Generally, we prepare food just like in the States, but that changes a little during community events. When cooking for hundreds of people, we use huge iron pots placed on top of wood burning fires and mix the contents with wooden spoons the size of oars.
Making tamales is a special process. After preparing the dough, vegetables and meat, ten or so people sort themselves into an assembly line, each with a very specific job. The first person lays out banana leaves, followed by another who spoons dough (or masa) on to them. Then, the next group puts meat, carrots, bell peppers and cilantro inside. Another comes around to wrap up the tamales, and finally, someone finishes the job by tying two together with a piece of string. The final product is called a piña tamal.
As I mentioned in the introduction, there aren't really any supermarkets here, so most of the food comes directly from farms, ranches and kitchens right here in Tronadora!
