The Homewood Star Holiday TheHomewoodStar.com
December 2012
neighborly news & entertainment for Homewood
Volume 2 | Issue 9 | December 2012
Turn your home into a Christmas cantina with
tamales
Santa Claus
beneath the Star
The Homewood Star asked readers for their funniest Santa photos; be sure to find them all in this issue. We also have instructions for holiday treats, a local mom’s party fashions for all ages and everything you need to know about Homewood holiday events.
Holiday page 21
Pops for wintertime The Hispanic Coalition of Alabama staff member Claudia Hendley distributes tamales during the organization’s annual sale.
By MADOLINE MARKHAM Ellise Mayor enjoys tamales so much that she created her own holiday: Tamale Gras. A decade ago, Mayor, a Homewood resident, was teaching Latino children through Children’s Dance Foundation, and their moms were making the tamales for one of The Hispanic
Pre-Sort Standard U.S. Postage PAID Birmingham, AL Permit #656
Annual sale supports local Hispanic families
Tamales are now made by local restaurants. Photos courtesy of HICA.
Interest Coalition of Alabama’s (¡HICA!) first fundraisers. Mayor placed an order and started hosting annual tamale parties. She would supply the tamales, and guests brought side dishes. Each attendee would bring a “tamale saying,” where they substituted the word tamale into a famous phrase, like “to be or not to tamale,” and they hung all of them on a special tree. One year, Mayor never got around to having a tamale party during the holiday season, but when Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras were approaching, she decided it was time for her own sort of celebration. It was then that Tamale Gras was born. “It’s a great way to introduce a different culture and learn something about how (members of the Hispanic community) celebrate holidays,” she said. “And I highly recommend creating a holiday around it.” Her tradition continues as she orders $100$150 worth of tamales each holiday season through the organization’s sale, sold frozen, to save for her party of around 25 people. “The tamales are very easy to reheat, and they freeze wonderfully,” she said. Tamales are traditionally eaten at Christmas in many Latin countries. “The process takes hours and so many hands,” ¡HICA! Executive Director Isabel Rubio said. “You have to prepare the filling, the masa (a corn-based dough) and the corn husks, and then assemble them and steam them. It’s
an all day affair and a great way to spend time with people.” Edgewood resident Allison Litton decided to buy tamales one year when she was not going home to Texas as a way to bring part of the tradition, popular with the Latino influence in Texas, to her home here. She has bought them five or six times over the past decade and said she especially enjoys the poblano and cheese tamales. “We eat them at home with a big bowl of queso,” she said. “They are wonderful to eat on a cold night. I usually order a dozen to eat at Christmas and then freeze the rest.” ¡HICA!, whose offices are headquartered on West Valley Ave., has sold more than 50,000 tamales and raised about $100,000 since starting the sale 10 years ago, exceeding their goal each year. Last year the organization sold more than 10,000 tamales, and this year they are aiming for 12,000. All funds raised support the organization’s mission to support the social, civic and economic integration of Alabama’s Hispanic families. “It’s become a part of so many people’s holiday traditions,” Rubio said. “Many said they hadn’t eaten a tamale since having one at the tamale cart downtown as a child, or from Mancha’s Restaurant. Bruno Mancha sold tamales from a pushcart
See TAMALES | page 28
Heading into its first winter season, Steel City Pops has a slew of new cool weather flavors and other tricks up its sleeve. Read inside to learn about its owner’s plans for keeping up the frozen treat business year-round.
Food page 10
INSIDE Sponsors ............... 4 City ......................... 6 Food ....................... 10 Business ................ 12 Celebrations ......... 14
Community ........... 16 School House ...... 22 Sports ................... 26 Opinion .................. 29 Calendar ............... 30
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