# A few things I learned in Italy about Italian food



## urmaniac13 (Sep 20, 2005)

Ciao again!!  As I have mentioned a few times, living in Italy I came to realise there are some big gaps between the Italian cuisine which are actually made in Italy and what are believed as "Italian foods" outside the country.  For those who are interested I would like to "introduce" some of the differences and misinterpretations.  I would like to remind you all that I don't intend to be a smart a$$ or dis any of the "foreign versions", as some of them are quite good in their own rights, it is just that some of the stuff you have long believed to be "the Italian gourmet" are not really Italian at all!!

Firstly, a few example of general practice in Italian kitchens... many of the recipes are surprisingly simple with relatively few ingredients.  They focus more on freshness and the quality, and make sure you can enjoy the flavour of the each item to the full extent.  When they cook pasta, they never rinse it after being cooked.  When you use enough water, the pasta shouldn't be sticky.  Each servings of pasta is much smaller than that of foreign measure, because the pasta is only "primi", the first course, there are the "secondi", other plates to follow.  In proper dinner, there are usually 5 courses, antipasti(appetizer), primi(first course, pasta, risotto etc) then secondi (fish or meat), contorni (vegetable side dishes) then either fruit or dessert.  In everyday supper/tea, it is often shortened to primi-secondi-fruits/dessert. On to a little more particular aspects...

-Some of the plates that are prominent in so many Italian restaurants, like "Fettucini Alfredo", "Caesar's Salad", "Chicken parmesan", "Pasta Primavera", "Tetrazzini", and, oh  "Italian salad dressing" are purely foreign invention, here in Italy they would have no idea what they could possibly be!!

-"Garlic Bread" that so many folks eat with pasta and pizza...  for appetizers they eat "Bruschetta" (toasted crusty bread, smeared with garlic and then topped with chopped fresh tomatoes), or "Crostini" (again toasted crusty bread, with variety of toppings), but "Garlic bread" as eaten everywhere else is utterly unknown in Italy, you would get a bemused look if you requested it here!!

-"Spaghetti Meatballs".... Many folks do like Ragu, bolognese sauce, or meat sauce, but throwing "meatballs" (or polpetti) into spaghetti is not a very appealing idea to the Italians, as "spaghetti" is considered as the first course, and "meatballs" are considered a part of "second course", the two just don't mix like this... 

-"Peperoni Pizza".... if you order this in Italy you will get a pizza with bell pepper on it.  As in Italian bell peppers are called "peperoni".  In some cases they do use some spicy version of "SALAME" on pizza, but greasy salami are not particularly the most popular choice here. 

-"Marinara Sauce"... They do exist, but they are sauces with seafood, as "marinara" indicates something to deal with ocean.  "Marinara sauce" as you guys know is simply referred to "Sugo pomodoro" (Tomato sauce), or just simply "Sugo". 

"Manicotti" only means tubes used in constructions etc. (i.e. sewer pipe)  Nobody here would associate this word with anything edible.  The tubed pasta filled with spinach and ricotta cheese is also called "Canelloni", just like the meat version. 

-"Biscotti", those crunchy biscuits with nuts are called "Cantuccini", one of Tuscan specialty.  If you say Biscotti, it means any and all tipe of biscuits / cookies. 

Just a few curious facts and "food for thought" for the day... I hope some of you find it interesting!!


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## Piccolina (Sep 20, 2005)

Ciao urmaniac13,

Come va? I really enjoyed reading your post, marrying into an Italian family (my husband was born in Rome), I only intensified my love of Italian cooking, and bought a couple books that are considered tomes of Italian cooking. Where I got a crash course in "real Italian cooking". Indeed these things you mention and many others are true. 

North American (& rest of the world) Italian creations are similar in many ways to how we in the west have created Chinese and Indian dishes that were not born on the respective soils of those countries!

Another neat thing is that traditioanally pizza did not contain cheese, as I'm sure you know

Grazie for sharing these fun facts


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## thumpershere2 (Sep 20, 2005)

So very interesting, thanks for all the info. Guess I would of felt pretty stupid in Italy ording food. Not that I will ever get over there.


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## GB (Sep 20, 2005)

Great info and very interesting to read. I bet we would find similar types of things comparing Americanized ethnic food to the real thing. American Chinese food for example is nothing like what they eat in China. Just as Italians would not know what chicken parm is, I bet the Chinese would have no idea what General Tsos Chicken is as well.

Thanks urmaniac13. Now if I ever go to Italy (which I really hope to do) I will have some valuable info


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## Robo410 (Sep 20, 2005)

excellent post.  It is true that immigrants mix their ethnic customs with available local ingredients to create new recipes.  And what might have been slang in the home country becomes the designation in the new.


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## Constance (Sep 20, 2005)

One thing I've heard Mario Batali say over and over is that we Americans use way more sauce on our pasta than they do in Italy...there, it's just a condiment for the for the pasta.


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## Piccolina (Sep 20, 2005)

> One thing I've heard Mario Batali say over and over is that we Americans use way more sauce on our pasta than they do in Italy...there, it's just a condiment for the for the pasta.


I think it's true, I love to drown my pasta in sauce most of the time (especially cream sauces), but my hubby likes just enough to coat the pasta lightly. In fact there is often a pile of sauce left on his plate if I've been too liberal with my sauce distribution


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## Chopstix (Sep 20, 2005)

Thanks for sharing Licia!  Very interesting!  I've always wanted to visit Italy, especially Tuscany, Venice and Rome.  One of the my many reasons is the great food.  One of these days, it will happen...


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## amcardon (Sep 20, 2005)

My Dad used to live in Italy and the things you mentioned are things that drive him crazy!  I'll have to refer him to this post so he can see he's not the only one who thinks it's blasphemy (maybe a little too strong...) to call some things Italian when they have absolutely no Italian origin...


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 20, 2005)

I am glad you guys found these tidbits interesting and useful... it would be also nice to hear about similar input from someone in the know with indian cuisine, mexican cuisine etc etc....!!


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## Paolita (Sep 20, 2005)

Hi!!!!

I totally agree with you on the "American" versions of Italian food. My grandfather is Italian and he doesnt eat to live but rather lives to eat. So I know all these differences. Nevertheless, I just love alfredo sauce on my pasta and italian dressing on my salad.

When I was in China, I ate some things I think no western person could ever think of. The food in China is just so different from the Chop Suey drive thru.

I guess it is just a matter of interpretation but for those who are interested, mexican burritos are also an American invention. No mexican across the border will ever serve burritos for dinner. 

Oh, and Santa Claus is just a marketing gimmick of Coca cola. The traditional version of Santa is St. Nicholas.


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 20, 2005)

Paolita said:
			
		

> I guess it is just a matter of interpretation but for those who are interested, mexican burritos are also an American invention. No mexican across the border will ever serve burritos for dinner.
> 
> Oh, and Santa Claus is just a marketing gimmick of Coca cola. The traditional version of Santa is St. Nicholas.


 
And I bet no chihuahua in Mexico would want Taco Bell, either!! 

In Italy, the real St. Nick is called "Babbo Natale"!!


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## Piccolina (Sep 20, 2005)

> In Italy, the real St. Nick is called "Babbo Natale"


And it's a tooth mouse, not a tooth fairy...or so I've been told


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## corazon (Sep 20, 2005)

ICadvisor said:
			
		

> And it's a tooth mouse, not a tooth fairy...or so I've been told


 
That is so funny!  I just got an image of a mouse with huge human size teeth in its mouth.


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 20, 2005)

whoa Jessica, I didn't know that one!!  I must ask Cristiano this evening, oh wait better ask Lucilla, his daughter... she's got one loose tooth about to fall off!!


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## Piccolina (Sep 20, 2005)

> whoa Jessica, I didn't know that one!! I must ask Cristiano this evening, oh wait better ask Lucilla, his daughter... she's got one loose tooth about to fall off!!


I wonder if it is the same through out the whole country??? I know that when my husband told me I thought the idea was a bit scary, mice are not the sort of thing I'd like to imagine crawling around under my pillow...


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 20, 2005)

Well depend on what kind of mouse... I wouldn't mind my little Napoleon around my pillow I just have to be careful not to squish him...







 Napoleone, my white hammy!!


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## Paolita (Sep 20, 2005)

In Spanish, or at least in Colombia, a mouse whose last name is Perez comes around looking for teeth too!!!


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## pdswife (Sep 20, 2005)

Thanks!  You took a lot of time to think about this.  Nice!


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## Yakuta (Sep 20, 2005)

Thanks for sharing.  I always wonder how food get's transformed to suit the palate of the audience.  I am sure all cuisines go through these transformations. 

I know about Indian cuisine.  There are many dishes that are altered to suit the American palate.  Dishes like papadums (called papads in India) are accompainements with rice and dal (not dahl) but here in the US, restaurants serve them as appetizers with dipping sauces. 

Chicken tikka masala to me is a totally western concoction.  I never heard of it in India and I grew up there.  A lot of recipes here are embellished with cream and sour cream which is not readily available in India. 

Use of packaged curry powders is not something you find in Indian households (yes not even in the US).   A lot of these powders are specifically made for the western market.  

The term chutney has also undergone a transformation - cranberries to apples to anything and everything under the sun can now be combined to make a chutney.  Just throw in some ginger and curry powder along with sugar and you have a chutney.  Again in India chutney refers to a specific preparation of herbs (such as mint or cilantro chutney).  Most of the other prepartion with fruits and veggies are called Achaars.  There are both sweet and savory achaars.  

Finally packaged naans are nowhere to be found in India (well maybe now they must be but they surely were not when I was there).  Indian's eat roti (simple bread made with wheat flour) with their everyday meals and in most household these are made fresh everyday.  Naan's are strictly limited to restaurants.


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## CyberSlag5k (Sep 20, 2005)

A very good read and quite interesting. Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to your next post of italiant insight.


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 20, 2005)

Thanks Yakuta for your very interesting info!!  I always adored Indian fare, but having been to the UK many times where Indian foods are extremely popular, I always wondered about their true authenticity... and I can tell those yellow pasty "chip-shop curries" must be your (or any Indian folk's) worst nightmare!!  Now I live in the vicinity of an exotic zone and there are some grocery shops run by Indian people, so fortunately I have an easy access to many of authentic ingredients...  I usually use a mix of garam masala, turmeric, touch of cinnamon and cardamom to make my curry.  Do you have any suggestions?  I hope you will share with us some of your recipes in the near future!!


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## bluespanishsky (Sep 21, 2005)

urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> Firstly, a few example of general practice in Italian kitchens... many of the recipes are surprisingly simple with relatively few ingredients.  They focus more on freshness and the quality, and make sure you can enjoy the flavour of the each item to the full extent.
> 
> In proper dinner, there are usually 5 courses, antipasti(appetizer), primi(first course, pasta, risotto etc) then secondi (fish or meat), contorni (vegetable side dishes) then either fruit or dessert.




Thanks for this great post, definitely an interesting read.  I actually visited italy late last spring, and had a marvelous time.  we went to the south of france first and i said to my boyfriend "this is the best food and wine i've ever had" then we went to italy and boy did i have to eat my words.  the food and wine in italy was just magnificent.  it was so different then what you think of as "italian" food here in the states.  As you said I noticed that the dishes were very simple and clean, but had such flavor.  most things i had were pretty light too.

i tagged along with my boyfriend (he was there for work) and the dinners were just amazing...i'm not kidding 10 courses a few nights.  lots of different foods but all in relitively small portions, (small by american standards) which was really nice becuse you got to taste almost everything!  i was just blown away, with how wonderful everything was.  

Yakuta-  Thanks too for the info on Indian cuisine...eggplant bartha is my favorite indian dish.  is that considered americanized?


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## urmaniac13 (Sep 21, 2005)

Hello Blue I am glad you had such a wonderful experience here!! Yes, the Italians surely know how to eat, don't they??  Well wait until you get an invitation for an Italian wedding... they will keep on eating all day and night!!  Let me know when you come back here next time!!  You will have a dinner with us!!
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





Licia


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## lyndalou (Sep 21, 2005)

What a great thread. Very interesting info. Maybe someday I'll make it to France and Italy. A dream vacation.


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## Yakuta (Sep 21, 2005)

Hi Urmaniac, I don't have an issue if something is made into fusion cooking but some of these terms are lifted directly from the authentic cuisine and completely altered.  Perhaps a better approach would be come up with a new name for it . 

On the good side, Indian food is being slowly demystified in the Western world.  There are not a laundry list of ingredients (well not any more than any other cuisine) and it's not all curry.  

BlueSpanishSky, yes Baingan Bharta (made with eggplant) is pretty traditional in Indian cuisine and chances are that the restaurants here have not tempered with it a whole lot. 


I have shared some recipes and yes if you need a particular one send me a Private post and I will surely share what I know.


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## mudbug (Sep 21, 2005)

BlueSpanishSky - please take Yakuta up on her invitation.  she knows her stuff.


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## velochic (Oct 8, 2005)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> Naan's are strictly limited to restaurants.


  My best friend (moved from India about a decade ago) said, though, that this was because you have to use a Tandoor oven to bake naan and that was why they don't eat it at home.  Is this right?  It's just a matter of having the right equipment?


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## ironchef (Oct 8, 2005)

Yakuta, from my understanding, the majority of the Indian restaurants in the U.S. are based on Northern Indian cuisine, is that correct? There's this restaurant that I found which serves Southern Indian cuisine (i.e. Dosai insteand of Naan) and the overall flavors are decidedly different, and to me, tastes better.


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## Yakuta (Oct 9, 2005)

Greetings Veloholic, yes tandoor is not found widely in people's homes so that is one reason. 

The other reason is that Indian's are big into eating breads made of durum wheat.  It is not completely whole wheat but close.  It's healthy and most households (regardless of religion) will prefer to use durum wheat over refined flour (this is what naan's are made of). 

As in authentic cuisine a lot of the recipes that are prepared at home are very simply prepared and are not as rich as those served in restaurants (nuts and cream is rarely used by the home cook). 

Ironchef, yes the style of South Indian and North Indian cooking is rather distinct from each other.  South Indian food is spicier and uses dried chillies, rice, dahls and coconut in a lot of it's preparation.  North Indian food is more creamier (yogurt, paneer etc) and milder in it's flavor. 

I personally like South Indian snacks (like Dosas and Idlis) but I prefer North Indian curries and tandoori dishes.  I guess a lot depends on what you were brought up on.  I am not a great fan of spicy food and yes I am Indian but I prefer milder more flavorful than just a gush of chilli flavors in my mouth.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 10, 2005)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> Greetings Veloholic, yes tandoor is not found widely in people's homes so that is one reason.
> 
> I personally like South Indian snacks (like Dosas and Idlis) but I prefer North Indian curries and tandoori dishes. I guess a lot depends on what you were brought up on. I am not a great fan of spicy food and yes I am Indian but I prefer milder more flavorful than just a gush of chilli flavors in my mouth.


 
Hello Yakuta, now that the issue of tandoori is brought up, I would like to ask you a question.  We absolutely love tandoori chicken, but since we don't have that special oven, we just have to broil the chicken in the regular oven (I just use a boneless skinless chicken breast though...).  It is good, but it is not quite the same thing.  Do you have any suggestion for an improvement using a regular domestic appliance?  Once we barbequed it and that was superb, but since we don't have a garden or a balcony in our own flat we can't do this all the time either... I would appreciate it if you could enlighten us!!  TIA!!


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## Yakuta (Oct 10, 2005)

Hi urmaniac, tandoori chicken traditionally is not made with chicken breasts.  Those are chicken tikka and yes they can be cooked in the tandoor as well.  

If you are looking to make tandoori chicken the traditional way it's best to use legs and thigh attached peices.  The meat is more juicer and less drier this way. 

There are two catches to making a good tandoori chicken.  First is the technique and then the appliance.  If you don't have a tandoor or can't use an outdoor grill than use an oven or a stovetop grill pan to cook it. 

If you use an oven cook the chicken covered first until it's tender.  Then turn on the broiler and let it cook for 2 -5 minutes on each side.  It will give a grilled and charbroiled taste.  

If you put the chicken straight in the broiler, it will be dry and not properly cooked. 

As far as the technique goes, ensure that you marinate the chicken overnight in 2 tsp of ginger, 2 tsp of garlic, salt, lemon juice, plain yogurt and spices of your choice (I like to use cumin and corrainder powder, freshly roasted and ground) and 1 or 2 tsp of red chilli powder.  To get a red color add a pinch of food color.  

I also use a similar technique for fish.  I don't marinate it overnight  but just a couple of hours and cook it the same way and it tastes really good.  Plus there is no oil at all which makes it amazingly healthy. 

Finally if you want to use chicken breasts and cut them into cubes and make chicken tikka's.  You can use a similar marinade (I would suggest using a touch of cream in the marinade so that the tikkas stay moist).  I would skewer them and cook them in the oven.  Then once cooked. Remove them from skewers, put them in a flat pan and place them under the broiler to finish off.


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## Ardge (Oct 10, 2005)

I LOVED this post/thread.  Thanks for sharing your knowledge.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 10, 2005)

Yakuta said:
			
		

> Hi urmaniac, tandoori chicken traditionally is not made with chicken breasts. Those are chicken tikka and yes they can be cooked in the tandoor as well.
> 
> If you are looking to make tandoori chicken the traditional way it's best to use legs and thigh attached peices. The meat is more juicer and less drier this way.
> 
> ...


 
Thanx Yakuta for the suggestion!!  I always appreciate your informative input!!  My marinade mixture seems to be more or less right according to your recipe (I just use mild paprika instead of red chili, it is milder and I can put enough to get that red colour!) but I guess what I have been doing is more like Tikka, like you said.  I always take precautions not to dry out the meat, but it is at times tricky.  The thing is over the years I came to trust only breasts, it seems that any dark meat I tried to cook or tasted at someone's house had this nasty spongy texture, and weird smell/taste which was at least to me not pleasant at all (these were my experiences while I was in Texas).  However like you pointed out, the Tandoori chicken made with thigh meat I tasted in the Indian restaurant was very good, and they had none of those unpleasant attributes I mentioned. I thought it was due to some special way of cooking to make it pleasant and I couldn't trust my skills to try it myself.  But then Cristiano told me that probably my nasty encounters with dark meats were because they were the mass produced broiler chickens, who just had sat in the jam-packed shed for their entire life without proper exercise.  He said the healthier chickens who'have been running around outside are much better tasting, and dark meat actually taste better than the whites.  Do you agree with this?  If this is true, I may try the tandoori with the thigh meat, traditional style on the next opportunity... wish me luck!!


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## Yakuta (Oct 10, 2005)

Yes I do get my meat from a butcher and the chicken is much younger and tender.  Also getting rid of skin and trimming off most of the fat and innards (from the high peice) help as well. 

I am not a huge red meat fan either and prefer breasts but if you are looking for a more moist preparation the thigh and leg really works better.  

I spend a lot of time cleaning my meat.  My butcher cleans the meat but I bring it home and then trim the fat even more.  I wash it and then rub it with lemon before I have to prepare it.  So I am a bit more assured using the darker meats.


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## Robb969 (Oct 11, 2005)

The best tomato sauce I've ever eaten was cooked by my Dad's 1st cousin Iola in Italy. We spent a week there visiting, and I really wish we could have spent more! But on to the sauce. I watched carefully and have been able to reproduce it... it's actually very easy, and my mother glared at me for a week because she thought I was holding out on her by not sharing the recipe!

"But mom! It was so easy, I figured you already KNEW it!"     

On to the easy tasty recipe:

3 ingredients
1 Big Can o' Tomatoes, looked like just chopped tomatoes to me, but I really don't remember reading the label... BIG can though...

Salt

Peanut oil 

Put a little bit of oil and salt in the tomoatoes in a skillet and cook on medium heat for about an hour. She used the can lid to chop the tomatoes into pulpy goodness! Just a little oil (to taste) added a beautiful layer of flavor to the tomatoes. And of course salt to taste. When it's ready, pour over your favorite pasta and mangi!


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## Antonio (Oct 18, 2005)

urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> Ciao again!! As I have mentioned a few times, living in Italy I came to realise there are some big gaps between the Italian cuisine which are actually made in Italy and what are believed as "Italian foods" outside the country.



Ciao,
this is true for all the typical cuisines, but it is particulary interesting true in the Italian case. Being an Italian living in an English speaking country I see very creative names.

A few examples:
It's Panino, not Panini. In Italy we use panini to indicate more than 1 panino.
It's Salame, not salami to indicate only one item.
Common mistakes are also in the spelling of Fettuccine, Tagliatelle, Rigatoni, Lasagne, Tortellini, Ravioli... mmm, I am starving now. 



			
				urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> Firstly, a few example of general practice in Italian kitchens... many of the recipes are surprisingly simple with relatively few ingredients. They focus more on freshness and the quality, and make sure you can enjoy the flavour of the each item to the full extent.



This is true. It's typical of our cuisine and probably it is part of its strength. With a few ingredients we come up with very tasty dishes. Furthermore we tend to avoid the "heart attack on the plate", meaning that in average the classical "Dieta mediterranea" has less concentration of fried fats and more variety than other western cuisines/diets.



			
				urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> Each servings of pasta is much smaller than that of foreign measure,



I don't really agree with this. I found the foreign portion more or less the same (maybe I am a fat-*** )



			
				urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> because the pasta is only "primi", the first course, there are the "secondi", other plates to follow.



When I grew up, the typical lunch meal was:
PRIMO PIATTO: PASTA AL SUGO (Tomato Sauce Pasta)
SECONDO PIATTO: FETTINA DI CARNE (Thin beef steak)
FRUTTA (Fruits)
CAFFE'



			
				urmaniac13 said:
			
		

> In proper dinner, there are usually 5 courses, antipasti(appetizer), primi(first course, pasta, risotto etc) then secondi (fish or meat), contorni (vegetable side dishes) then either fruit or dessert. In everyday supper/tea, it is often shortened to primi-secondi-fruits/dessert.



The 4 courses meal is just for special occasions. In everyday life it used to be: a Primo, a Secondo and Fruit + coffe'. Nowdays the Italian economy is going so down (Thanks Berlusconi, son of a biscuit) that most family have to rearrange their habits of eating. I see many families now cutting SECONDO at dinner, or PRIMO at lunch.



> -"Spaghetti Meatballs".... Many folks do like Ragu, bolognese sauce, or meat sauce, but throwing "meatballs" (or polpetti) into spaghetti is not a very appealing idea to the Italians, as "spaghetti" is considered as the first course, and "meatballs" are considered a part of "second course", the two just don't mix like this...



I kind of disagree with this point. Even if it isn't the most common thing in the universe, lots of people still to throw in small meat balls in their pasta with a Ragù sauce.



> -"Marinara Sauce"... They do exist, but they are sauces with seafood, as "marinara" indicates something to deal with ocean. "Marinara sauce" as you guys know is simply referred to "Sugo pomodoro" (Tomato sauce), or just simply "Sugo".



Correct... however PIZZA MARINARA is sometimes made with a Tomato sauce that you guys call "Marinara sauce".



> Just a few curious facts and "food for thought" for the day... I hope some of you find it interesting!!



Thanks for sharing your ideas/observations. 

Cheers,


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 18, 2005)

Welcome to the forum Antonio and thank you for your opinion!! It is nice to hear an authentic Italian view!!


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## yankeefaninseattle (Oct 18, 2005)

I too enjoyed this post. I remember going on leave to Venice & FLorence, and the different dishes they had for the dinners we ate over there. I remember in Venice tho, that we had one meal which was served family style, meaning it was a large portion that all of us shared.

I have a question tho, it's about pasta not sticking if you use a large enough pot??? Please elaborate, altho I think I know why, it's the starch, right??

And, if the pasta names have been 'Americanized", then why is it we purchase the pastas made in Italy with the AMericanized names??

And, did Americans make up the concept of whole wheat pasta, or is there some relation to the pasta in Italy as well??

And, how do you pronounce Bruschetta? 

I have seen on the Food Network, and thru reading my cookbooks that true Mexican food is NOTHING like what they serve over here. ALtho I must admit, I like our version of Nachos (My own too) and I always eat the cheese enchiladas when I go to a Mexican Restaurant. Love it... But, some of the dishes I have cooked from this cookbook, DIshes From My Mexican Kitchen (Can't remember the author, but he's famous for his take on authentic Mexican Cuisine, crap... ) are a long and laborious process, like the moles, I thought we were going to eat by 6PM, didn't even have 1/2 the ingredients cooking before 7PM. Proof that you need to read the recipe all the way thru before embarking on a foreign dish  .

At anyrate, good topic. Interesting & informational.

B.


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## urmaniac13 (Oct 18, 2005)

yankeefaninseattle said:
			
		

> it's about pasta not sticking if you use a large enough pot??? Please elaborate, altho I think I know why, it's the starch, right??
> 
> And, if the pasta names have been 'Americanized", then why is it we purchase the pastas made in Italy with the AMericanized names??
> 
> ...


 
For your Qs, you will need at least 1litre (1qt or slightly more) of water to each 100g of dried pasta (3,5oz).  Pasta needs to be allowed to swim around while it gets cooked.  If they are cooked too close together with unsufficient amount of water, that is what cause them to stick together.  I found this article on cooking pasta correctly, I hope it will be helpful to you...
http://ks.essortment.com/cookingpasta_rnll.htm

If you find pasta that says "made in Italy" and carries an English name like "sea shells" or "elbow macaroni", probably they were imported as bulk then packaged abroad.

We do also have wholewheat pasta "pasta integrale", also there are pasta made of corn or farro available.

Bruschetta is pronounced as "Brus*k*etta"...any time you see "chi" or "che" in Italian words, they are pronounced as "ki" or "ke" respectively, as Italians don't use the letter K traditionally.


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## Yakuta (Oct 18, 2005)

Hi YankeeinSeattle the author whose name slipped your mind is Rick Bayless and yes his cooking shows are great (they air on PBS) and his book is great and so is his restaurant in Chicago where I live (It's called Fontera Grill).


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## subfuscpersona (Nov 4, 2005)

urmaniac13 on Sep 9 2005 said:
			
		

> -"Marinara Sauce"... They do exist, but they are sauces with seafood, as "marinara" indicates something to deal with ocean. "Marinara sauce" as you guys know is simply referred to "Sugo pomodoro" (Tomato sauce), or just simply "Sugo".


Thanks! I've always been totally confused by this nomenclature. To me, "marinara" has *something* to do with seafood. I can never remember that, for many, it refers to a tomato sauce (with nothing from the ocean in it)

I can't understand how an adjective connoting seafood has transmuted into one connoting tomatoes. Any ideas from you experts out there?


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## lindatooo (Nov 4, 2005)

Thank you all for the wonderful posts!  Unfortunately now my tummy is growling and there is drool all over my keyboard!

I've tasted a few Thai and Indian dishes and loved them mostly but I'm certain they were very much Americanized.  Can someone recommend a restaurant in or around Portland Oregon which would most likely offer "true to the cuisine" fare?

Thanks!


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## licia (Nov 4, 2005)

Probably many of the recipes from other countries started out as authentic as possible considering some of the original ingredients were probably not available.  I have no problem with anything being authentic or not - just that it is as good as it can be.  If a different ingredient makes it better, that is fine with me - I'm no purist when it comes to food.


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## buckytom (Nov 5, 2005)

well said licia, and this is a great thread urmaniac, thanks.

just remember that whenever anyone speaks of original french cuisine, remind them that it owes its beginnings to the italian born wife of the french king henry II, catherine dei medici. so even haute french cuisine isn't french, but italian based, just like many american dishes. 

i do not recommend beginning this arguement in paris, however.

and if you keep going, italian food owes it's beginnings to the greeks and arabs.


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## ironchef (Nov 5, 2005)

subfuscpersona said:
			
		

> Thanks! I've always been totally confused by this nomenclature. To me, "marinara" has *something* to do with seafood. I can never remember that, for many, it refers to a tomato sauce (with nothing from the ocean in it)
> 
> I can't understand how an adjective connoting seafood has transmuted into one connoting tomatoes. Any ideas from you experts out there?


 
From what I learned, the name marinara does not refer to having any seafood in the sauce, but because it was often served to sailors when they returned from the sea. A lot of Italian dishes/sauces get their names from the significance of why it was created and not necessarily from the ingredients in the dish itself.  The sauce originated in Naples and was also served on top of pizza, which also came from Naples.


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