For some, a tortilla is a easy convenience. You grab a bag from the store, pop it open, use a tortilla or two as your taco vessel — and that’s it. The focus may be on the taco filling, the garnish, ...

Simply translated, masa — the foundation for every perfect tortilla, tostada, tamale, pozole, arepa and gordita — means dough. It unites North and South America, defying any one cultural identity.

Buy the right masa: fresh, unprepared tamale masa. It’s finer than tortilla masa because it’s ground three or four times, while tortilla masa is ground only once. You want it wet, and dated for ...

Any reservations you might have had about making corn tortillas from scratch will disappear the moment you taste them: Warm, soft and chewy, they actually taste like corn. Freshly made masa purchased ...

I know the word “masa” means dough, particularly corn dough, but it might as well be short for “miracle,” because the process of producing this staple of Mexican (and other Central and South American) ...