Quote:
Originally Posted by davem4616
OMG...where do I begin
The differences between Italian and Italian-American cooking can be described as harmony among the items in the dish versus abundance. Italian-American cooking uses far more garlic, tons more sauce, much more cheese and meat. Fewer vegetables are used.
In Italy dishes are not 'loaded' with sauce and the food is lighter...
chances are you'd never see chicken parm on a menu in Italy...nor would you see
spaghetti and meatballs as a main...(unless you were in a restaurant that catered to American's traveling abroad). You'd see dishes that are made with what is in season and locally available...and made that day, like stuffed squash blossoms or wild boar, or fish caught that day
a small dish of pasta usually is served before the main meal
In Italy every region has unique recipes based upon what is plentiful in their part of the country...so you're not going to find the same items all over Italy....you will find pretty much the same items in every Italian-American restaurant all over the USA
In the North there is more cream and butter in the dishes...on the coast, more dishes with fish...in Sicily you'll find a lot of raisins and pine nuts being used
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Great post! Grew up in Indiana and thought Chef Boyrdee was real Italian. Thankfully we spent over 20 years in the Air Force and traveled much of the world. We love the Northern Italian style and often make Cannelloni from the recipe we obtained from Ristorante Orsini in Grizzo, IT. It is a family favorite and is the farthest thing from fast food imaginable. No red gravy (sauce) in this recipe and nothing like it so far in ten years of looking around this area.