the chilies, the mixing of all the ingredients and not to mention the actual assembling of the tamales! This class was the perfect environment because it was hands on work, the teachers were so open to questions, and they weren't afraid to steer away from the "recipe."
I mean this literally and figuratively. Literally, when working with Clarisel rarely expect to use exact measurements. Hold out your hand to make a cup and that is about how much Oregano, Salt, Crisco, Bouillon and any other ingredient you should use. Figuratively, the class was a little unorganized and a bit chaotic but it worked well because of the hands on nature tamale making requires.
Other cooking classes offered by the USU extension include:
- Pies
- Lotions and Potions
- Homemade cleaning supplies
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