Potato tacos

So, I just made potato tacos for the host family.  For those of you who’ve had them, i know you’re drooling right now.  For those of you who haven’t, you’re missing out and it’s sad.  Anyway, it was one of the more interesting cooking experiences I’ve had.

First, I had to cook and mash the potatoes.  The cooking part was ok, except I had to peel them with a big kitchen knife.  Peelers don’t seem to exist here, which is odd.  I managed to not slice open my hand, which is always nice, and off they went into the pot to boil.  After they boiled I had to drain and mash them.  Draining was fine, but my host family does not have the little thing you use to mash stuff like beans and potatoes.  So I was trying to mash about 20 potatoes…with a fork.    My arm certainly got a work out, and in the end I just gave up and left some small unmashed pieces in the mash.  Most of it made it in, but there were some pieces, small ones, that were stubborn and after trying for a half hour to get it all in I was like, whatever and just let them be.

Next, came the placing into tortillas and frying.  First problem: I have as yet been unable to find corn tortillas here.  Nowhere.  So I had to use flour tortillas.  For those of you who don’t know, unlike corn tortillas, which get crispy and crunchy when fried, flour tortillas get crispy and flaky and fall apart easily when fried.  They also don’t taste like chips, they taste like a dessert tortilla.  So that was interesting.  Another fun thing was actually frying said tortillas with potatoes.  My family doesn’t have tongs either, so I was using a fork and a spoon to turn the tacos over in the hot oil.  So here I am with flaking tacos, no tongs and hot oil.  Nothing bad happened or anything, but it was certainly an experience making them.

On the bright side, they turned out pretty good.  Tasted different then I’m used too, but not bad.  My family seemed to like them too.  They kept saying “estan rico” which directly translated means “they’re rich” but they use it here more like it’s good, it’s delicious, it’s tasty, that kind of thing.  So that’s nice.  And they are very filling food.

All in all a delicious ending.  Thank you Nana for the fabulous foods, and thanks mom for letting me call you to ask how to make these things.  I bought too many tortillas so the next stop: bunuelos for dessert!

P.S.  I have no idea if bunuelos is spelled right.