A Memorable Afternoon with Mirta Rinaldi
by
Jacqueline Quinones
Mirta also has had several articles written about
her in Oprah Magazine (2018), Food and Wine Magazine (Sept and
Dec 2021), Women’s Issue in Edible Queens (2018). Mirta’s
cooking career with the League of Kitchens and family history in
Argentina are covered in a half hour pilot show titled “From Grandma with Love” produced by Everywoman Productions and The
Magnolia Network on Discovery Plus. Follow her on Instagram mendulcina/ or website mendulcina.com you can find a link
tree to the movie.
Mirta is well known for her alfajores de maizena
(shortbread cookies stuffed with dulce de leche) which are her specialty. She
holds cooking classes at her apartment, so Las Comadres New York City decided
to attend one of her classes. Mirta was delighted and added a Mate ceremony for
the group before the class.
Little did we know that we would experience an
amazing food and culture retreat. Mirta and her daughter welcomed us with a
homemade lemonade that was very refreshing and smooth to the palate. She told
us stories about Argentinian history and culture. Many of the items displayed
in her apartment tell the story of Argentina through pictures, historical
classical books, and her incredible collection of Mates. Mirta explained the
history of the gauchos, how mate is cultivated, and the significance of community
it represents. She also demonstrated the different types of mates (yerba mate
with stems, without stems, and other herbs) and had a small table with
individual servings of aromatics, like orange peel and
coconut flakes that could be added to the mate.
Mirta also brought us to her balcony where she grows fresh herbs like basil,
oregano and mint which we could add to the yerba mate. In Argentina, they drink
Yerba Mate daily. They use hollowed out gourds to make the mate cups and a
metal bombilla functions as a straw.
This is the second time I attended an event hosted by Mirta and she never disappoints. There was a spectacular, colorful and charming table setting with individual silver plates set up to drink mate with Quince jelly, decorated butter, and fancy wooden picks to gather olives and other finger foods. The table also had a spread of appetizers like “matambre” which is cold meat stuffed with spinach, hardboiled egg, and carrots. There was also a variety of Argentinian cheeses like Cascara Colorada, (Gouda), Cuartirolo (Port Salud), tea sandwiches, dulce de batata, and her own homemade Quince paste which is a recipe passed down in her family. After our Mate ceremony, we were led to the kitchen where she showed us how to make the dough for the alfajores and then we all took turns preparing them to bake. Once baked, we assembled them to add dulce de leche and coconut flakes. It was a simple recipe to make even though there were several steps. They were mildly sweet and delicious.
Mirta went all out by baking a Membrillo pie called Pastafrola that had the name of Las Comadres on it. Mirta also makes homemade membrillo (Quince) to sell, if interested in buying some, check out her Instagram mendulcina and her website mendulcina.com. It was a day to remember. Such a great feeling of sisterhood, amazing food and an afternoon enriched with history and culture. Thank you, Mirta, for an unforgettable special time.
If you are interested in scheduling a mate
ceremony and/or a cooking class that are reasonably priced, especially for
Comadres, please visit her website at mendulcina.com to make
reservations. Enjoy the pictures and definitely consider treating yourself,
friends and family to one of Mirta’s classes, it will be an experience of a
lifetime.
This article is part of
the Fall 2023 issue of the Comadres Connect Newsletter.
Copyright @2023 Las
Comadres Para Las Americas
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