In our August issue, we visit Shelley Wiseman’s taco- and tortilla-making class at The Farm Cooking School in the Delaware Valley. Not only can you learn to make your own homemade corn and flour tortillas (it’s easier than you think) but you can put everything together in a roll-your-own taco party. These are the tools and ingredients you’ll need to make it all from scratch.
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ProductVictoria Cast-Iron Tortilla Press
While flour tortillas need to be rolled out with a rolling pin, a tortilla press, like this classic cast-iron model, is the key to getting perfect, evenly thin corn tortillas. Victoria is a legendary name in tortilla presses, and when you feel the heavy-duty construction and smooth range of motion in the handle, you’ll see why. -
IngredientMasa Harina
A flour made from dried, alkalized ground corn, masa harina is the essential ingredient for corn tortillas (not to mention tamales, sopes, and many other corn-based treats). -
ProductAbaca Tortilla Basket
In her tortilla-making class, Shelley Wiseman puts cooked tortillas in a covered basket to keep them warm and pliable without drying out while she preps the taco fillings. This 8.5-inch-diameter handmade abaca-fiber basket is easy to keep clean (wash with dish soap and water) and looks charming on the table as part of a taco party spread. -
ProductVictoria 10.5-Inch Cast-Iron Comal
Widely used in Mexican and Latin American cooking, a comal (pronounced koh-mahl) is a round or oblong flat griddle with a shallow rim. Originally made of clay but now more commonly made of carbon steel or cast iron (like this one), it’s used primarily for cooking tortillas, toasting spices, and charring chiles and vegetables. Though the comal is preseasoned with flaxseed oil, the nonstick patina only gets better with use. -
ProductWinco Taco Holder
So you’ve taken the time to press and cook your homemade tortillas, and made several salsas from scratch. Now how do you present your taco masterpieces? Nothing like a taco holder to show them off in all their glory. Winco’s accordion-style stainless-steel holder channels your favorite taco truck in style. Sold in sets of three, each one holds up to five tacos. -
IngredientGuajillo Chiles
Give some of your corn tortillas a brick-red color and a subtle heat with the addition of a little adobo sauce made from guajillo chiles. These dried red chiles also lend a fruity, herbal flavor and mild heat to salsas and moles.
