A number of months ago I saw that there was a small grocery store opening up on the street where I walk almost every day. It had a sign that said La Estrella Mexicana, and when I first saw it I was on my way somewhere but took a moment to stop in and tell the lovely young woman who was working there that I was so happy to see them in the neighborhood. I asked how late they would be open because I thought that maybe I'd stop by that evening, but though they were open when I was walking by again I didn't have a chance to stop in. Every time I walked by after that I looked in the windows and read the sign out front and sometimes there would be hand written signs in the windows or on the door that described that day's specials. Each time I thought how much I wanted to stop in and try something because everything sounded wonderful, and when I saw a sign that said they had tamales, I knew I'd have to make a special plan to go there when they were available. Over time I saw that they posted a sign that tamales would be available on weekends, and so finally, just yesterday I decided that it was time to give myself the treat of going there.
Anyone who knows me well knows that tamales are one of my favorite things in the world. The first time I had them my Father made them for a special dinner for me, and ever since then I've ordered them wherever and whenever I see them. There's something about them that to me is exactly everything that I enjoy eating. The fact that they're cooked in corn husks that you have to peel away to find the inner center of soft corn meal that surrounds the different wonderful things that are used to make them, sometimes beef, sometimes chicken, sometimes cheese, sometimes pork, sometimes jalapeños, sometimes a sauce, sometimes spicy and sometimes mild, they are for me always an adventure and a kind of comfort food that I could eat every day happily.
When I walked into La Estrella Mexicana and asked if they had tamales, the owner told me yes with such a nice and friendly smile that I immediately felt welcomed. Of the three varieties they had I chose two, chicken with salsa verde and chicken with mole sauce. I was thinking that I'd get all three because the third was cheese and jalapeño, but I decided on two, knowing that I'd want to come back to try more things another day.
They gave the tamales to me and they were so warm and lovely, wrapped in tin foil to go. I brought them to YES Gallery to enjoy for lunch there, and they made my day even brighter. In my view tamales are always enjoyable, but these were exceptional. Made with white corn meal, they were very delicate in flavor, while being so well made that they held together so well that I could pick them up with my fingers and eat them that way instead of with a fork once I had unwrapped the corn husks. I think they may have simmered them in chicken broth because they had that combination of light and rich layered flavor that in a way made me think of a good homemade chicken soup. The two different sauces were freshly made and flavorful without being overpowering. The window says Moma's Kitchen, and there is something about these tamales that made me feel like they were really home cooked and so carefully made that they were very special and a wonderful experience to enjoy. I'll be back for more soon, and to try more of the offerings on the menu, because La Estrella Mexicana is a five star kitchen.
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