# Ask the Italian chef **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 7, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064 "2010-02-07T21:10:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/1 "2010-02-07T21:10:41Z")
I used to cook at Olive Garden back in college. My knowledge of Italian cuisine makes many people envious. Go ahead and ask me all about being an authentic italian chef. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/2 "2010-02-07T22:36:19Z")
Olive Garden’s commercials give me the feeling my Sicilian grandma will become suspicious as to who stole her recipes if I take her there. Unless you are, in fact, my 89 year old grandma? Nana?! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/3 "2010-02-07T22:43:09Z")
What an apposite thread for me. I met a beautiful Italian girl at a party last night and invited her over for dinner… but because I was a little drunk and trying to impress, I foolishly said I’d cook Italian food for her. What was I thinking?! :smack: I do a superb lasagne al forno, but she doesn’t eat pork or beef, so would appreciate any tips for anything else, especially appetizers. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/4 "2010-02-07T22:55:39Z")
Is it true that if you were to stick a spigot into Mario Batali’s ample belly button and turned it on that pure, clear, super-duper extra virgin olive oil will flow out? ---
**Author:** ![Remarkable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@Remarkable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Remarkable)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/5 "2010-02-07T23:06:22Z")
How do you make Vitello Tonnato sauce? If you can show me a smooth and balanced sauce you might be written into my will. The 'net just doesn’t work on this one. Also, is it a prerequisite that you have to sing while you cook? or am I getting confused with the Sicilians? ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/6 "2010-02-08T04:13:55Z")
Is there anything in Italian cooking that’s healthy? ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/7 "2010-02-08T04:22:47Z")
[QUOTE=FoieGrasIsEvil] Is it true that if you were to stick a spigot into Mario Batali’s ample belly button and turned it on that pure, clear, super-duper extra virgin olive oil will flow out? [/QUOTE] I would have expected profanity to flow out of his mouth. As for Olive Garden and Italian cooking… well… It’s tasty, but calling it cooking is a bit of a stretch. Closer to stirring “Marinara Sauce Base #2” into tomato sauce, and based on our experiences, all of the entrees are pre-fab in one way or another and are impossible to modify by the people who prepare it. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/8 "2010-02-08T04:41:18Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > I would have expected profanity to flow out of his mouth. > > As for Olive Garden and Italian cooking… well… It’s tasty, but calling it cooking is a bit of a stretch. Closer to stirring “Marinara Sauce Base #2” into tomato sauce, and based on our experiences, all of the entrees are pre-fab in one way or another and are impossible to modify by the people who prepare it. Where i’m from, I certainly AM a master chef. It took me literally Days to learn that job. Long days. I may start my own culinary school and pass along my skills. Probably make 400k per year. ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/9 "2010-02-08T04:55:47Z")
I thought that’s where this was going. Well played. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/10 "2010-02-08T07:59:01Z")
Damn. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/11 "2010-02-08T08:09:02Z")
I was suspicious seeing Chef and Olive Garden in the same sentence. Okay, not the same sentence, but close enough. @Remarkable: I had vitello tonnato for the first time on Saturday night, at least the first time I remember. It was part of an antipasto plate for two, so didn’t actually realize that’s what it was until I Googled it. I thought it was pretty tasty, but should probably try it a few more times at different spots to know which is the best. I’d seen it on menus here before but the name sort of put me off: veal tuna? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/12 "2010-02-08T08:10:39Z")
I thought he was going to disabuse the notion that Olive Garden was just prepackaged and microwaved slop. Clearly not. Oh well, I’ll just have to wing it… ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/13 "2010-02-08T08:53:50Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > I thought he was going to disabuse the notion that Olive Garden was just prepackaged and microwaved slop. Clearly not. Oh well, I’ll just have to wing it… Frozen solid. Lean Cuisine with alot of salt and butter. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@The\_Bith\_Shuffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bith_Shuffle)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/14 "2010-02-08T09:01:16Z")
Are there Italian soups other than Minestrone? ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/15 "2010-02-08T09:21:21Z")
There’s Italian Wedding soup. The Italian places I frequent here also tend to do a wonderful tomato soup and I’ve seen vegetable and fish cream soup (sounds better in other languages). ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/16 "2010-02-08T10:12:46Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Is there anything in Italian cooking that’s healthy? Huh? Of course there is, MOST of it is healthy. Look to southern italian cuisine for a healthy vegetable and fish based mediterranean diet. Just ditch the lasagne and the pizza (which is only italian fast food anyway). ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/17 "2010-02-08T10:14:39Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > What an apposite thread for me. I met a beautiful Italian girl at a party last night and invited her over for dinner… but because I was a little drunk and trying to impress, I foolishly said I’d cook Italian food for her. > > What was I thinking?! :smack: > > I do a superb lasagne al forno, but she doesn’t eat pork or beef, so would appreciate any tips for anything else, especially appetizers. Buy a River Cafe cookbook - very authentic, very simple, loads of ideas involving veg and fish. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/18 "2010-02-08T10:19:45Z")
Is an Italian chef an _Italian_ chef or just a chef of undetermined ethnicity who happens to cook Italian food, and how can I tell the difference? ---
**Author:** ![PookahMacPhellimey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pookahmacphellimey/32/3175_2.png) [@PookahMacPhellimey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PookahMacPhellimey)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/19 "2010-02-08T11:42:14Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Huh? Of course there is, MOST of it is healthy. Look to southern italian cuisine for a healthy vegetable and fish based mediterranean diet. Well, I think the southern bit is important. Where I am writing from they like horsemeat sausages and polenta (e.g meat with corn) or risotto which tends to be heavy on cream, cheese or both. I do think the portion sizes makes a huge difference, though. You get so much less here than I am used to in northern Europe let alone the States. ---
**Author:** ![Nathan\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/47e85d/32.png) [@Nathan\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nathan_S)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/20 "2010-02-08T12:17:28Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Just ditch the lasagne and the pizza (which is only italian fast food anyway). It’s not fast food in Italy. Here’s my question to the OP: Have you ever been to Italy? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064.md?page=2)