worth the drive
Ann Marie Kennon
No More Waiting For “The Tamale Lady”! 205 SONTERRA BLVD, JARRELL (INSIDE FAMILY FOOD MART) • 972-971-7216 JARRELLKITCHEN • OPEN TUESDAY-SUNDAY 8AM-8PM • TAMALES FROM $12/DOZEN
For all those times you couldn’t wait for the spontaneous visit from “the tamale lady” at your office, home, or community meeting, to deliver her hand-made bits of heaven, you should know you can enjoy authentic tamale taste any time you get a craving. Located inside the Family Food Mart in Sonterra in Jarrell, Aurora’s Family Kitchen is true to its name; run by the family of tamalera (tamale maker) Aurora Cedillo. She and her husband, son, and daughters have been serving up Grandmother Aurora’s corn tamales to the public since 2019. In addition to tamales, they serve a full menu of Mexican favorites and are happy to take orders for catering and pickup. No matter where you live, you can stop in for the nearly infinite combinations of beef, chicken, sweet corn, fruit, cinnamon...whatever you like, in these special treats. Son Albert says you can even request off-menu combinations, or bring your ingredients (venison, anyone?) and they will work up a custom creation. Some items may add a bit to the cost—brisket is popular—but starting at just $12/dozen, your favorites are worth a try. But, best to do it soon. Aurora’s is already seeing an uptick in holiday party orders, ready to pick up for catered events, or freeze for yourself for up to six months.
HOLIDAY FARE? Perhaps you haven’t lived among Texans or Hispanics long enough to know, for holiday meals, tamales are right up there with turkey and gravy. A few millennia ago, many peoples in what we now call Central America enjoyed plantain-leaf- or corn-huskwrapped packets of goodness, and passed their customs down through the generations. Tamales are a lot of work and preparation, so it was common for groups to make a big supply for traditional celebrations and contemporary holidays. Fast forward a few thousand years, when Mexican families began adopting the culture brought over by Europeans. Eventually, Christmas became part of the holiday calendar, and the annual tamaladas (tamale making parties) became part of that holiday as well. Today, the tradition continues as Hispanic families gather in kitchens and share goodies among family and friends far and wide.
PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY NOW Albert explains, “Tamales are not technically seasonal, but we know a lot of our customers have a tamale lady they only see once a year, mostly around the holidays. My mother has been cooking all her life and has put a lot of finesse into my grandmother’s recipe. She started out delivering to family and friends, and was very successful just by word of mouth. We opened this kitchen to be able to work together as a family, and keep the quality of our product at a premium for customers old and new.”
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Albert recommends tamales for their variety and resiliency. “These are hand-made, and you can eat them in so many ways, with many toppings. We are ready to cook and custom-make; right now we have one order for 42 dozen, so don’t be afraid to ask for a lot.”
