Dona Petrona C. de Gandulfo (c. 1896-1992) reigned as Argentina's
preeminent domestic and culinary expert from the 1930s through the
1980s. An enduring culinary icon thanks to her magazine columns,
radio programs, and television shows, she was likely second only to
Eva Peron in terms of the fame she enjoyed and the adulation she
received. Her cookbook garnered tremendous popularity, becoming one
of the three best-selling books in Argentina. Dona Petrona
capitalized on and contributed to the growing appreciation for
women's domestic roles as the Argentine economy expanded and fell
into periodic crises. Drawing on a wide range of materials,
including her own interviews with Dona Petrona's inner circle and
with everyday women and men, Rebekah E. Pite provides a lively
social history of twentieth-century Argentina, as exemplified
through the fascinating story of Dona Petrona and the homemakers to
whom she dedicated her career.
Pite's narrative illuminates the important role of food--its
consumption, preparation, and production--in daily life, class
formation, and national identity. By connecting issues of gender,
domestic work, and economic development, Pite brings into focus the
critical importance of women's roles as consumers, cooks, and
community builders.