Tamales!

Above, yours truly with the dozen pork tamales.

Ever since I can remember, it had been a New Year's Eve tradition in my family to have a party and have, among other dishes, tamales.

In Gallup, our "gaggle of geezers" group had been buying them by the dozen from Erlinda's Tamale Shop. But this year, Erlinda's decided to not sell in bulk but from a roach coach (lunch truck). 

So, several of us have been searching for a place to buy them in bulk (by the dozen).

Last evening, after Larry Lucier's phyical therapy session, we went to Genaro's restaurant for dinner.

While looking over the menu, I flipped it over to the back side and saw that they sell tamales by the dozen for $20.99/dozen. We notified the others in the group by text.

I decided to buy a dozen pork tamales to try them out. Since Genaro's has good food anyway, we figure that their tamales should be good ones.

I will try some later today.

In Search Of: Tamales

Above, the bag of tamales I found at the market. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A little while ago, I returned home from my tamale-hunting trek in Gallup.

I contacted Erlinda's Tamale Shop this morning after my Messenger message of yesterday to them went unanswered. 

So, I decided to call them this morning. The owner said they've been closed for 3 months and may open in late January or early February. I then jumped into the car and headed to Gallup. 

After getting home, I found a reply on Messenger from them:

We are currently closed due to lack of employees.

I headed into Gallup to see if I can find tamales that are comparable to Erlinda's. Well, I didn't. But I did find some that look like they'd be okay, but there's an added bonus. I found some pre-made chile rellenos.  

Above, the chile rellenos I found at the market. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since I love chile rellenos, I decided to buy a package and try them out tonight.

Snowy Week Ahead?

Above, the mesas on New Year's Day 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

It looks like we'll be having snow showers for almost all this week.

I'd better head into Gallup tomorrow to get some needed groceries as it appears to be the only day that won't get them.

Plus, I'll have to figure out the safest day to pick up a dozen tamales.

According to the National Weather Service:

Tonight

Partly cloudy, with a low around 26. Southwest wind 10 to 20 mph.

Monday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 42. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.

Monday Night

A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 27. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Tuesday

Snow showers likely, mainly before 11am. Cloudy, with a high near 33. Breezy, with a southwest wind 20 to 25 mph, with gusts as high as 35 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Tuesday Night

Snow showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 22. Southwest wind around 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Wednesday

A 40 percent chance of snow showers, mainly before 11am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 31.

Wednesday Night

A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Thursday

A 30 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 34.

Thursday Night

A 40 percent chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.

Friday

Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Friday Night

Snow showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 21. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

New Year's Day

A 50 percent chance of snow showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 32.

 

Preparing For New Year's: Tamales

Above, warming up Erlinda's tamales in the crock pot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There's one family tradition that I won't let go, and that's having tamales for New Year's Eve.

New Year's will be here before we know it and I made a note in my phone's calendar to order a two dozen tamales from Erlnda's Tamale Shop in Gallup.

I ordered 2 dozen last year and they were very good.

Back in L.A., my family used to order several dozen tamales from Ramona's in Gardena for their New Year's Eve parties. These were their restaurant tamales. There would be long lines of people waiting to buy tamales just before New Year's Eve.

New Year's Eve Tamales

Above, at Erlinda's Tamale Shop. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

New Year's Eve was rather sedate.

For one thing, it was cold outside. The temperature never got into the 40s here. Still, it didn't dampen the spirits over seeing the end of 2020. If there ever was a sucky year, 2020 was it.

Russell Azbill, a friend from up the hill here in Jamestown, came over and we gobbled down some excellent pork tamales from Erlinda's Tamale Shop in Gallup. These had to be the best tamales I've had in ages. Plenty of meat and sauce in each. Along with the tamales, Spanish rice and pinto beans were on the menu.

Above, keeping the tamales hot in the Crock Pot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After dinner, we watched two 2017 movies: Kong: Skull Island and Justice League. Russ had never seen either before.

I will probably be asleep when 2021 arrives here (one hour from now).

So...HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Year's Eve Weather

Since the temperature is so low (right now it is 22° outside), the snow we had last night should stay awhile.

From the National Weather Service:

Thursday

Partly sunny, with a high near 39. Light southwest wind becoming west 5 to 10 mph in the morning.

Thursday Night

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 16.

New Year's Day

Partly sunny, with a high near 35.

It looks like New Year's Eve with be around 39°, which is warm enough for me for when I go into Gallup to pick up my two dozen tamales I have on order. It is a family tradition to have tamales on New Year's Eve.

A couple of photos of last night's snow: