Food Critic Turns Love Of Tamales Into Online Musical Tribute

By: Joe Strupp It's not unusual for food critics to rave on and on with loving adjectives about a particular dish. But Ed Murrieta of The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., has taken it to a new level -- putting his admiration to music.

Murrieta, who has waxed poetic about local vittles and victuals as the News Tribune's food critic for more than three years, wanted so much to share his love of tamales with readers that just writing about the Mexican specialties was not enough.

So when the paper posted his latest feature story on Wednesday about what he termed "bundles of corn dough filled with savory and sweet ingredients," Murrieta also included, on his blog, a song he had written about his love of the delicacy.

Titled, "My Lady of Tamales," the tune, recorded by local singer Dave Barfield, also was purchased by a local company, HGI Publishing.

"At work, we are supposed to think multimedia angles," said Murrieta, 42, who says he cannot sing, but likes to "write songs and make noise on the guitar." He said the song idea came to him in November as he walked his dog and got a hankering for one of his favorite dishes.

"I was in a song mood and in the mood for tamales," he recalls.
Within a month, the song was written, recorded and sold.

Among the lyrics: "She cooks every morning/each one made by hand/Tamales, tamales/made in her new land. Days on the corner/nights door to door/selling tamales/and giving her soul."

"This is the only song I've ever written about food," Murrieta said when asked if other cooking-related tunes might follow. "If it is appropriate to food, yes."

Murrieta said he had used his blog on one earlier occasion to add a multimedia element to a story. In July, when he wrote about artisan jerky, a video showing the jerky-making process, with his narration, was posted on the blog.

There was also the song he wrote about Bill Clinton in 1992, titled, "Give Bill a Chance." "It got played once on one Arkansas radio station," he remembers. "And I received a letter of receipt from the White House, but it did not say if they listened to it."

As for tamales, Murrieta said a loving song adds a touch of warmth to the dish that mere words of praise cannot. "I wanted it to be about that heartfelt tender special bundle that tamales represent."

The song can be heard at:

http://blogs.thenewstribune.com/edsdiner/2007/12/19/i_blog_the_
songs_that_make_tamales_sing

The song's lyrics are posted below:

************************

MY LADY OF TAMALES Ed Murrieta
She cooks every morning, each one made by hand. Tamales, tamales, made in her new land. /Days on the corner, nights door to door. Selling tamales and giving her soul. /2 for 2 dollars, best meal in town/. Her red sauce is spicy, her mole's deep brown/. Each holy bundle. /Each little loving bite. /TAMALES! TAMALES!/ She's my saint tonight.

From Hermosillo, she took Joaquin's hand. /An American dream, she cooks for him. /Crossing the desert, she fed all the men/. Tamales from home, the best they ever had. /Now she nurses her babies alone in the van/. She buried Joaquin's body in the hot coyote sand/. Each holy bundle. /Each little loving bite. /TAMALES! TAMALES!/ She's my saint tonight.

She cooks like my Mama and looks like her too/. Taste my Mama's kitchen, I'm her Mijo again. /Cornmeal and lard, spice of her kiss. /Hugged with a husk, an embrace that I miss. /Each holy bundle/. Each little loving bite/. TAMALES! TAMALES!/ She's my saint tonight.

Mission, Olvera, the bars of Barrio Street. /Tamales, tamales -- savory and sweet. /Come closing time, she's fed every drunk /viejo, pachucho, priest, cop and punk. /Golden corn and banana leaves steamed. /Green olives, chicken, black olives, beef. /Each holy bundle/. Each little loving bite/. TAMALES! TAMALES!/ She's my saint tonight.