Makiki Kitchen: Hawaii, Food, Life: Twilight and Tortillas

We love soft tacos, and sometimes take them for a picnic supper at Kapiolani Park in Waikiki. I make half-and-half tortillas with half masa marina (finely ground corn flour) and half wheat flour. They are wonderfully pliable and good with most any bean, meat, or vegetable filling. I got the recipe many years ago from a San Diego friend. I still have the printout she gave me. On one side are recipes for flour tortillas, corn tortillas, half-and-half tortillas, and a syrup (to go with “Bunelos”); on the other side is the cross-hatched score of a cribbage game that my friend and I played one long afternoon while waiting for a train.

The recipe couldn’t be simpler, though rolling out the tortillas takes a bit of work. I use a tortilla press, but a rolling pin will do, as will a smooth-sided drinking glass.

To make 16 to18 half-and-half tortillas use: 1½ cups masa harina, 1½ cups wheat flour,1 teaspoon dried yeast, a pinch sugar, 1½ teaspoons fine sea salt, 1½ cups warm water (or a little less), and 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Mix the yeast with 1 cup of the water and the pinch of sugar. Add the masa harina, wheat flour, olive oil, salt, and as much of the remaining water as needed to mix the dough. Knead the dough on a floured board until smooth. Let rest (covered with a damp cloth) 1 hour. Divide into 16 to 18 balls, flatten, and let rest 20 minutes (again covered with a damp cloth). With a tortilla press, rolling pin, or smooth-sided glass, roll out the balls, adding a little flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Heat a dry skillet to medium-high heat. Bake the tortillas a few minutes on each side. The sides will bubble up a bit and brown in places. Once baked, place the tortillas singly on a rack to cool. Reheat as desired in a dry skillet or wrapped in foil and placed in a 375 degree F oven for 15 minutes.

Here are the balls of tortilla dough resting: