Wes Avila's Early Christmas tamales
To know when the tamales are done, shape two eyes and a smiley mouth with leftover masa and lay them on the foil that covers the pot. The masa will cook on top of the foil and become firm when the tamales are done.
Don't be afraid to experiment with fillings. I've used duck/oxtail/ artichoke/shrimp. I've even used Buffalo chicken made with Frank's RedHot buffalo sauce and Point Reyes blue cheese for the Super Bowl a couple of years back.
From the story: How Guerrilla Tacos does Christmas in L.A.