Conference turris::cooks

    The closest I can get is that they sell regular and instant Quaker
    Grits in many grocery stores right next to the oatmeal.  Would this
    help?  This is the dried grits that you make a mush/cereal out of.
        
    --Louise

Have you tried the Alexander's supermarkets?  The one I use most is on 
101A in Amherst, in Boston Road Plaza or something like that -- right
near Ponderosa.

They have both golden and white canned hominy, and I seem to think I
saw masa as well; the hominy is over one of the frozen food coolers
and is Goya brand (all the Mexican food is further down the same set
of shelves).  I'll be going shopping tomorrow and will look for the 
instant masa specifically; I could buy some for you if you aren't in 
a hurry (we'd have to work out how to get it from me to you but I'm 
sure we'd manage).


Jan

    Quaker makes masa harina - comes in a big round box like their oatmeal.
    I don't know who in NH sells it, though, since I live in central Mass.
    - try Star Market, if you live near one.  You might find other brands
    of it hidden in the "ethnic foods" section, too.
    
    I tried one time to make my one corn tortillas - it ain't worth it!
    Whattamess...  Anyhow, I don't think I have any masa harina around
    anymore.

       I went through the masa harina search about a year ago -- and with
    success (thank you, thank you)!!  
    
       I get my masa in a corner-type grocery store in Cambridge, near
    Harvard Square.  The name of the place is "Savenor's Supermarket", 
    92 Kirkland.  Every time we go there (not too often), we buy their
    entire shelf stock of 2 or 3 packages.  But don't worry, we won't be
    visiting them too soon!
    
       We make corn tortillas for tacos all the time.  It's not hard
    if you have a *good* tortilla press.
    
    --Sharon
    
    (Sorry it's not a little closer to NH!)
    
    (I think you'll have a tough time finding it in standard supermarkets. 
    We checked out a couple and inquired, and it turned out that they 
    used to carry it, but it was too slow-moving.)
    
    

Re:  my earlier reply

I did get to Alexander's this past weekend, and they had bags of a yellow
powder/meal called "Harina de maiz"  (hope I spelled it right).  It didn't
say instant, but is that what you are looking for?


Jan

    Re: Harina de maiz
    
    I'm not sure if "harina de maiz" is the same thing as "masa harina", so
    be careful!  I asked my fiance about it, and he thinks that "harina de
    maiz" is exactly what it translates to -- corn flour.  But "masa
    harina" has something added to it.  I'll check my bag of masa harina 
    for the ingredients, and I'll let you know.
    
    --Sharon
    

    Masa Harina comes in two varieties...Harina de Maiz and Harina de
    Trigo.  The Harino de Maiz variety is the type you use to make
    tamales and corn tortillas.   Harina de Trigo is the kind you
    use to make flour tortillas (haven't seen any of this type in
    New England...they do sell it in Albuquerque, however).  

    I didn't realize this until I looked at my "Masa Harina" bag this
    morning... "Masa Harina" is a trademark of Quaker.  So, it's just
    one company's version of "harina de maiz".
    
    --Sharon
    

                                      
    Well, but...
    
    "Harina" means flour,
    "Masa" means dough,
    "Ma�z" is corn and
    "Trigo is wheat.
    
    take your pick.
    
    Actually, the real name of the one you want is "Harina de Nixtamal", but
    as you do not have that one, take Quaker's Masa Harina. It's the best!.

  FYI - I just located two small grocery stores in downtown Nashua that stock
Masa Harina by Quaker, as well as another "instant tortilla" mix. 
The stores are Gomez Grocery and the Spanish-American grocery store.
The Spanish-American one had a much larger stock - we bought the last bag
at Gomez's!

  ...and to think we used to go down to Cambridge to get our Masa!

--Sharon