Title: Tortillas de masa  (corn tortillas)
 Categories: Breads, Mexican
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      2 c  Masa Harina
      1 ts Salt
      2 tb Margarine
  1 1/4 c  Warm water
 
  Mix masa harina and salt.  Add margarine. Add warm water all at once
  and use fingers to work mixture into a soft dough. Knead dough until
  no longer sticky. Divide dough into 12-16 balls; cover and let dough
  rest 20 minutes at room temperature.Place a small square of wax paper
  on the bottom part of open tortilla press. Place a ball almost on the
  center of the wax paper (a little more towares the hinge of the press
  than the handle). Place a second wax paper square, well flattened, on
  top of the ball. Close the press down firmly until the torilla
  measures about six inches in diameter. Peel the top wax paper off the
  dough. Pick up the second wax paper square and place the flattened
  dough onto the palm of your hand. Then peel off the wax paper and
  place the tortilla onto a moderately hot griddle. In a few seconds
  the edges of the tortilla will begin to dry out. At this point, turn
  the tortilla. Allow the second side to cook for a slightly longer
  period until it is slightly browned. Flip it back onto the first side
  and let it finish cooking. Allow 2 minutes cooking time per tortilla.
  Delicious served with any Mexican dish.  Serves 6-8.
  
  Notes:
  
  A tortilla press is a cast iron press for pressing corn tortillas and
  tamales into flat thin circles.  [One could probably use a (cold)
  round waffle iron, assuming that it has a flat (pancake) side in
  addition to the bumpy (waffle) side.]
  
  Masa is freshly ground daily at tortilla factories.  Corn is soaked
  in lime water and then cooked and rinsed before grinding.  Lime aids
  as a preservative and adds color.  Fresh masa is best for tamales and
  corn tortillas, but instant masa is also available.
  
  From Lucy M. Garza's _South Texas Mexican Cookbook_, Eakin Press,
  1982. ISBN 0-89015-344-2.
  
  From: Laura Ann Wallace