What exactly are tortillas? How big are they? Of what are they made? How should they be made? These are questions that can spark much discussion and debate, even among tortilla makers themselves. The important thing is that none of this really matters - they are all GOOD.

But, let's take a moment to examine tortilla making, historically. It is a known fact that the Aztecs made flat cakes of cornmeal and probably had been making them for hundreds of years prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. They, of course, did not call these "pancakes" tortillas. That was the name given to them by the Spaniards. And why did the Spaniards call them tortillas?

In pure Castilian Spanish, a tortilla is an omelet. But, it is a flat cake of scrambled eggs and probably looked very much like the cake of maíze, or corn, that was cooked by the Aztecs. So, in Mexican Spanish, a tortilla has, for several hundred years, been a very flat, unleavened pancake and called la tortilla de maíze.

The tortillas made of wheat flour, las tortillas de harina, are patted out by hand, a skill that requires much practice to get the tortilla to just the right thickness, size and shape. Flour tortillas are generally more common in northern Mexico and, of course, the Santa Cruz Valley of southern Arizona. They can generally be found in two sizes - small and large.  Hilda says that she does not make hers either large or small, but just right. She uses flour, water, salt and a little bit of lard and cooks them on a metal plate over an open fire - all of which is traditional to Tumacácori.

Although Hilda now lives across the street from Tumacácori National Historical Park, she is a native of the town of Durango, in the state of Durango, Mexico. She is the first daughter and the third child in a family of fourteen. Being from Durango where the land is very mountainous and little wheat is grown, Hilda grew up eating corn tortillas. Her family later moved to Sinaloa, but it was not until she married and moved to Nogales, Mexico that she started making flour tortillas.

Hilda's Tortillas Maravillosas
3 lbs. flour
1/3 cup lard
3/4 teaspoon salt
Approximately 2 cups of tap water to mix

Add the water 1/4 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Dough should be soft and slightly sticky.  Make small balls, brush with oil, cover and let stand for five minutes.  Roll each ball lightly in flour before patting into tortillas.

Salsa
2 lbs. tomatoes
2 chiles, Jalapeño or Serrano
1 T chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
3 gloves garlic

Boil tomatoes and chiles in enough water to cover for 10 minutes.  Blend tomatoes, chile, cilantro and garlic in blender for 2 minutes.  Add salt to taste.

Soak 1 pound beans overnight.  Cook 2 hours.  Add water if necessary.  After cooking, add salt to taste.  To refry, put 1 T lard or oil in skillet and heat.  Add beans, heat and mash.