Comments on: Real Italian Food

By: Wm Cullen

Wm Cullen — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 15:51:10 +0000

The author claims, “If you’re after Italian-American dishes, like spaghetti and meatballs, or Fettuccine Alfredo”…

Apparently, the writer here, needs to talk to some more Italians. My research, (FOUR sources) say in the early to mid 20th century, Alfredo di Lelio, introduced Fettuccine Alfredo at his restaurant in Rome, preparing the pasta dish tableside. I am pretty sure the “Rome” in this case wasn’t Rome, GA, but Rome Italy.

This makes me wonder what other errors are in this story.

By: Mike Sanders

Mike Sanders — Thu, 28 May 2020 14:03:00 +0000

I like what you said about investing in high-quality olive oil to help you make Italian food. My sister has been telling me about how she wants to start cooking more in the coming months. I’ll share this information with her so that she can look into her options for making Italian food.

By: Derek McDoogle

Derek McDoogle — Fri, 08 May 2020 20:46:27 +0000

I did not know that spaghetti and meatballs isn’t an Italian dish. My friend who is from Italy will come to visit me and I was thinking about what to do for dinner. I will better look for an Italian restaurant where we can have a delicious dinner.

By: Katty

Katty — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 16:54:00 +0000

In reply to Mike.

Hello Mike! Often oil and vinegar are brought to the table with the salads. You might find it already on the table, but it’s not a good habit to have bread and olive oil before your dinner, it ruins your appetite. It’s not something we normally do.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 07 Dec 2019 00:00:01 +0000

Interesting side note:
While vacationing in southern Italy several years ago and enjoying the wonderful small family owned restaurants, never did we have a dish of olive oil placed on the table with bread for dipping as we do here in the states…Anyone else have that experience??

By: Tarnika Wilcher

Tarnika Wilcher — Sat, 09 Nov 2019 20:29:56 +0000

I really appreciate what was said from PS on here… Italian-American food and restaurants is very different from Italian food.

By: Mike Hickey

Mike Hickey — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 19:14:24 +0000

I’ve lived in Italy for one year now having visited a number of times and eaten many meals at the home of different Italians and I will tell you that there is definitely not a songle definition of Italian food by any means. I’ve had my faborite houses and reestaurants. And you can get bad pizza and gelato in Italy. I would in fact say that most of the gelato and pizza is downright not very good at all but Italians eat it it anyway. I’m not kidding! It constantly surprises me.

By: Cresh’s

Cresh’s — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 13:03:52 +0000

Very hard to find (in Italy) a restaurant that serves chicken.
In Italy chicken is considered a home meal.
I lived 55 yrs in Italy and never eat spaghetti and meatballs, so I don’t know what are you all talking about.
I have one of the very few Italian restaurant in US 100% Italian.

By: Don

Don — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 05:08:36 +0000

In 25 years living in and traveling throughout Italy, I have yet to see meatballs and spaghetti on a menu! A good article; it’s too bad that one cannot taste what is being described while reading. Of course, Italian cuisine differs from region to region, but it is difficult to find a bad meal.

By: Bryce Bertolino

Bryce Bertolino — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 19:37:41 +0000

Its regional. My family were Montana homesteaders from Piemonte and Val d Aosta. I remember very little shaghetti but exquisite meat ravioli a couple times a year. risotto with mushrooms from the mountains and early spring dandelion salads. Into the fall it was Sage Hen or Rabbit Cacciatore or Saiovie. They were forced. to make their own wine so there were a lot of stews even horse.. The highlight of the year was Bagna Cauda at the end of the year. I remember a 50 mile rounnd trip for anchovies.
I do remember some pasta made from chicken stock and ketchup. We needed the carbs.

By: Barbara Sullivan

Barbara Sullivan — Sun, 20 Oct 2019 21:38:04 +0000

Just returned from Italy with my family … food absolutely delicious… did not see any heavy people anywhere… all thin.. My 12 year old grandson said the mozzarella on the pizza there is delicious while in America we freeze the cheese .. maybe that’s why the pizza tastes different he said… not as good…

By: Ps

Ps — Sat, 19 Oct 2019 14:12:51 +0000

The reason so many Italian dishes are the way they are is because when the Italians first came to America they were extremely poor and brought over non perishable items and made pastas and breads to fill them. Meat was later added to their meals once they made more money and felt as if it were a luxury to eat meat and starches together as the Americans did. They used what they had to feed their families and as we all know… fed whoever came to their door even if it meant less for them. That’s just what Italians do!
So, you see the Italian-American cooking stemed from what they had at the time and the new generations passed it along. At least they cooked from the heart!

By: Mrs Marcucci

Mrs Marcucci — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 02:56:50 +0000

Finally, someone is educating the American people that 99% of the Italian restaurants are not Italian cuisine, Bravo!
They service food we that Italian never heard of and come up a stupid name for a dishes of pasta or whatever else on their menu.

I can’t believe how people just love to eat Italian food, that is not, examples
Fried ravioli (it tasted like cardboard and had no taste) also the
eggplant parmesan was horrible. Spaghetti with seve with one huge meatball that had no taste to it and meatball was the size of softball,.

People, keep on forcing me to go with them to try these Italian restaurant. I honestly, can’t say they disgraces the Italian cuisine and as I tell my husband who is Italian like I, they should call there restaurants anything else but not Italian restaurant.

Begin Italian I prefer to eat at home, the taste of true Italian cuisine which I learned from Mia Bella Mamma

By: Susan Burgess

Susan Burgess — Thu, 17 Oct 2019 00:45:00 +0000

Beatiful information! My mother’s family was from Northern Italy in the Lombard region. My mom told me that her father hated ketchuo and never on the table. He liked tripe. Also they made sauce with a piece of roast simmered in it. They had friends that brought them trays of ravioli from there past business in St. Louis where we are from. When I was a young girl, my family made ravioli with a recipe handwritten by a relative. It was delicious! I can’t wait to go to Italy and try the cuisine. It sounds amazing! I love to cook and try my best to stay true to the cuisine. Thank you!

By: phil

phil — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 19:11:15 +0000

wow…..to be sure much food in American restaurants is far afield of their native ethnic origins, not just Italian, and are adjusted to the American palate…..eat a meal in an Italian house and you will realize how off base our versions are….Americans don’t understand that…..go to the UK and order a pizza, it just ain’t Italian, get over it, the same thing but different

By: Phyllis Machado

Phyllis Machado — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 11:11:55 +0000

Been to Italy twice. The way of life is different there. From what is usually ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner to desserts. Food is light and simple. Food is also made healthier and not alot of added flavors. Sauce is sauce, pasta is a main dish, eggs and sausage for lunch. Breakfast consists of a light biscuit, cookie or pastry. Lunch is your heaviest meal of the day. Dinner is your appetizers. Pizza doesn’t have alot of toppings, usually just a couple and with no shredded cheese. So visit Italy, you would love and admire the “dolce vita” as they call it.

By: Randolph D

Randolph D — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 04:08:34 +0000

“Pasta is not a side dish for meat.” It is in Nebraska, but the places that do that do not claim to be authentic Italian. They claim to serve cattle.

By: Julann Dycus

Julann Dycus — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 17:17:30 +0000

Wonderful information! I am opening an Italian restaurant soon. I really want true Italian dishes. Thank you!