Half Hour Meals Discussion: Interest in italian food & wine ?

Theresa111 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

Theresa111 — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 03:13:57 +0000

Cooking is second nature for me and many of our members here. So glad to meet you. I saw your blog and hope you will add it here. We have so many lovely people for you to meet and I cannot wait for them to meet you, too.

Funny, that this afternoon I strolled through a wine and beer shop. I did not buy anything because I didn't know what to choose. It's like cheese. There are so many from which to choose.

We need some wine and cheese classes for sure.

annamariav on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

annamariav — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 02:35:38 +0000

I cook Italian Food every day for my family ... and there are hundreds of very simple recipes that can be made in minutes. But when i sy that i cook al the time people just stare at me " wow... you cook from scratch?" I guess we need more "cooking-educated" people in the US.
http://www.annamariavolpi.com

urbanideas on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

urbanideas — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 20:11:22 +0000

Monia,
I am from Portugal so I totally understand all points you are making. I now live in the USA. I still cook dinner as back home. It is a time to eat together as a family. We usually start with a light soup, then comes the main entree and end with cheese and fruit. Actually that was a shocker to me as from my experience I noticed here people like to have cheese as an appetizer. I cannot understand how one can drink milk with a meal. It is ok if it is a sandwich, but that is as far as I will go. Some call me a snob and I am totally ok with that.

Greg, your list can be totally adapted to just about every Southern European country! lol

moniwriter on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

moniwriter — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:09:05 +0000

I'm very sad that you had the worse experience about Italian food! I'm sure that Italians usually don't like Motels' food too, because they offer bad food for travelling people and they don't cook yummy food like the most part of Italians do!
Your list is true and I'm sure that both Italians and Americans have different points of view about cooking and eating... but it's the same worldwide! I guess that the great difference is this one: Italians consider food and they way to cook, preserve and taste it like a CULTURE experience and it's one of the most important thing for them in their everyday life!
I'm a 36 y.o. Italian mum and I'll be very happy to discuss about Italian cooking and eating with anyone wants to know something about Italian culture, everyday life and food... three things that are extremely important and similar for Italian people!

Hope that my English is not too bad!

Monia (http://le-ricette-della-nonna.blogspot.com)

Theresa111 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

Theresa111 — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:13:40 +0000

My husband and I shared (over the course of two weeks), a large bottle of a deep red wine. The brand name is Two Vines and the blended wines, cabernet and merlot. I have to tell you that we really enjoyed the taste of these two wines because the cabernet seemed to remove the almost overpowering force of the merlot. Each sip of wine was welcomed and we fully intend to purchase more of this flavor and to branch out and try another by this wine maker.

If you have a brand of wine you could suggest for us to try, please do so. We know what we like to taste but are quite unsure about how to find more of what we would like to drink. Your help will be good. :D

Theresa111 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

Theresa111 — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 13:33:23 +0000

They (olive garden) have the worst bread sticks. No Flavor at all.

urbanideas on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

urbanideas — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 10:23:28 +0000

LadyGourmet, you are so very right. It is indeed very sad.

LadyGourmet on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

LadyGourmet — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:49:09 +0000

I think Italian food is SO misrepresented by Olive Garden, fast food chain pizza, etc.. It is like Chinese food. The small take outs do not in any way represent the healthy food of the Chinese food traditions. The food is, "Americanized".

urbanideas on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

urbanideas — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:18:12 +0000

I love a good Osso Bucco meal. Some of the seafood stews I had there. I was fortunate to spend quite a few weekends in Northern Italy when I was living in Switzerland. I learn to love they way Italians create a variety of amazing meals with veal, veggies and the variety of cheeses they have, which are not easy to find here in the U.S. of A.

MiddletonFreda on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

MiddletonFreda — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:05:47 +0000

The credit loans suppose to be useful for people, which are willing to organize their own career. As a fact, it's not very hard to get a term loan.

Theresa111 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

Theresa111 — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:40:56 +0000

We Americans need to take tips from our European cousins to sit down and enjoy meals the way they are intended to be. Food is an experience to not a fast meal.

ibozo on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

ibozo — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 18:50:05 +0000

I write a blog about Italian cooking and I don't feel I know very much about it. I was in Italy about 1 1/2 years ago and was very disappointed with the food. Every time we went to a new city we had meal at the motel the tour had us staying in. It was the same meal in every motel. Apparently one cooked up for the American tourist. It started with an antipasto plate that consisted of 1 piece of sausage (the type varied by the location) 1 piece of ham (usually prosciutto) 2 pieces of cheese. then they brought you a plate of pasta, again it varied by region you were in, but most were overcooked and heavily sauced. Then you moved onto the main course a roasted chicken that was very dry with beans that I swear came from a can. Then for dessert a tart with apricot jam spread on top of it. Thank God we got to go out on our own and discover real eating in Italy. One of the things that I learned was that many commercial kitchens are turning to immigrant workers and the traditional ways of making things is being lost. Many shortcuts are being used and if you are at a big hotel chain chances are your meal is not being prepared by Italians using traditional methods and recipes.
Here are a list of things that Frank from Memorie di Angelina put together from different bloggers on FB.
1. Americans mix cheese and fish
2. Americans drink cappuccino all day long
3. Americans butter their bread and think Italians dip bread in olive oil
4. Americans eat bread with pasta
5. Americans drink soda and milk with meals where Italians drink mineral water and wine
6. Americans drink coffee with meal or dessert while Italians drink it after the meal
7. American eat pizza with their hands
8. Americans twirl their spaghetti on their fork with spoon or cut it.
9. Italians assume if you leave food on your plate you do not like the food.
10. In Italy if you have a salad it comes late in the meal and the dressing is oil and vinegar.
11. Italians eat their vegetables and don't consider them garnish
12. Italians eat their meals with friends and family not at desks and in cars
13. In Italy foods are eaten in season not flown in from South America so they are available all year long.
14. Sauce is ment to highlight the pasta not drown it like Americans tend to do.

This is kind of an abbreviated version of the things that he and other people noticed while visiting Italy.

Theresa111 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

Theresa111 — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:10:55 +0000

My mouth is wide open and the laughter is falling out of it! Angie you find some of the funniest videos. Thanks. :P

AngieAlaniz on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

AngieAlaniz — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:03:14 +0000

Here's a guy that loves Italian & french food http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=wpMkRIXhLH0&pop_ads=null
enjoy.

Theresa111 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

Theresa111 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:26:13 +0000

Hear, hear.

LadyGourmet on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

LadyGourmet — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:14:35 +0000

I must agree with you so much of the meal comes from the heart. There might be the most sparse of ingredients to work with but yet like magic a "gourmet" meal is created. The loud voices, the music, the laughter and a memory has been. That is what makes an Italian meal apart from so many others, the passion and yet simplicity that goes into the cooking and the passion of the people that created that meal.

Theresa111 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

Theresa111 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:50:12 +0000

You need to adopt a food loving family who will want that delicious experience. I can bet that this is an ideal place to find such a lot. :D

FoodProcessing on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

FoodProcessing — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:07:01 +0000

I always find italian difficult, not the making of the food, but recreating the italian eating experience.
I mainly ate in northern italy, with meals that would last for 2-3 hours and involve the owner his wife the chef and any other family members joining us for parts of the meal.

when I try and recreate that eating occasion it is very difficult, the food tastes great but I miss the atmosphere.

Theresa111 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

Theresa111 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:49:13 +0000

Now I want to go to Italy.

CajunKatherine on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

CajunKatherine — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:04:56 +0000

I've learned from watching cooking shows or from Italian cookbooks. Italian is my favorite cuisine, the depth of flavors and the variety is amazing.

Theresa111 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

Theresa111 — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:39:38 +0000

Mostly, I know what my late Father taught me. I stick to the principles of pasta and sauces. I watch FoodTV Network and view all kinds of new ways to enjoy Italian cuisines. Italian food is so delicious.

tonyb on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

tonyb — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:15:26 +0000

I really think it depends on the person more than the country. My sister, brother and mom all know a bunch about Italian food as they are cooks and have traveled. I enjoy eating Italian food though don't have an in depth knowledge aside from the fact that when a good cook using great ingredients makes an Italian dish it tastes delicious.

ioske31 on 'Interest in italian food & wine ?'

ioske31 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 15:27:30 +0000

Do you know a lot about italian typical cuisine or just only something about pasta and pizza? Do you know 'bagna cauda' or 'caciucco' for example? I'm an italian person with a strong passion for food & wine and I would like to know how much italian typical recipes and wines are known in the other countries....would you tell me?