Photo by Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion Emaline Cruickshank, left, helps her younger brother, Tyler Cruickshank, prepare balls of corn flour dough to be made into fresh tortillas during a workshop on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 at the Kenai Community Library in Kenai, Alaska.

Photo by Megan Pacer/Peninsula Clarion Emaline Cruickshank, left, helps her younger brother, Tyler Cruickshank, prepare balls of corn flour dough to be made into fresh tortillas during a workshop on Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016 at the Kenai Community Library in Kenai, Alaska.

Rolling out the dough

Kenai residents found out they can create the taste of authentic, fresh corn tortillas in their own kitchens through a class at the local library.

Through its ongoing Do-It-Yourself programming, the Kenai Community Library hosted a tortilla-making workshop on Thursday, which about 10 residents attended.

Library Assistant for Information Technology Ryanna Thurman taught the class, which she said came pretty easily despite never having made tortillas from scratch before herself.

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“They’re super easy to make,” Thurman said. “I just trained myself. One night of cooking and you’ll understand how they work.”

She got the idea to host the class while attending a symposium, Thurman said.

The flour specifically has to be treated with lime in order for the tortillas to turn out right, she said.

Four cups of flour, four cups of water and a little kneading later, area residents filled the room ripe with the smell of fresh corn flour.

Among them were Chris Cruickshank and Caroline Willis, and their children, Tyler and Emaline Cruickshank, who jumped at the chance to get their hands dirty during the demonstration.

The family members are already avid users of the library and attend its functions, Willis said.

“We’ve come to the lego night, and the kids really enjoy lego night,” she said. “We cook at home.”

Emaline and Tyler, who said they enjoy making things like pizza, gravy and pancakes at home, said they would be open to making tortillas now that they know how.

“It’s always the most delicious when they’re hot off the griddle, and fresh, and then you don’t get all the additives, so they’re a good healthy alternative,” Thurman said.

 

Reach Megan Pacer at megan.pacer@peninsulaclarion.com.

 

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