euskalkultura.eus

Well-known Basque-Argentine writer from Coronel Moldes includes in her book Country Basque Cooking some 50 recipes inherited from her immigrant grandparents.  “The idea is to recovery the memory of our families,” she said in an interview (that follows) published in the local newspaper Puntal after her appearance on the TV show ”My Way” on Channel 13, along with others form the Gure Ametza Basque Club in Rio Cuarto. 

Particia Rossia/ Coronel Moldes, Argentina.  Marita Echave travels the country to spread the aromas and flavors of Basque cooking that have left an indelible mark of the meals prepared by her immigrant grandparents who came to this country and added the flavors from home.  

Through her book Country Basque Cooking, the well-known writer has spread the culture of her ancestors for years in an original way, through the recipes that are included in her book.

“It was published five years ago, and i am no won the third or fourth edition.  I have now visited 30 Basque clubs across the country, where I present the book as well as prepare some of the recipes,” she said in her conversation with Puntal.

She speaks passionately about her 10th book now that she has more experience in the field of writing.  “I recover the memory of my grandparents in this book, when they came to Argentina and the meals that they brought from the Basque Country.  But when they arrived they wanted to make them, and realized that the same ingredients weren’t available here,” so they had to update the recipes.

In 178 pages the writer makes a path through the history of the Basque immigrants through more than 50 recipes with family photos and some from the Basque Country, as well as some Basque refrains.

Each meal has a prologue where Maria Echave explains the value that each ingredient has in the recipe.

Her grandparents, Francisca Aguirre Aranguren and Lorenzo Echave Aramberri, transmitted the love of the Basque tradition to Marita.

In regards to cooking, there are many recipes that are on the table in many homes on a daily basis,” without knowing that they are Basque.  Like rice pudding, stew, tortilla,” she explains.

The writer clarifies that it isn’t about gourmet cooking, but country cooking instead: “I show that these récipes are from the Basque farmhouse and the mountains so they include a lot of lamb, poultry, pork, and vegetables among other ingredients.  There is little fish.  They are meals made in pots,” she says.

Over the years of touring the country to present her book, she continues to meet families of Basque descent with whom she identifies through some story.

“It’s beautiful, because there is an immediate identification.  After presenting the book and cooking, we taste it tighter and that’s when the anecdotes begin, there is something that we all have in common with our grandparents, whether it be in respect to cooking, education, life style, sayings.  In the end, our grandparents brought the culture with them, and we have incorporated it.”

And again we are reminded of these unique flavors and aromas, and our relatives associated with them: grandparents, parents, cousins who shared the family tables with us.

Immigrant Biographies

Through touring and interacting with various Basque clubs in the country, a new challenge has arisen for this writer, lawyer and former Philosophy teacher that is writing fictionalized biographies of the Basque immigrants who she has met along the way.  “I already have several compiled and continue to add more.”

Restless and always looking for new projects, Maria is also a founding member of the Rio Cuarto Basque club, Gure Ametza, along with a group of families residing in Coronel Moldes they have also formed the local club called Gure Zainak (our roots)

 (Published on 11-4-16 in El Puntal)

I you would like a copy of Country Basque Cooking, or if you would like Marita to visit your club, you can contact her through Facebook or via email: haize13@gmail.