10 Worst Italian Food Faux Pas

I thought this was interesting! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2415397/Worst-Italian-food-faux-pas-revealed.html

I though the article was up to the standard of the usual Daily Mail offerings; inaccurate, populist and stereotypical.

I would not blame only the daily mail, the vast majority of the media are at it. Sky yesterday....'RAF has scrambled jets from Cyprus' SUGGESTS that it has just happened, it was 6 days ago !

V

Thank you, ghiro, most interesting, although the article contains an error regarding chicken and pasta. Perhaps chicken based sauces or stuffings for "pasta ripiena" are not very common, two Italian dishes come immediately to my mind: "Biechi (or maltagliatti) di pollo alla goriziana" or the famous "Cannelloni alla Rossini". There are also ragúsand sauces using chicken giblets, particularly livers and plenty using duck, pigeons, etc. And I would bet that many Italian women, excelling in the art of "recycling leftover" have used pieces of chicken to enrich their sauces for pasta.

I totally agree with not having cappuccino with dinner. The sole idea makes me sick. And I do not like ketchup with pasta or rice.

I'm all for experimenting and trying ingredients together in non traditional ways. Some of our best meals have been made from using up all our last bits of food before we come back to England. I hate being told you shouldn't eat this with that etc. At one time who would have thought chocolate could be so delicious in savoury recipes? Rules just inhibit imagination.

I totally agree, la alma, and I am also a keen recycler of leftovers. With many of them I concoct some great "frittatas".
Also, sweet chocolate is a European tradition, as sugar and milk were added to the cocoa brought from America. The Aztecs used to drink "txokoatl" as a bitter beverage, either as it was extracted from the beans using some warm stones and also as an ingredient in a sauce or "mole". It is still used as a spice in Mexican cuisine, with the addition of chillies.

Hi everyone! I'm italian
i read the article

but do you put ketchup in pasta?? really? 
I don't judge the way you cook, I'm just curious

Selli93 wrote:Hi everyone! I'm italian :)i read the articlebut do you put ketchup in pasta?? really? I don't judge the way you cook, I'm just curious

Hi Selli, welcome!

Well I'm sure some people will  put ketchup in pasta our daughter for one... A well known saying "don't knock it until you try it" .... but I would suggest in this case you don't    

Children, in many countries, seem to enjoy ketchup on practically anything. It may have to do with the high sugar content.

when i was a hard up student and found the cupboards bare, i did once put ketchup on rice, otherwise it would have been just..... rice.  Never again.  As to ketchup on pasta, it must be disgusting.  I cant even stand a ragu with a bit of sugar in it on pasta.

ahahah I understand
in Italy we eat pasta with ragù, tomato, ham and cream, carbonara (eggs and bacon), pesto, etc.
and rice with potatoes, peas, saffron, oil and cheese, pumpkin, etc.
but never, never, never sugar!   or something like ketchup and mayonnaise, then taste is subjective

Selli93 wrote:ahahah I understandin Italy we eat pasta with ragù, tomato, ham and cream, carbonara (eggs and bacon), pesto, etc.and rice with potatoes, peas, saffron, oil and cheese, pumpkin, etc.but never, never, never sugar!   or something like ketchup and mayonnaise, then taste is subjective

One of the reasons many of us come to Italy Selli, some to live! Your secret is out and as Gala said  the barbarians are coming      (well some have arrived)!   

Modi, a tiny (although it must be a very tiny amount, say 1/10 of a teaspoon) is generally used in all tomato sauces to break its natural acidity. A few drops of balsamic vinegar can also do the trick. Now, there is a big difference between this recommended use and what some people do...  
And yes, Steve, some barbarians have already arrived. You are right!  Beware, Roman citizens and repent! The end is near! 

Gala Placidia wrote:Modi, a tiny (although it must be a very tiny amount, say 1/10 of a teaspoon) is generally used in all tomato sauces to break its natural acidity. A few drops of balsamic vinegar can also do the trick. Now, there is a big difference between this recommended use and what some people do...  And yes, Steve, some barbarians have already arrived. You are right!  Beware, Roman citizens and repent! The end is near! 

Ah but this one uses no sugar at all....  just lots of nice herbs...    

Sorry, Steve, but certainly in peasant cuisine in the very poor regions people could not afford a bit of sugar, but in more affluent tables they knew that a bit of sugar will tame the acidity. And even today, the discussion goes on, In Italian Zucchero nel sugo
it is also true that using plenty of fried onions for the sauce will also tame the acidity... just because onions have a high sugar content... actually, they are not recomended if anyone is on a diet.

Gala Placidia wrote:Sorry, Steve, but certainly in peasant cuisine in the very poor regions people could not afford a bit of sugar, but in more affluent tables they knew that a bit of sugar will tame the acidity. And even today, the discussion goes on, In Italian Zucchero nel sugoit is also true that using plenty of fried onions for the sauce will also tame the acidity... just because onions have a high sugar content... actually, they are not recomended if anyone is on a diet.

It matters little Gala as long as you enjoy the end result. I know exactly what you mean about the acidity factor, but we have not found it a problem in Italy. I'm pretty certain this is due to the inclusion of specific toms (cherry and pomodorino) as well as the intense sunshine over there.      

Certainly, some tomato varieties are less acid than others and climate is a big factor. Adjusting seasonings as needed is also important to get good results. Some sweet basil also helps.