# 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:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**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 9, 2010, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/41 "2010-02-09T17:43:38Z")
> [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](#): > > Pizza definitely is fast food in Italy (though maybe not all of it is). Lasagna, I dunno. Hmm, maybe this depends on your definition of “fast food”. It’s possible to get take - out pizza here, obviously, but it sure ain’t fast food if you’re going out to eat it. So, where in Italy do you live? ---
**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 9, 2010, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/42 "2010-02-09T17:48:45Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Yes, it is. Or rather, in the absence of MacDonalds, it’s the closest they get to it. Guess what, we have McDonald’s here, too. And I’ll repeat what I just posted: if you consider take - out pizza “fast food”, then yeah, you’re right. But plenty of people go out to eat pizza, and that is definitely not fast food. ---
**Author:** ![Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/regallag_the_axe/32/445_2.png) [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Regallag_The_Axe)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/43 "2010-02-09T18:15:41Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > If I’m cooking spaghetti, and I want to see if it’s done, and I throw it at a wall, and it puts a hole in the wall, what did I do wrong? Maybe you shouldn’t keep the plastic explosive next to the pasta dough? ---
**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 9, 2010, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/44 "2010-02-09T18:20:43Z")
> [@Nathan\_S](#): > > Guess what, we have McDonald’s here, too. Not so much in the south > [@Nathan\_S](#): > > And I’ll repeat what I just posted: if you consider take - out pizza “fast food”, then yeah, you’re right. But plenty of people go out to eat pizza, and that is definitely not fast food. Damn sight faster than a four course meal. And burger and chips isn’t fast if you eat it in a restaurant. And it’s frequently sold in slices from hole in the wall places. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/45 "2010-02-09T18:23:20Z")
> [@Regallag\_The\_Axe](#): > > Maybe you shouldn’t keep the plastic explosive next to the pasta dough? What, are you one of those “non-traditional” chefs or something? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/46 "2010-02-09T18:32:40Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Is garlic bread even italian? I’ve never seen it there, unless you count bruschetta, which is rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil. Isn’t that garlic bread then? That’s basically how I make it, though I like a strong garlic taste, so I’ll press some garlic and spread it on. If I think of it ahead of time, I’ll infuse some olive oil with garlic (and a little crushed red pepper), then brush the OO on the bread. Using a good OO, it’s better than butter…okay, as good as butter, and healthier. 🆒 People talk about “authentic”, but when you are dealing with cooking by peasant farmers, authentic generally was “how can we make what we can afford today or is ripe today palatable”. Tomatoes, onions, and vinegar on bruschetta - sure, if you have them. My father likes to tell stories about what would end up in the tomato gravy back during the depression days - any part of a cow, goat, chicken, or pig that the butcher might discard, vegetables that were getting a little old, eggs, figs (they had a fig tree), etc. That was authentic peasant cooking (which thankfully I never had to try). ---
**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 9, 2010, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/47 "2010-02-09T18:48:43Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Isn’t that garlic bread then? That’s basically how I make it, though I like a strong garlic taste, so I’ll press some garlic and spread it on. I guess you could call it that! I was just mentally comparing bruschetta with what passes for garlic bread in the UK - which generally involves a French (!) stick stuffed with garlic and parsley-laden butter - nothing like I’ve ever seen anywhere in Italy, even in the butter munching north. > [@D\_Odds](#): > > People talk about “authentic”, but when you are dealing with cooking by peasant farmers, authentic generally was “how can we make what we can afford today or is ripe today palatable”. Tomatoes, onions, and vinegar on bruschetta - sure, if you have them. My father likes to tell stories about what would end up in the tomato gravy back during the depression days - any part of a cow, goat, chicken, or pig that the butcher might discard, vegetables that were getting a little old, eggs, figs (they had a fig tree), etc. That was authentic peasant cooking (which thankfully I never had to try). Aah, La Cucina Povera - it’s actually having a massive revival at the moment because it’s really healthy and tasty - loads of veg and seafood, hardly any meat. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/48 "2010-02-09T19:47:34Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Aah, La Cucina Povera - it’s actually having a massive revival at the moment because it’s really healthy and tasty - loads of veg and seafood, hardly any meat. I wonder how “povera” it really is. All those pieces that were once cast off now can be sold. Try getting some beef bones for stock from the butcher, or chicken / pork feet. Flank steak, beef / veal shanks, short ribs, etc. have all skyrocketed in price compared to the other parts as immigrants (hispanic, asian, and mediterranean) taught the ‘locals’ how to make tasty meals from their cast offs. (Source: my butcher, fwiw) I guess the UK has the same view on garlic bread as the US. Fortunately, my father and my grandmother gave me a foundation of authentic Sicilian cuisine, while also catering to my American desires. ---
**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 9, 2010, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/49 "2010-02-09T20:53:41Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I wonder how “povera” it really is. All those pieces that were once cast off now can be sold. Try getting some beef bones for stock from the butcher, or chicken / pork feet. Flank steak, beef / veal shanks, short ribs, etc. have all skyrocketed in price compared to the other parts as immigrants (hispanic, asian, and mediterranean) taught the ‘locals’ how to make tasty meals from their cast offs. (Source: my butcher, fwiw) Yes, such is life. Povera in spirit if not in actual fact. ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/50 "2010-02-09T22:13:05Z")
Thirding the idea that jjimm should make a risotto for his Italian beauty. Not only is it delicious, but because it takes a while to do, but requires little concentration, you can have her keep you company while you cook, and use the time to be charming and witty and keep her wine glass topped up. ---
**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/51 "2010-02-09T22:36:30Z")
> [@Fleetwood](#): > > So those ads touting that Olive Garden send all of their chefs over to the company culinary institute in Italy are not true? We _did_ watch a VHS tape where the instructor had the Roman Coliseum as his background. We were shown the proper amount of time to reheat the frozen sauces that came in weekly on a refrigeration truck. As for bringing relatives from Italy in to Olive Garden? 100% true. Happened all the time. The Italians would even invite the chefs out to the table and we would all sing "that’s amore’. ---
**Author:** ![Kyrie\_Eleison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kyrie_eleison/32/7682_2.png) [@Kyrie\_Eleison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyrie_Eleison)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/52 "2010-02-09T22:52:25Z")
My mom pronounces it EYE-talian. Is that offensive to a serious student of the cuisine such as yourself? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/53 "2010-02-10T00:46:23Z")
> [@Kyrie\_Eleison](#): > > My mom pronounces it EYE-talian. Is that offensive to a serious student of the cuisine such as yourself? As I have told many people, my father’s family does not come from EYE-taly, nor do I know of any country called EYE-taly. Then, because it was important to my grandmother, I’d say they come from Sicily, which would then denigrate into a conversation about why they are not the same. ---
**Author:** ![FalseMirage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@FalseMirage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FalseMirage)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/54 "2010-02-10T01:09:28Z")
> [@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. If you want to make a favorable impression on the young lady, be sure to serve a can of Spaghetti-o’s on a Waterford dish. You may want to go with the large, economy-sized can, as this is sure to be a big hit. ---
**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 10, 2010, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/55 "2010-02-10T11:47:28Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > I was looking at a menu from a fancy Italian restaurant the other day. Their speciality was house sausage. I misread the u for an r:smack: As posted earlier, horse sausage and other types of horse meat such a steak and [sfilacci](http://www.cookaround.com/yabbse1/foto/data/5757/Sfilacci.png) which is grated horsemeat, are very popular in the part of Italy where I am living. But as previously noted, a lot of Italian cooking you find outside of Italy are broadly southern, as that was where the largest group of immigrants to the USA was from. Northerners, if they immigrated, often went to south America, especially Argentina. I wonder if you can get nice polenta in Buenos Aires. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/56 "2010-02-13T03:32:21Z")
I respectfully ask the SDMB administration to make this a sticky in CS, stat. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2010, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064/57 "2010-02-13T03:46:32Z")
> [@PookahMacPhellimey](#): > > As posted earlier, horse sausage and other types of horse meat such a steak and [sfilacci](http://www.cookaround.com/yabbse1/foto/data/5757/Sfilacci.png) which is grated horsemeat, are very popular in the part of Italy where I am living. Luckily, the restaurant specialised in Umbrian, not Venetin, so I dodged a bullet with sausage. The lamb’s tongue was delicious, though. Is it on the Olive Garden menu? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-italian-chef/528064.md?page=2)