While making the tamales, I was talking to Irma about the traditional Salvadoran foods. She explained to me that tamales were a special occasion food because of all of the time that they take to make, but also that they are a good option for Salvadorans because almost all the ingredients come from the house. The corn comes from the family's milpa and is ground in the family's molino, the veggies are either grown in the garden or bought at the market, the chickens live basically in the house, and the leaves to wrap the tamales up in grow in the back yard. Irma also explained to me that they don't have the money to buy one of the ridiculously overpriced birthday cakes from the town, which cost upwards of $30. This planted in my brain the idea to make a birthday cake for Gerardo. I love baking and I really love cake. I am also a huge fan of birthdays (especially my own). After learning the traditional birthday customs for El Salvador, I therefore decided to show them the American tradition and make a birthday cake for Gerardo.
On Tuesday, my friend Tricia (who lives nearby and came to visit) and I set out for Gotera, where we bought flour, eggs and vanilla from a bakery, and the rest from the supermarket. We headed back to Sunsulaca, and started making our cake! With lots of spectators, I might add. Despite oddly viscous vanilla, a gas oven that wouldn't temperature-adjust, and chocolate that just would not blend into the frosting, we ended up with a pretty delicious all-American birthday cake for Gerardo! Yippee!
Here are some pics...