Julien “Slaps the Bottom of a Hot Pan” Solomita

julien making americanized dishes: an actual tornado, not a care in the world
julien making food of cultural significance: the kindest most respectful man in the whole wide world

2014 me: came for Jenna
2020 me: stayed for Julen

I am genuinely so baffled by how Julien can have the most precise knife-cuts I've ever seen and then repeatedly stick his hand in boiling water. The duality of man.

When the gentle part of the Aries comes out because he’s respectful

he wasn't this apologetic when he made that god forsaken minecraft abomination

tamales are difficult to make!! you did a really good job!
a few tips are--
spread the masa on the husk thin, put in the filling, then fold it over so the filling is inside and use strips of corn husk to tie the bundles together so they won't open!
keep on trying with new flavors! you got this! :)

They weren’t perfect but honestly, no tamal is perfect. You did a great job for someone who has never made them. No ones abuela is born with the knowledge of making several dozens of perfect tamales. They take years of practice.

"All the excitement I had......where did it go? Come back please"


Me with every new hobby I try to start

Julien being a culturally respectfully king is everything.

I love how honest this show is. He gives us all the failures, self-critiscm, stress of doin it to em. And I really appreciate that.

Juilen: I'm making tamales
Me: hmmm... I don't know
Julien: uses no measurements
Julien: uses Maseca
Julien: pours hot chicken broth
Me:  yup just like my mom

You should do a video where you guess how much is “half a teaspoon” or “3 cups” of different ingredients then compare it to how much it actually it is and see how close you are

This is the reason that when your abuela makes tamales, she makes enough to feed the whole damn town. It's labor intensive af but you can make a day of it and then have enough for the family, sell some to the neighbors, and freeze whatever's left.

Great first attempt! Tips from someone who has made tamales every year since I was born (35 years)
- hot liquid in the masa helps the oil stay melted, for my vegetarian sister we use Crisco which is just vegetable oil.
The masa should be more like soft peanut butter and you spread it like you would on a sandwich.
Make sure you look for the correct side of the husk, one is smoother and will make sure your tamales slide off the husk when cooked.
My family only folds the bottom and steams them bottom down.
The beans should placed in the middle after you spread the masa so when you wrap it the beans will be covered.
Try a slice of roasted green chili, a spoon of canned corn and cheese wrapped inside.
Also get helpers! It makes it so much easier and more fun.

just retitle this video to “Julien being insecure for 18 minutes before realizing he didn’t screw up the recipe”

The reason you didn’t see any “measurements” is because we Hispanics just pour or sprinkle until the spirit of our ancestors say “stop” 😉

My family doesn’t measure things out much either. My mom says you just keep going until your ancestors tell you that you’ve done enough.

Julien to Kermit: “Are you ready to make tamales?!”

Julien to Kermit, more quietly: “Have you ever had tamales..?”

Okay which one of y’all was rude to Julien in the comments that he’s so apologetic? I’ve never seen him be anything but respectful to other cultures’ food when he attempts it.

Good job, Julien. Tamales are not as easy as they look, but yours look pretty damn good. Especially for a first attempt.