The Flour Tortilla Chronicles: A Tale of Tradition, Trials, and Tasty Triumphs

The Flour Tortilla Chronicles: A Tale of Tradition, Trials, and Tasty Triumphs

Misty Munoz
Family Recipes

The Aroma of Memories: My Culinary Beginnings

Picture this: a bustling kitchen and a symphony of scents wafting through the air—some divine, others... well, let's just say they were an acquired taste. My mom, the unsung hero of the hearth, would come home with an array of foods that introduced my nose to the world's spices before my feet could even reach the globe.

The Bean and Tortilla Tango

In my home, pinto beans and flour tortillas didn’t just make a meal; they were the cornerstone of our daily diet. Chicken, ground beef, or just beans and tortillas—it was like a culinary Macarena that even your awkward uncle could master.

Tortilla-making: The Hispanic Rite of Passage

For a San Antonio native, your Hispanic card isn't fully punched until you've wrestled with dough and rolled out tortillas by hand—no measuring cups allowed. Achieving that perfect circle? It's an art form that could take a lifetime to perfect, and let's just say I'm still earning my stripes.

Houston, We Have Tortillas!

Upon moving to Houston, I was introduced to a world where tortillas came with options: oil, butter, baking powder, sizes ranging from 'petite' to 'can double as a picnic blanket.' Then there were the 'just add water' tortillas—a.k.a. the microwave dinners of the tortilla world.

The Recipe Revelation: Tortillas, My Way

My go-to recipe started with three handfuls of flour, a dash of baking soda, a pinch of salt, and a scoop of ARMOUR LARD—yes, lard, the secret to life's happiness. Mix, rest, roll, and cook—simple, right? But when ARMOUR lard became my culinary Loch Ness Monster in Houston, I had to improvise. Here’s the scoop, straight from my family's hotline to your kitchen:

The New-and-Improved, Houston-Approved Tortilla Recipe

  • Dry Team Assemble: 3 cups King Arthur All-Purpose Flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • Oil Drill: 1/3 cup olive oil (because we're fancy now)

  • Waterworks: 1 cup lukewarm water (tears of joy acceptable)

Let's Get Down to Dough Business:

  1. Whisk together your dry ingredients like you're conducting an orchestra.

  2. Create a well, pour in the oil, and gently mix with a fork as if you're teasing a kitten.

  3. Gradually add water, folding like you're tucking in a baby blanket.

  4. Let the dough nap for 30 minutes (it's had a hard day).

While the Dough Dreams:

  1. Heat up your tortilla pan (medium setting—like my commitment level to the gym).

  2. Set up your rolling station with enough flour to make a snow angel.

  3. Dust your rolling pin like you're preparing for a flour fight.

It's Showtime, Dough!

  1. Partition the dough into golf ball-sized prospects.

  2. Flatten each one into a disc—think UFO, not frisbee.

  3. Roll with the determination of a toddler trying to escape a playpen.

Cooking Up the Magic:

  1. Introduce the first tortilla to the pan. This one’s the sacrificial lamb—the test to pave the way for its brethren.

  2. Proceed with the rest, flipping with the finesse of a street performer.

Serving Suggestions:

  1. Butter it up: Because everything's better with butter.

  2. Bean Blanket: A cozy, nutritious embrace.

  3. Taco Time: Anything goes—get wild!

Pin It Like It's Hot!

Don't forget to pin this post to your 'Culinary Adventures' board! Every share is a tortilla earned in the grand kitchen of life. Follow me on Pinterest for more hilarious kitchen escapades, and let's roll out some fun together!

Happy cooking, and even happier eating, from my kitchen to yours!