🌮.  Hot Tamales! You’ve heard of them! Now you can experience them, the MAiiZ Nixtamal way at FernFest. Meet the Maker, Chef Israel!

🌮.  Saturday, June 25 from noon to ‘sold out’ at Fernwood Rd & Gladstone Ave

🌮.  What are tamales? A traditional Mexican dish made with a (gluten-free) corn-based dough mixture, filled with a chicken, beef, refried beans, then wrapped in a banana leaf. Enjoy with your fave sauce, rice, guacamole or all of the above!

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“I want to feel proud about the food I produce, and I want people to feel good about what they are eating!” Chef Israel Alvarez Molina

MAiiZ Nixtamal Tortillas are made from certified organic corn grown in Armstrong, BC and lab-tested to be gluten free. Chef Israel Alvarez Molina’s technique, inspired in the traditional Mesoamerican Nixtamalization process is more than just authentic, providing taste and structure. MAiiZ Nixtamal Tortillas have flavour, aroma, texture and elasticity. When eating a Nixtamal Taco you don’t just taste the corn, you taste the process.

• Maiiz.ca • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • Contact • 778-433-1544

SHOP ONLINE for everything you need to ‘A-MAiiZ!’
CARRYING RETAILERS & RESTAURANTS!

PATIO DINING! Enjoy your take-out and watch the world go by. First come first served. Reservations accepted.

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Testimonials

• “Se siente el sabor de Mexico! I can taste the flavour of Mexico” @gtcanni
• “I love how the tortillas held together perfectly without breaking or getting soggy.” @propitiouspig

Carrying Retailers (call ahead to confirm)

• MAiiZ at 540 Fisgard St (Open Tuesday to Sunday) – see map
• Beauregard Cafe & Provisions
• Charelli’s Cheese Shop & Delicatessen
• Coco’s Provisions
• Cold Comfort Canteen
• Community Farm Store (Duncan)
• Country Grocer (Royal Oak & Esquimalt) 
• Fairway Markets (all locations) 
• Farm and Field Butcher
• For Good Measure James Bay
• Great Greens Farm Market
• Lifestyle Markets 
• Michell’s Farm Market
• Mother Nature’s Market & Deli
• Mt Doug Market
• Neighbourly Store
• Niche Grocerant
• NomadEx
• Old Farm Market (Oak Bay)
• Peppers Foods
• Pomme Natural Markets Nanaimo
• Rock Bay Market
• The Local General Store
• The Market Garden
• The Root Cellar
• Urban Grocer
• more …

What exactly is Nixtamalization?

• Corn holds the memory of culture, tradition, indigenous practices and history for many in Mexico. Nixtamalization, masa, fresh cooked tortillas; these textures and smells are ingrained within the best culinary experiences and come from a place of memory and authenticity.

• Nixtamalization is the process of chemically transforming dried corn kernels into a dough which is then used in a wide variety of Mexican dishes.

• Dried corn kernels is boiled in an alkaline solution using pickling lime (also known as slaked lime or calcium hydroxide) and then left to soak overnight. When the corn is drained and rinsed some of the outer membrane layer is loosened and rubbed off. Corn that has gone through this process is now called nixtamal, or in some cultures, hominy.

• The wet nixtamal is then ground to a dough using a specialized mill. The result is a silky, slightly elastic fresh “masa” dough that squiggles out the grinder. The masa is shaped into small balls called testalitos and pressed to create fragrant, soft, flavourful tortillas with a unique smell of Mexico!

How does this change the corn?

• The nixtamalization process not only transforms corn structurally, but also nutritionally. Corn on its own is seen as a low source of nutrition, often associated with pellagra, a disease caused by vitamin B3 deficiency common to impoverished communities where the process of nixtamalization was not introduced with corn.

• This issue can be traced back to the colonization of the Americas when corn was taken by Europeans to grow as a crop around the globe, but the nixtamalization process was not. This resulted in widespread disease and malnutrition. Through the process of nixtamalization the calcium in corn is increased as is the quality of protein absorbed by the body. Additionally, phytic acid is reduced making it easier for the body to absorb important minerals unlocked by the alkaline solution used during the nixtamalization process.

What is the cultural importance?

• “When you are an immigrant you go through a lot of stages to find an identity in your new home. The part of my life that I could not find was my diet. I could adapt to a different climate, harsh weather, assimilate into the culture and learn a new language, but deep inside of me nixtamal was missing. There is so much history and culture behind this process which is the foundation of Mexican Cuisine. The aroma, texture, flavour and feeling of a fresh Nixtamal Tortilla doesn’t compare to anything else, it’s like freshly brewed coffee when you’ve had instant coffee all your life. This transformative experience is something that everyone deserves.

Join Bake My Day for a very special Victoria appearance at Dickens Fair!

Saturday, December 2nd from 10am to 4:00
140 Oswego Street  – James Bay Community Centre
jamesbaymarket.com/dickens-fair • Facebook • Instagram

Expect Dale with a full range of her very best from delectable tarts to Christmas Cake & Pudding, Festive Tarts and all the savouries from Chicken Pot Pies to Sausage Rolls. Pre-orders welcome: office@bakemyday.ca

Celebrating its 42nd year, this is one of Victoria’s oldest and best-loved Winter Craft Fairs. Our carefully curated Vancouver Island and Gulf Island artisans offer an amazing variety of affordable handmade and homemade products. With over 50 vendors there will be something for everyone! Admission $3. Free for Children under 12 (accompanied by an Adult)

Chicken Pot Pie (dairy-free)

Regular shortcrust pastry base, but with an added twist of a Puff Pastry lid. Hertel’s delicious sausage meat, lots of garlic and herbs, potatoes and veggies.. The different textures make it pop!

Ready-to-bake, gluten-free and dairy-free! Apply an egg wash to the short-crust pastry and pop into a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees in several spots. Then presto: you’ve got yourself a creamy (coconut milk) and satisfying chicken pot pie dinner!

Festive Tart (Thanksgiving & Christmas Treat)

Bake My Day’s fabulous gluten-free tarts, turnovers, pies, hand pies and sausage rolls  are created in a dedicated gluten-free facility from documented to be gluten-free ingredients.

Enjoy these sumptuous delicacies on the spot and / or purchase ready-to-bake versions to take home and savor, warm from your own oven.  Dale’s pie shells and groundbreaking, ready-to-roll puff pastry dough let you become the gluten-free chef you’ve always wanted to be. Ask about their dairy-free options.

• Outlet Store at 3030 Dogwood Road, Duncan (Tuesday to Saturday 7am to 3pm)
• Carrying retailers, restaurants and cafés … 
• Product Tips

VICTORIA & DUNCAN

Bake My Day is now listed with the Cowichan Co-op Marketplace (Cow-op). Order online and pick up your selection at central locations.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

• Order online from Friday 12pm to Tuesday midnight 12am (PST).
• Victoria Customers pick up orders on Thursdays between noon-5pm at Olive the Senses (1701 Douglas St.).
• Duncan customers pick up between 3-6pm at Cowichan Green Community (360 Duncan St).

Puff Pastry Tips from Dale! 

• “If you have time, it’s best to thaw puff pastry overnight in the fridge.
• If you don’t have time, thaw it on the counter until it’s pliable enough to unfold without cracking, but still cool to the touch. Keep a close eye on it — if the dough feels very limp, refrigerate it for 30 minutes to help it firm up again.
• One of the biggest mistakes you can make is leaving it on the counter for too long. A room-temperature atmosphere will cause the puff pastry to wilt and become floppy. That, in turn, will make the layers stick, and render it almost impossible to work with. If your puff pastry gets too soft, return it to the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes before moving forward.
• Lightly roll out the puff pastry: Dust the top of the puff with just a little GF flour, then use a rolling pin to lightly roll. Puff pastry should be rolled out to approx. 4-5 mm depth.
• Follow any puff pastry recipe, remembering that ALL pastry (gluten-­free or not) ­ bakes off flakiest when chilled for a short time before baking in a hot oven ie 10-15 min in freezer first after making your ‘creation.’
• If you’re making a filled pastry, like a pot pie, for example, cut a few vents in the dough so hot air can escape and circulate as it bakes. If you skip this step, and you’ll have a soggy interior.
• We generally egg wash pastry before baking to give it that yummy golden colour
• A very general rule for baking the puff pastry is the following – bear in mind that oven temperatures vary.
• Set the oven to 200° C (400° F – gas 6) and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes to 25 minutes. Check after 20 minutes as it’s easy to burn the edges from cooking for too long.
• Scraps can be gathered up and be re­used. Make sure that scraps are layered on top of each other – not scrunched up into a ball, before re-rolling.”

Ready to Eat!

Ready to Bake!