How America-s Abundance Gave Way To Italian American Cuisine - Close To Home
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Date: 2020-05-17
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Comments and reviews: 10
Alessandro
The problem with this video is that you tried to classify -Italian cuisine- like one big uniform block. But the truth is the Italian cuisine is way way more different from one region of Italy to the others. So what is typical in same place is not typical in other place. For example, if you ask to that couple in the video about Polenta, they for sure will say to you that is not traditional for them, because they come from the south of Italy, meanwhile Polenta is more famous than pasta in the Northern Italy. Another example is with Spaghetti and meatballs, they are maybe not traditional for them, but in the city where i grow up it is an old dish, and more in general past with meatballs is one of the most characteristic dishes. And i grow up in the southeastern part of Italy so not too distant from where this couple in the video come from. -So in the end, as Italian, i could say that no -Italo-American- is not a separete cuisine, but is rather a mix of different Italian tradition, mostly due to the different places of Italy from where those Italian immigrants came from. And they use to live in the same neighborhood! So of course there was a large influence to each other.
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The problem with this video is that you tried to classify -Italian cuisine- like one big uniform block. But the truth is the Italian cuisine is way way more different from one region of Italy to the others. So what is typical in same place is not typical in other place. For example, if you ask to that couple in the video about Polenta, they for sure will say to you that is not traditional for them, because they come from the south of Italy, meanwhile Polenta is more famous than pasta in the Northern Italy. Another example is with Spaghetti and meatballs, they are maybe not traditional for them, but in the city where i grow up it is an old dish, and more in general past with meatballs is one of the most characteristic dishes. And i grow up in the southeastern part of Italy so not too distant from where this couple in the video come from. -So in the end, as Italian, i could say that no -Italo-American- is not a separete cuisine, but is rather a mix of different Italian tradition, mostly due to the different places of Italy from where those Italian immigrants came from. And they use to live in the same neighborhood! So of course there was a large influence to each other.
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Mary
Yes, real Italian food is very different. Pizza is just dough with one topping and sauce. First course is some type of pasta after your antipasti. Secondo is your meat or fish course. Then a light dessert -dolce- with a coffee and/ or limoncello. Always wine with your late dinner. And every region is different as they tend to use local produce. Waiters will never push you to finish up -- you have to call them for the cheque after 2 or 3 hours for dinner. Keep the receipt -- police check clients leaving a restaurant sometimes for a receipt to ensure the tax is paid an d the meal was -on the books-. The use of wild flowers, mushroom, herbs, is because 1/2 the time in 19th and 20th century the Italians were very poor so they foraged the forests and fields for edibles. Now everything is changing over there to more convenience meals because the women are working now and don't have so much time for cooking.
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Yes, real Italian food is very different. Pizza is just dough with one topping and sauce. First course is some type of pasta after your antipasti. Secondo is your meat or fish course. Then a light dessert -dolce- with a coffee and/ or limoncello. Always wine with your late dinner. And every region is different as they tend to use local produce. Waiters will never push you to finish up -- you have to call them for the cheque after 2 or 3 hours for dinner. Keep the receipt -- police check clients leaving a restaurant sometimes for a receipt to ensure the tax is paid an d the meal was -on the books-. The use of wild flowers, mushroom, herbs, is because 1/2 the time in 19th and 20th century the Italians were very poor so they foraged the forests and fields for edibles. Now everything is changing over there to more convenience meals because the women are working now and don't have so much time for cooking.
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Guest
Sicilian cooking is a lot different from typical Italian cooking. Because there was a large Sephardic Jewish population present, kosher recipes still exist in the mainstream culture. We eat a lot of lamb and replace meat with eggplant, mushrooms, and artichokes for dairy dishes. We do not eat any pork. The only pasta we really eat is rigatoni. We eat a lot more vegetables than meat. There is definitely a north African influence in the way we season our food. As far as desserts are concerned, we make egg-heavy pizzelles and breads. -Also, a lot of Sicilian immigrants came to New York from Palermo during LaMiseria, which was when the farmland became barren and there was a famine. My ancestors had their land taken from them by the government and had to take everything they had to start a new life in America. Most Sicilian immigrants settled in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
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Sicilian cooking is a lot different from typical Italian cooking. Because there was a large Sephardic Jewish population present, kosher recipes still exist in the mainstream culture. We eat a lot of lamb and replace meat with eggplant, mushrooms, and artichokes for dairy dishes. We do not eat any pork. The only pasta we really eat is rigatoni. We eat a lot more vegetables than meat. There is definitely a north African influence in the way we season our food. As far as desserts are concerned, we make egg-heavy pizzelles and breads. -Also, a lot of Sicilian immigrants came to New York from Palermo during LaMiseria, which was when the farmland became barren and there was a famine. My ancestors had their land taken from them by the government and had to take everything they had to start a new life in America. Most Sicilian immigrants settled in New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.
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JayLeePoe
What people need to understand is the way these things work is at a root level. Cilantro Ramen is a newly popular item in Japan because Spanish culture is also almost entirely exotic for them. I believe Taco Bell has finally begun opening in East Asia, weird right? No cows though, not even for that 5% actual meat -burger. - I think ground pork would work but. health and danger of pork supply at that scale in Asia (nobueno. Point is, Italian food was only ever good once they became the center of commerce for Europe between Asia, absorbing all the wonderful ideas. --And then again through Spain from The New World. These things come about through movement and mixture. Thailand is just waiting for real hispanic cowboys to bring bold flavors to their 5.
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What people need to understand is the way these things work is at a root level. Cilantro Ramen is a newly popular item in Japan because Spanish culture is also almost entirely exotic for them. I believe Taco Bell has finally begun opening in East Asia, weird right? No cows though, not even for that 5% actual meat -burger. - I think ground pork would work but. health and danger of pork supply at that scale in Asia (nobueno. Point is, Italian food was only ever good once they became the center of commerce for Europe between Asia, absorbing all the wonderful ideas. --And then again through Spain from The New World. These things come about through movement and mixture. Thailand is just waiting for real hispanic cowboys to bring bold flavors to their 5.
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matthew
Really great video, I like the approach that Michelle has. howeverrrrrr I think this video is in someway proof that a lot of these -problems- with cultural appropriation and -losing identity- are no more than baiting topics. I see interviews like this all the time where a younger person is asking people stuff like this like how she keeps insisting that this couple should feel like American Italian food isn't real Italian and that it's losing its authenticity but this couple repeatedly states that they don't feel that way, sure there's differences but it's evolving, which just a reminder, this couple is actually from Italy. It seems like the only people who have a problem with stuff like this are people not from that culture or country directly.
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Really great video, I like the approach that Michelle has. howeverrrrrr I think this video is in someway proof that a lot of these -problems- with cultural appropriation and -losing identity- are no more than baiting topics. I see interviews like this all the time where a younger person is asking people stuff like this like how she keeps insisting that this couple should feel like American Italian food isn't real Italian and that it's losing its authenticity but this couple repeatedly states that they don't feel that way, sure there's differences but it's evolving, which just a reminder, this couple is actually from Italy. It seems like the only people who have a problem with stuff like this are people not from that culture or country directly.
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Dami
God i'm just baffled by the amount of people being baffled in this show and in the comments about the differences of Italian and American food. Therre's no such thing as American-Italian food, it's just American food. An American pizza is nowhere even close to a Neopolitan pizza. Even the spices and fruits that you can buy anywhere you want in the world will taste different in Italy, think of a Sicilian blood orange. But then again, the label -italian- and it's flag are the most abused/misused words to label on everything in the world, that's why we have special labels of origin for everything. because nowadays you can make icecream from a recipe you googled and call it Italian icecream without getting sued for it.
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God i'm just baffled by the amount of people being baffled in this show and in the comments about the differences of Italian and American food. Therre's no such thing as American-Italian food, it's just American food. An American pizza is nowhere even close to a Neopolitan pizza. Even the spices and fruits that you can buy anywhere you want in the world will taste different in Italy, think of a Sicilian blood orange. But then again, the label -italian- and it's flag are the most abused/misused words to label on everything in the world, that's why we have special labels of origin for everything. because nowadays you can make icecream from a recipe you googled and call it Italian icecream without getting sued for it.
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MsGilli1995
At the start of the video, she perfectly explains what many people miss when talking about imigration. Its not like its a new thing that people leave their old country because of many different reasons, its rather a historical phenomenon in human history. And look what diversity and joy all these people brought in the countries, which gave them possibilities to grow and spread their culture (and food) with everyone who is willing to except and understand these things. Sadly, nationalism and ignorance (not to forget the media) today is provocing the contrary.
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At the start of the video, she perfectly explains what many people miss when talking about imigration. Its not like its a new thing that people leave their old country because of many different reasons, its rather a historical phenomenon in human history. And look what diversity and joy all these people brought in the countries, which gave them possibilities to grow and spread their culture (and food) with everyone who is willing to except and understand these things. Sadly, nationalism and ignorance (not to forget the media) today is provocing the contrary.
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rbiv25
Michelle, you did a fantastic job to note the distinctions between Italian and Italian-American Cuisine. The differences are starker than what most people know and when you bring the different regions into the picture and the way they cook, its even more stark. I find Italian food in Italy (not around the tourist trap areas, very different. Much fresher, simpler and more digestible. There is something going on with the American flour IMO. The few ingredients they use in dishes are of very high quality. However, I do find the meat is far better here in the USA.
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Michelle, you did a fantastic job to note the distinctions between Italian and Italian-American Cuisine. The differences are starker than what most people know and when you bring the different regions into the picture and the way they cook, its even more stark. I find Italian food in Italy (not around the tourist trap areas, very different. Much fresher, simpler and more digestible. There is something going on with the American flour IMO. The few ingredients they use in dishes are of very high quality. However, I do find the meat is far better here in the USA.
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dhession64
How lucky you all are to experience this, you the host and crew. Michelle was so professional until she got to the fresh mozz sampling, and then the box of leftovers given to her at the end. How very genuine her gratitude is. The crew is most fortunate as well. My stepmother is from Brooklyn, and of Italian heritage. She's such a sweetheart and so warm and loving. She and my father live in FL but you still hear the Brooklyn and Italian in her speech. It warms my heart whenever we get to talk. Ms. Zauner and crew, you are fortunate.
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How lucky you all are to experience this, you the host and crew. Michelle was so professional until she got to the fresh mozz sampling, and then the box of leftovers given to her at the end. How very genuine her gratitude is. The crew is most fortunate as well. My stepmother is from Brooklyn, and of Italian heritage. She's such a sweetheart and so warm and loving. She and my father live in FL but you still hear the Brooklyn and Italian in her speech. It warms my heart whenever we get to talk. Ms. Zauner and crew, you are fortunate.
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Roberto
What Americans don't understand about italian cuisine is the REGIONALISM. Different regions have access to different things. Example: Calabrese cuisine is different than Milanese cuisine. America provided italians with accessibility to different things and denied access to other things. Therefore, different dishes came about(but still very much italian. Italian cuisine shouldnt be define by certain dishes but it should be defined as: simplicity, quality, and love over everything.
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What Americans don't understand about italian cuisine is the REGIONALISM. Different regions have access to different things. Example: Calabrese cuisine is different than Milanese cuisine. America provided italians with accessibility to different things and denied access to other things. Therefore, different dishes came about(but still very much italian. Italian cuisine shouldnt be define by certain dishes but it should be defined as: simplicity, quality, and love over everything.
reply
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