Do?a Petrona (June 28, 1896 – February 6, 1992) was Argentina’s answer to Julia Child and Martha Stewart. From the 20s to the 80s, she was the domestic expert in the eyes of millions. To this day, her massive cookbook entitled El Libro de Do?a Petrona remains #3 on Argentina’s bestsellers list five decades after its initial publication. As a newlywed, my mom bought me edition No. 81. I think the publisher is on edition No. 102.
My first brush with La Do?a came not from the T.V., an old family cookbook, or from research. It came, appropriately enough, from an insult 28 years ago in my mother’s kitchen. Like Child and Stewart, Do?a Petrona had a bit of a personality. She had a commanding presence, one never more evident than in her cooking shows, where all of Argentina watched her lord over her poor assistant, Juanita Bordoy. I may have been ten years old and trying my hand at a pancakes recipe. I may have been bossing my mom around, asking her to fetch me this and that. I may have moved not a muscle to help her fetch said this and that.
She may have dropped a bag of flour on the counter, somewhat roughly, and said, “I AM NOT YOUR JUANITA!”
She may, to this day, call me La Do?a when I am in the kitchen.
I may be very, very bossy in and out of the kitchen.
But I will neither confirm nor deny.
When my mom gave me my 81st edition of the book, I decided I would prepare all the recipes. Then I realized it was in Spanish and used metric measurements. All of a sudden, the idea of a decorative cookbook sounded fabulous. I decided to wait for the English version. It’s been 11 years. Sixty years if you count the original publication date. Something tells me an English translation isn’t going to happen. (If I am wrong, and I would love to be wrong, please let me know!)
This means I have no choice but to crack this beast open and cook. I’ll translate the recipes and post them here with standard measure, even though I am now a fan of metric. I’m shooting for one recipe a week, and because the cookbook is the size of a door stop, I’m keeping it to recipes I can afford to make and am willing to eat. Sell aspic somewhere else, Do?a. I have my Spanish-English dictionary from college (also decades old–I think it was my mom’s college dictionary), an apron, and family willing to eat anything homemade. All I need is a beleaguered domestic servant and I am good to go! Better call my mom and see what she’s doing on Thursday.
I couldn’t resist. Here are some excerpts from Do?a Petrona’s T.V. show. Some moments of awesome to note:
- The way she makes the Pan Ducle (Pannettone) completely by hand like it’s nothing.
- The way the announcer breaks in and gives the recipe in the second video. Life before internet! There is no downloading of recipes. You sit your butt in front of the T.V. with a steno pad, a pencil, and a quick hand.
- The 1960s typeface.
- Juanita Bordoy’s patience. Or subservience. Yes, it is indicative of pervasive elitist attitude and a clearly defined class structure unfortunately quite common in Latin American countries, but damn. I don’t know how Juanita doesn’t dump a bowl of flour on Do?a Petrona’s head.
- Can you hear the difference in Spanish spoken in Argentina? Listen to to “y” and “ll.” It sounds like a zzh. Instead of “yo me llamo” it’s “zzho me zzhamo.”
- I’m fascinated by the way Do?a Petrona refers to her audience as “Se?ora” and uses the formal Usted. It’s as if she is talking to the housewives personally, but with respect and formality. This isn’t chit-chat among friends today, but her show was heralded for it’s “folksy” and approachable tone in the 50s and 60s.
Fascinating! I’m going to look into this lady, I’ve never heard of her. (And share it with mom for a good laugh :)
Do share the results of the recipes you make. Good luck!
Oh, what a fabulous idea … then you’ll share the recipes with us,yes?! I’m just thinking translation AND cooking could be calamitous. I have a hard enough time following instructions that are in my native tongue. Sigh.
Oops! Yes, I’ll be posting them here. I’ve updated the post to be more clear on that. See? I suck at blogging after I’ve been gone for a bit!
I am so excited about this! Congrats to you Miss Julieta this is an ambitious endeavor and I am sure it will be mouth watering delicious with just a dash of hijinks thrown in for good measure.
I love the introduccion to the 2 week menu. I’m curious as to what some of the recipes are and I speak spanish. Man, this is going to be so much fun!!!
This is most excellent on several levels Jules.
First off I am a superfan of bossy Argentines. I love when my friend Hernan comes over and loudly tells me how to run my life whilst eating my food and mussing my son’s hair. “Emily, me estas matando con la mantiquiszha de mani. Odio el peanut butter!” I keep him around even though hating peanutbutter is a sin.
Second, I am in the thick of a similar if way less ambitious cookbook project. I am 1/3 of a way through a Rick Bayless cookbook. I thought it would be stress-inducing, but it’s actually soothing to have a limited option of things to cook. I’ve been making a couple of recipes a week for the past few months. I can’t wait to see your recipes. I vote for alfajores and empandas de queso.
Wow you are brave! I absolutely love that you are doing this. Love love love! I can’t wait to see what you make, how it turns out and then try the recipes. This is all so exciting. Your blog is going to just explode in 2011 from all your great ideas and projects.
awesome. both the project and the clips. there is an english cook named fanny craddock you should check out. same general era and a similar…attitude…towards her kitchen help…but she also had a pretty spectacular look too..
OMG I am so excited for this. One of the most elegant ladies I know is from BA, and I’m always hoping you’ll talk more about everything Argentine so I can learn to be like her. [Did that sound creepy? Oh well.]
I grew up eating all kinds of recipies by her and hearing all kinds of references to her, yet I had completely forgotten about my own dusty copy of that book. Figuring out measurements and ingredient translations is a challenge, but having the book around at least gives me some reassurance that, if I were to ever want to eat the food I ate growing up, I could do so.
Since I really doubt I’ll be cracking the book open any time soon, I will live vicariously through you on this one and enjoy every bit of it.
oh Jules, only you could get me to spend 20 minutes of my life watching a video 50 years old of a woman kneading bread, speaking in a language I barely understand. And what are those things that keep falling out of the dough, raisins? Love it! Thanks for sharing more of ‘you’ :)
Yes, I think they were raisins! Raisins or some other dried fruit. I’m glad you like it. I was sooo nervous to publish this post. I’m even more nervous about the one coming tomorrow or Thursday! :)
This is really cool; who know Argentina had a Martha. I love it. Best of luck with the recipes, can’t wait to see how they turn out!
Amazing! I feel like there are so many situations in which “I AM NOT YOUR JUANITA!” could come in handy. Too bad no one around me would understand the context!
I know, right? It’s become our family “back off” warning. :)
Jules. A truly a pleasant shock to find this on your blog. I’ve been hearing about Dona Petrona for over 30 years from my husband who watched her shows with his mother growing up in Buenos Aires! And to see her make panettone which I also make every New Year! I will have to watch these videos very carefully so I can make it better next year! I can’t wait for more. Alfajores?
What a coicidence! And, yes, you can expect alfajores. They are The Mister’s favorite!
My husband’s too! I make dulce de leche. Do you?
Yes! I’ve made it the traditional way, with milk and sugar, and the easy way, with a can of sweetened and condensed milk. How about you? (I could never get the traditional way to thicken up the way I like it.)
Amazing. I look forward to your retelling each recipe in English. My espanol went out the window long ago.
Me too! I’ve made it both ways. I’m really careful though with the can thing because of all the warnings, making sure to keep the can immersed etc. I want to try the traditional way again though. And I think there’s a way to do it in the oven too. I’ve made alfajores several times too but can never get it perfect like the commercial ones. Oh now I want one!
I don’t submerge the can in water anymore. I open it, dump it in a double boiler, and let it cook sloooooowly until it darkens up! I end up having to replace the water in the double boiler a few times, too.
Oh that’s a great idea! I was fearful too. I heard too many stories of exploding manjar when I was in Chile.
Sorry I’m kind of late to the party Jules, i love that you’re taking on this challenge.
Surprisingly, I don’t own this cookbook (argentinean here).
Argentina’s present-day Martha Stewart is actually Maru Botana, google her sometime, apparently she’s a great cook and baker.
Oh, and let me know if you need any help with the translations, I’m constantly transalting recipes so I’m pretty good with technical terms. Not so much the measurements, though, I test as I go along.
How can i settle my debt with multiple creditors harassing me every week?