So inspired by the culture of Argentina, Jamberoo’s Rachel Tolosa Paz, decided it was only fitting she write a book to offer readers a unique insight into life in the South American country.
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The Food of Argentina – created together with chef Ross Dobson – is part travel, part cookbook and highly pictorial.
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Tolosa Paz travelled to Argentina in 2014 to take part in a writing residency in the town of La Plata, 50 kilometres south of Buenos Aires.
The residency was meant to last only two months, however Paz fell in love with the town and the culture in Argentina, and so decided to stay and live there for almost a year.
“When I returned to Australia I was looking to produce a book about Argentina as I felt it was a place that doesn't receive a lot of attention in Australia, but in many ways Argentina and Australia share a lot in common,” she said.
“I knew it would be difficult to publish a book on Argentina, so I started to think a cookbook could work as a way to reach a wider audience, but also as a format I would be able to talk about the social culture in Argentina that I loved so much.”
Tolosa Paz approached her longtime friend, Ross Dobson, who had many years of experience with food and writing cookbooks, including the award-winning Fired Up!.
“Luckily for me, he loved the idea,” she said.
“Ross wrote the recipes for the book, I shot the location photography (in Argentina) and food photography (in Australia) and wrote the introductions to the chapters, which became much more an exploration of the way that Argentinians are in different social settings.”
Tolosa Paz took on the project having no experience with food or cooking.
She finished a Masters in Non-Fiction Writing at Sydney’s University of Technology in 2013, before working as a photographer's assistant prior to making her way to Argentina.
“I had travelled a lot, but had never been to South America so I decided to apply for residencies there. I was accepted into the program at Residencia Corazon and off I went,” Tolosa Paz said.
“I really had no expectations whatsoever – I didn't speak Spanish and I really had no understanding of life in Argentina at all. But as soon as I arrived I found a culture of extremely social and welcoming people.
“Everything in Argentina revolves around being together and eating and drinking is the glue that brings family and friends together.”
Tolosa Paz grew up in Coolah in Central West NSW, she was struck by how similar Argentina was to her hometown.
“In small towns people need to be in touch with their neighbours and there is a sense of community, and you find this ten-fold in Argentina,” she said.
“What I also loved is that Argentines really know how to talk and they are well versed in the art of conversation.
“They know how to tell a good story because they have spent many hours of their lives training at asados – barbecues that last many hours, perhaps all day and night – and drinking mate, a tea that is drunk communally from one cup and straw, so you sit with friends and drink for as long as the conversation lasts.
“I ended up marrying an Argentine and my husband and I now live in Jamberoo with our four month old son.”
The book is structured around the ways Argentines come together to eat and is made up of four chapters:
- AFUERA; (Spanish word for 'outside') and contains recipes for meals one might find in restaurants and cafes in Argentina.
- EN CASA; (Spanish word for 'at home') and contains recipes for home-cooked meals and what one might find if they venture into the home of an Argentine. More than 50 per cent of the population has Italian heritage so you are quite likely to find a home-cooked pasta if you visit an Argentine family.
- ASADO; Families come together on Sundays to share an asado - the quintessential Argentine barbecue.
- LA MERIENDA; (Spanish word for ‘afternoon tea’) This chapter has cakes and biscuits and all manner of afternoon tea fare. Argentines don't eat dinner until 10pm at night and as such they need a stop gap at around 5-6pm to carry them through until dinner. As with all Argentine meals, they are never eaten on the run. Argentines always take the time to sit down and take time out of their day and most importantly, this allows for a long chat with family, friends or strangers.
“Each chapter has an introduction which explains some of the rituals and social customs of eating in Argentina,” Tolosa Paz said.
“The recipes are easy to follow and generally easy to prepare for a large number of guests.
“Argentines don't particularly like spicy food, so the flavours are very mild and Australians might be surprised to find lots of familiar dishes.”
