I was wrong about the history of Italian food

#italy #italians #findingyourroots #ancestrydna #italianfood #familyhistory #genealogy
I had a conversation with Guido from "whyitalians.com" about the nuances of Italian American cuisine. We explored which dishes are genuinely Italian and which ones are American interpretations. Guido shared his perspective on how the cuisine has evolved from its Italian origins to something uniquely American. I also found out Im kind of a fraud in the kitchen!
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[@nytn]

Sorry we had to reupload! Had an issue with KZbin:) Let me know what your favorite Italian American food is? 🟢Send me a coffee!: ko-fi.com/nytn13#linkModal ⚪Support more storytelling and get behind the scenes videos: click the "Join" button. 🟢Watch the docu-series "Finding Lola" : kzbin.info/aero/PLvzaW1c7S5hQcox9CjaJWA7QKTYXw9Zn2 ⚪Want to connect? facebook.com/findinglolafilm/ 🟢Grab your own Ancestry DNA test now*! : amzn

[@chiclett]

Yes saw that. Video just disappeared while I was making my comments. I thought KZbin was hacked by Italians.🤣

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

@@lighthouse7775 What is it with the orthography from hell?

[@nytn]

I really laughed wayy too loud at this. Nope, just me messing things up on my end hahah

[@chocolatecaramel4447]

Very interesting segment. True Italian cuisine borrows from other ethnicities to make what they consider "Italian." Pasta was not created by the Italians, it was created by the Chinese, but I would love to know how Italians co-opted this into their own cuisine.

[@nytn]

oohhhh this is a rabbit hole. Thank you!@@chocolatecaramel4447

[@helgaioannidis9365]

Being a German who lived in Italy for 8 years and has been living in Greece for 18 years, this resonated a lot with my personal experiences. Here in Greece people often ask me for authentic German recipes and dishes, but it's impossible to reproduce them here, because of the lack of important ingredients. The butchers cut the meat in a different way e.g.. Bavarian pork roast needs a piece of fat and skin on it to become so tender and juicy, but I can't find that here. So I add cream to the sauce and to balance it I ad tomato. The taste is great, but it's not Bavarian roast pork. It's made with Bavarian mentality, but it's adapted to what's available. I love making pizza (thin crust, because I lived in Rome). Often I can't find mozzarella (I mean real mozzarella, not the hard stuff), so I started using Feta cheese and onions. My Italian friends like it, because it respects the Italian way of cooking, but of course it's not an Italian dish, it's a fusion of Italian and Greek cuisine. Also I would say climate matters. I can find butter and cream here in Greece. But I find it heavy here, especially during summer. In winter I can enjoy German soups and German mashed potatoes with butter and cream, but in summer I rather want olive oil in my food. I can relate so much to Italian immigrants in America, trying to adapt their food to the new circumstances. It takes a lot of creativity and good knowledge about food to create things you like in a completely new environment with different climate and ingredients. Last but not least I'd like to mention that southern Italy was part of the Byzantine empire for centuries and hence heavily influenced by Greek culture and cuisine, while northern Italy wasn't. Pizza most likely is an Italian adaption of the Greek πίτα (pita), which is a flat bread. Also filled pies are called pita in Greece (spanakopita and tiropita are the most known and loved types).

[@pompei1968]

Biggest lie...you do know Greeks were part of the Ottoman Empire. So many Greek dishes are Arab and Turk

[@helgaioannidis9365]

@@pompei1968 what exactly is "biggest lie"? Would you mind explaining what in my comment in your opinion is a lie?

[@pompei1968]

@@helgaioannidis9365 i Just explained in my first comment

[@helgaioannidis9365]

@@pompei1968 ???

[@giovanniderosa6102]

this is great! thank you! As a born and raised Brooklynite Italian growing up we had so many "traditions" which were passed down without question. I recently made it to Rome and Naples at 49 and was blown away with how different it really is in Italy lol from the coffee to the "sauce" .. I have now began to expand my research on more traditional dishes and methods which i find to be so much simpler and more flavorful, but its not about the outcome of the product, but the ritual of the actual experience in the making. everything in Italy was so much more of a community feeling even not being able to speak Italian i felt welcomed and included for the most part.

[@NenaSilva210]

This is very interesting. My husband is Siciliano and I of Mexican descent, and in Mexico we have the same issue. As a young girl and when seeing my grandmother cook, she always said that we should never serve, rice if we plan to add beans to a dish. It is either or. The original Enchiladas never had chicken but only cheese and more cheese on top. No salad or cream. This is just two of many different ways dishes are served here in the U.S rather than in a regular homes in Mexico. I started noticing that after the 90s in Mexico many restaurants started imitating the way dishes were served in the U.S. to try and please the tourist. Before meeting my husband I loved traveling to Italy and I learned the real way of cooking Italian food, so when my husband experienced my cooking for the first time, he was impressed. P.s. I love the topics on Food ❤

[@1014Donna]

I recently learned about Fettuccine Alfredo. The American creamy version with cream and all that stuff was reformulated by a restaurant in Los Angeles in the early 20th century. An American actress and her husband had gone to Rome and ate at da Alfredo. She loved the fettuccine. When she went to her favorite Italian American restaurant and described the dish without knowing the ingredient list. The LA restaurant formulated the American version fettuccine Alfredo.

[@jeromemckenna7102]

Most of the Italian Americans I have known came from families who immigrated to the US before 1920. I strongly doubt that poor working class Southern Italians (my sister in law's family came from Southern Italy) ate the same way modern Italians do. The food that they prepared at dinners I went to was quite different from what is presented as Italian food in the US. I am old enough to remember when pizza was uncommon outside of major cities and at least one Italian immigrant I knew told me that he never heard of pizza when he lived in Italy - he was Northern Italian and married to a German immigrant. Anyone wondering why Italian American food isn't so authentic needs to remember who is making the food. The first time I heard of garlic bread was when my brother's wife (family a mix of eastern European and English) made it. I've lived in Minnesota for 19 years and the pizza I buy is quite different from what I used to get in NYC.

[@MalluFilipino]

One thing to consider for cuisine that develops in the new host country for immigrants is the availability of ingredients. We take it for granted that we can get pretty much anything we want at any time in most of the major cities in the US now. It wasn't like that in the past. Immigrants had to often substitute ingredients, or develop new recipes for what was available. This has happened with so many ethnicities in America. The longer the people have been here the wider the difference is between the foods of their native lands and their foods in America. Edit: I wrote this before seeing the whole video. 😬

[@nytn]

You are so spot on, Im really impressed

[@giorgiodifrancesco4590]

OK, but it's not just about that. People continue to invent new things and do new tests. Furthermore, the immigrant finds himself immersed in a new environment with sedimented tastes to which he must adapt in order to market his own recipes.

[@guidopasquariello532]

Totally true! Adapt or die, that was the rule. That's why I find it quite ridiculous that today some Italians get indignant over the fact that Italian-American cuisine has transformed Italian dishes. Today, it would be easy to find everything needed to replicate them, but back then... well, back then it was a whole different story...

[@mitchyoung93]

@MalluFilipino Yes, and the flip side of that, as Guido notes, is the relative abundance of other ingredients in the United States. I'm guessing that an Italian peasant or tradesman in the 1890s got beef mostly when a work animal died. But when he migrated to the US he (or more likely his wife) finds that beef is basically a staple and thus giant beef meatballs are born (this is strictly a hypothetical example but I think a plausible one)

[@heydeereman1040]

Absolutely correct. Previous generations of Italians learned cooking from working in the kitchen with grandparents. At unification its estimated that 75% of the population was illiterate.

[@VeiledDancer]

What they consider authentic only goes back to a certain time period. If they researched further back in time, they would find that the preparation of food is quite different. Food is constantly evolving due to availability of ingredients for all cultures worldwide……. but no one ever seems to want to admit that fact.

[@guidopasquariello532]

It's true, many of the recipes that have made Italian cuisine famous worldwide were created in the last century, with ingredients that didn't exist in ancient Italy. Like culture, every so often it changes and is completely transformed.

[@FAHSEagle]

I'm an American who grew up in Germany. I've been to Italy a few times, and dined on Italian food from recent Italian immigrant restauranteurs. Even I experienced culture shock when visiting the States and dining in Italian restaurants. It took a bit for me to come to the same conclusions as Guido, and to appreciate the related cuisines. And it seems the same thing has happened with so many other cuisines developed in immigrant communities. In the end, it's all good eatin'!

[@guidopasquariello532]

Exactly, sometimes it takes time to 'understand' the reasons behind another culture, but it's almost always worth it, especially when it comes to eating. 😋

[@Bradamante68]

In Italy there are dishes of pasta with chicken, but beware it is chicken ragù, which is different from tossing a chicken breast on some maccheroni. In Marche region, traditionally a chicken ragù is made, as well as in Emilia region, Modena district, where a traditional dish is handmade maccheroni al pettine con ragù di pollo. Italians often are ignorant about traditional dishes of the other regions: in fact, Italian cuisine is just a selection of the most popular traditional dishes from all the Italian regions. This because the dishes are so many, and it takes a lot of study to learn about them all.

[@josephforest7605]

My family is from Civitanova and moved to Canada , after WWII. My dad worked at a steel mill in Canada and got tired of being jerked around by getting laid off a few times .So he told my mother in 1963 screw it all, sell off everything and move back to Italy with a wad full of cash . I was 4 years old when we moved to Civitanova Marche and I thought everyone was crazy in Italy and not in a good way, also things were very lean in Italy . The point is a cousin in Civitanova had a pizza place and it was only white pizza , I heard about Italian ice cream but it was not available in the winter , in Civitanova . Six months later we were all back in Canada with not much cash left , it was spent trying to settle in Italy , we visited Italy in 1973 and things were a little better , my cousin took me to a pizza place in Civitanova for Neopolitan style pizza , I asked him what are we going to have on the pizza? He looked at me funny and told me what ever the pizza place serves it to us with , in other words no choice of toppings on the pizza . My sister fell in love with a guy in Civitanova in 73, married him and moved to Civitanova , she tried to be a liberated and mouthy North American woman with her Italian husband and he gave her his fists .When she called the cops , they took his side , because my sister was an American .

[@roxanneandrew530]

My relatives are Northern Italian, extreme northern ie. five miles south of the Swiss border. We eat polenta rather than pasta.

[@annecollins1741]

I have a friend who's from Italy 🇮🇹 and I asked her about Penne Alla Vodka; she gave me the most puzzled look,lol. She told me that it's not made in Italy, she never heard of it.

[@elenauffa5201]

Maybe your friend is just young...they were popular 40 years ago 😂 Sorry, I don't know how to make these

[@xyanatos]

your friend is wrong, penne alla vodka is a legit italian dish, it's just not made anymore. it was popular in the '80s and '90s when italy started experimenting a lot with ingredients coming outside of italy (like vodka)

[@kaiyakershaw1028]

Terrific video! Great questions and what a wonderful guest Guido is! Thanks for all you do!

[@giorgiodifrancesco4590]

Italian Americans are people of Italian descent, but they did not participate in the development of Italian culture in the 20th century. Generally, they can be said to be Americans with a distant regional Italian memory (almost always Sicilian or Neapolitan), who did, however, participate in building Italian American culture, which is a peculiar thing. Already the little music you put on as a background, for an average current Italian, indicates that you know Italian American culture, but not Italian culture, since it is an American remake of an early twentieth-century Sicilian dance music, which in Italy is understood as something very regional (and I don't think even in Sicily they don't dance anymore, because it doesn't even fit into the folklore patterns rediscovered in the second half of the twentieth century).

[@JulyMoon82]

Another good conversation. I do hope you continue this series. There's a lot to learn about a culture through the foods they make, and a lot to learn about people and migration or immigration through the evolution of recipes as a result of moving away. Edited to add, when I was in culinary school i took a cuisines across cultures class that taught us traditional recipes from different cultures across the globe and we compared them to the American versions, one of those that became a favorite of mine is cabonara. I much prefer the traditional Italian version over the American version because of the lack of cream added. The Italian version gets its creaminess from eggs and parm or pecorino cheese rather than heavy cream, and for me it just tastes better. Fun Fact, the dish gets its name from the black pepper looking like coal, if I recall correctly. I could be wrong, but it's worth double checking.

[@nytn]

The pepper is my favorite part!

[@JulyMoon82]

​@nytn Same! I love pepper and will sometimes get a bit heavy-handed with it in a couple of my recipes that have either a cream or a cheese sauce.

[@bevswright]

This was such an interesting interview and greatly enjoyed. My Italian family are Calabrese and Abruzzo, and would consider themselves not on a social scale with Florence or Milan. They were country people, and so the dishes that they taught me were country folk food. But, probably very mixed with American culture at least with respect to spaghetti and meatballs. But there are some dishes that I completely understand what he is talking about. For instance, it would never occur to me to mix chicken and pasta, and I don't do it today. It doesn't occur to me to do so. Chicken is roasted in the oven or pan fried, and its side is potatos or squash. The night my mother in law died, she was making supper for us, and it was country folks food. We called it cacoach. What its real name is, I have no idea, but it was ground beef and a little garlic, and onion, and squash and a diced tomato, and absolutely delicious. Christmas suppers were a modified feast of the 7 fishes, with herring, and baklava (my husband hated that stinky fish), and fried smelts, and the aunts would work all day making gnocci, with real potatoes in the dough (a dish I work at often, but have never mastered as theirs was - so light the pasta dough). Sunday meals with a heavy gravy, but pasta was served on the side, with meatballs, braccioli, a porkroast cooked in the heavy gravy, but nothing like going into a restaurant today and sitting down and ordering meatballs and spaghetti - it wasn't like that. In the first place, our preferred pasta was rigatonni. Spaghetti was only served with carbonara, but that was homemade with the pasta water and fresh eggs (and, I'm sorry, Danielle - no cream in the offering), but lots of freshly ground pepper. I make that today. Friday Lenten meals with some small fish on the side and alio e olio - with fresh chopped parsley - that was Friday Lenten supper. Sausage and peppers (my son's all-time fave), with no pasta in sight. The salads were wonderful. I can't repeat them all, but my favorite was just simply fresh chopped lettuce, celery, fresh parsley and olive oil and red wine vinegar - still, my all-time fave. He raises a fascinating point - that American Italian has raised itself to such a level that it is served in Italy now. That blew me away. I've never really loved Italian deserts, finding them not sweet enough. Except cannoli - leave the guns, bring the cannoli. Yep. That'd be my all-time fave. Our most loved bakery down here recently closed down - known for its bread and many things, but the cannoli was the best. I'm still heartbroken about that and will be for a long time. Good pound cake, though. My mother in law made the best pound cake. And good strong coffee.

[@guidopasquariello532]

You've captured how Italy is so fragmented yet united, that in reality there are regional cuisines and within these, local cuisines of individual cities. A Calabrian family will have very different foods and eating habits than a Milanese family. Anyway, reading your comment made me both hungry and nostalgic at the same time... TeamCannoli me too!

[@CalliopePony]

The question you didn't ask, which I am curious about, is what are notable similarities between Italian and Italian-American food? Are there any dishes that have remained relatively unchanged in the US, or are there any aspects of Italian-American cuisine that resonate with native Italians?

[@GoldenEmperor5Manifest]

First off, I want to profusely thank Guido for referring to us as "Italian-American" rather than what many Italians have done in recent years which is try to deny our connection altogether. It's really refreshing to hear his opinions in such a mutually respectful way and i say mutual because Italian-Americans basically revere Italians from Italy. We see Italians as our family, even if distant, we're connected. I also understand the concept of protecting old food traditions, in fact, I aspire to take what I have learned in recent years and apply it to my own Italian American cuisine. Adding soffritto to a "Sunday Sauce" would be unheard of in Italian-American cuisine but I plan to start adding it, or using parmesan rinds in the sauce. Using real Parmesan Reggiano, knowing how to properly add Percorino Romano to heated dishes (indirectly) and other things would amplify existing recipes and turn them into something far more amazing. Mixing the sauce with the pasta rather than putting a bunch on top of plain pasta. Using the pasta water to bind the sauce to the pasta. Italians should realize, we Italian-Americans are almost like remote hardware devices who look to Italy for a new software update. I mean particularly when it comes to the masterful culinary techniques. The average Italian-American has no idea about these things. I've made Fettucine Alfredo at home many times recently, the Italian way and believe me when I say it's infinitely better than the Americanized cream sauce version. First off, cooking a good slow-dried egg pasta al dente and then using good Parm Reg aged for 2 years and better yet certified if you can get it is going to be a whole other experience. The starch on the egg pasta, the bite, Americans will be blown away once enough of them truly try the real thing. Dare I say it though, as a foodie if nothing else, the picture you showed of carbonara was not carbonara in any way. It's made by mixing egg and pecorino romano cheese into a paste and the starchy pasta water plus grease from the guanciale bind together to make the sauce creamy and just amazing.

[@lazarushernandez5827]

As many commenters have stated, it is about appreciating the culture (whether it is Italian from Europe, or American) and curbing ones own preconceived notions and expectations. I recall on a trip to Italy over a decade ago, visiting a friend who had been living there for a few years then, we were in line to see the David in Florence. We struck up a conversation with an American grandmother on vacation with her family. Inevitably the topic of cuisine came up because, literally every meal I had experienced up to that point was extraordinary, and we were curious as to what their experience was. This lady shocks my friend and I when she says her son is a chef, and he was disappointed by the meals he had up to that point. She then states that they were nothing like what they had back home (in the U.S.). Over there we encountered seasonal meals, where a certain dish was only made when its ingredients were in season. There were regional dishes, something I had in Bergamo wasn't on the menu in Venice or Florence. There are ingredients over in Italy that aren't readily available here in the U.S. and vice versa. You will find that over here as well, but you have to at least step away from the typical franchise Italian American restaurants (nothing wrong with those either). There was a fascination with American cuisine over there as well. In the Galleria next to/around the Duomo in Milan there was a very busy American Burger style restaurant, still maintaining an Italian aesthetic. And we didn't really see a Starbucks, there were so many coffee shops and bakeries all around, the day always featured a stop for an expresso or a cafe corretto, and a brioch, and a gelato.

[@alphaomega203]

@MalluFilipino is correct with the assessment where immigrants had to find substitutions but also found some items, meat for example, to be not only cheaper but easy to procure, so the traditional food was modified. Another element that has influenced ethnic dishes such as Italian-American foods is the merging of cultures where in some instances to become more American you change something or you borrow from another culture. As Italians married outside of their ethnic group you have a different transition in food. I'd say today in America, you have distinct dishes within regions of the U.S. such as pasties in the UP or pepperoni rolls in WV and the Pittsburgh area. We can think of cajun or Tex-Mex or the Chinese food we eat today as a development of American food culture that continues to evolve.

[@mitchyoung93]

Should have read the comments suggestion because I made the exact same point several hours after you.

[@alphaomega203]

Sometimes you can't read them all and duplication doesn't hurt@@mitchyoung93

[@charlynegezze8536]

Southern Italian immigrants convinced Americans that tomatoes were not poison. My grandmother told me tomatoes were considered weeds before then.

[@karenblack2869]

Oof! Wow! I also love spaghetti carbonara - with cream! Thank you, Danielle, for finding such a kind, open-minded person to answer your questions. He was generous and humble. Italian Americans have certainly significantly contributed to our diets here, even though their recipes shifted with the available ingredients to create their own cultural menu. Well now I can say that I certainly don't want to ever seem.... Gastronazionalistic lol And Italy, ... you're welcome for the brownies, BBQ and fried chicken! Love it!

[@guidopasquariello532]

ahaha.. Not to sound like a food nationalist (gastronazionalista)... but if you get the chance, I recommend trying a 'traditional' carbonara. It's simply a different dish, and whether it's better or not is for you to decide.. 😋

[@nytn]

I’ll think about it 😂😂👌🏾

[@karenblack2869]

@@nytn We are so bound to our beliefs sometimes, but in the case of sentimentality towards food we grew up eating with our family, I think we can give ourselves a pass 🤣

[@corettejones]

Excellent Broadcast!!! I learned so much about the Italian American experience! Sort of like the Chinese American experience! More please!👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽🥰🇺🇸

[@christopherreed8152]

Good evening Danielle, Great interview (as always). Guido speaks wonderfully and with knowledge. You are definitely not a fraud 😅. Your kids are blessed to have you as their mom. I know you cook well because you give 💯% in all you do. There's no shame in the cultural and culinary differences between America and the motherland. Authenticity has it's place but so does survival, adaptation and evolution. If you want to emulate the real deal, there's always cook books and YT videos. Seriously, would you trade NY pizza for pizza from Italy??? Me neither 😅 What troubles me is that our food in America contains many ingredients that are banned in Europe and many other countries due to cancer causing agents and other health risks. Great channel as always......please tell mom and dad "hi," from your fans. 😊

[@nytn]

This made my night. Thank you:) also you’re right….nothing tops NY pizza!

[@guidopasquariello532]

I agree! Those people created something new, and it's right that today Italian-American cuisine is aware of its uniqueness, proud of being created by brave Italians who weren't afraid to experiment. But are you sure you've tasted a real Neapolitan pizza? 😇Think again

[@christopherreed8152]

@@guidopasquariello532 Thanks for commenting Guido. Someday, I will try Neopolitan pizza and I will love it. I will try Sicilian pizza, as well. Thank you for your interview with Danielle and your wise words. You are "il capo." Ciao Signore 🙏

[@nytn]

I haven’t!! I will do it

[@christopherreed8152]

@@nytn You're the best Danielle 😋❤️

[@kirancourt]

Chicken parmesan came from the Italian diaspora in the United States during the early 20th century. Chicken was cheaper and easier to get so this became a staple. I often find it interesting how mother counties look askance at their own diaspora. 10% of the entire population of Italy moved to the United States and they mostly came from Sicily and Camapania so they were bound to develop their own cuisine.

[@goldenboy727]

Italian food is more health. I see lot of videos of Italian food it have a beautiful way I try to some of them and I real like it .Thank you so much for the video 👍💕

[@James-oi7mz]

Great interview, I'm glad he talked about how Italian American cuisine developed. I'm wondering if big chain restaurants give Italian American cuisine a bad rap as well. Mainly as far as not really representing Italo-American culture, I don't recall having garlic bread when growing up or bread sticks until I had them at a restaurant. A lot of Italians utilized the resources around them; I remember picking greens in the spring with my grandparents and they also did a lot of fishing as well as gardening.

[@guidopasquariello532]

It's exactly as you say. Also the big food chains in America have considerably influenced and created what is today known as Italian-American cuisine.

[@ashleyvaughn5213]

You have a wonderful curiosity about your life and I enjoy watching you explore it😄💓

[@ibelivinu1]

immigrants trying to feed their large families on what they could get here often had to adapt,so anything your momma or nona made was still italian, i'm sure through time itaians in italy adapted foods from other places still call it italian

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

Yes, adopting Chinese noodles and raviolis 800 years ago.

[@chocolatecaramel4447]

@@lucianomezzetta4332 Indeed.

[@guidopasquariello532]

It's true, at the end of the day in ancient history we've always mixed with each other and there's hardly anything truly traditional and unspoiled left. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing, as exchange always benefits culture.

[@chocolatecaramel4447]

@@guidopasquariello532 I understand your point. I would have to disagree with your position, however because African Americans did not have a "culture" (food, traditions, ways) and no one borrowed from us. Instead, we had to assimilate into Westernized food stuffs and we did so with just scraps. We made a way.

[@Ariom76]

In Italy during the 20 century we mixed the food of all our 20 regions. Before the IIWW every regions knew just their dishes with their products that were very different.

[@strangecoasteroutdoors799]

Fun fact that most people don’t don’t know. The Caesar salad is actually from Mexico and not Italy

[@guidopasquariello532]

True! Poor Caesar never had the chance to taste one...🙃

[@andiamador7156]

Italians didn't use tomatoes until they were imported and then grown there and incorporated into their dishes. It makes sense that Italians who came to America would incorporate what was available, and dare I say scale up in many ways, like tomatoes and more chicken... All ethnic dishes here originated with the people they originated from --- Mexican, Chinese, German, etc., and were appreciated by one another to a degree that broadened their appeal and their audience. All dishes become more Americanized and many dishes are actually further dressed up holiday dishes in the original. Cajun food is a perfect example of people coming from elsewhere and taking what was available. That 'culture' of food had multiple ethnic influences including French and African. It is important to know the origins and important to preserve knowledge of how dishes were prepared originally. Some of the foods would probably be healthier to consume. Some may not for some reason or another. People get used to certain preparations --- because that's how Mama or Granny made it, and it become the preference. Two grannies living next door might make it a little differently. Sisters might wind up making it a little differently and having it become the way many of their upcoming generations want it to taste.

[@heydeereman1040]

Just returned from 3 weeks in Europe and gained 10 pounds 😂. Finally had meatballs as they were intended and they were large just like my Grandmother made them. Italian cooking was something passed down through generations. Most of it was cooking with what was available or in season. We often eat spaghetti with only cheese and butter. Only Chicken Parm we have gives us eggs to eat. (We have one named Penne and another named Parm 😂😂)

[@nytn]

Lol the chickensssss 🐔♥️

[@Lulibag]

Spaghetti al burro e parmigiano. Solo burro e parmigiano però...niente pollo. Mai! Ci farebbe schifo. Piatto italiano di sempre. Buonissimo e tradizionale. Lo cucinava mia madre nata nel 1925😂

[@pamelabasilone5173]

If you've ever been to Italy and experienced the culinary variances from region to region, you would better understand how Italian American cuisine developed. Heavy immigration from the south greatly influenced it. The authentic dishes are far superior but the absence of the ingredients in America (at the time) made substitution necessary. Now we can better access the ingredients and make authentic Italian food here.

[@guidopasquariello532]

Completely agree.

[@travel734]

You and your family should visit our southern Italian village. It is quite remote but open to newcomers and new ideas. We have interchanges with other regions so there is now a sagra delle cozze or mussels and we go to the coast to offer them a sagra del agnello or lamb. I agree with the comments about the differences in northern and southern Italian cuisine, although the line is not as strong as it once was. Nonno did part of his military service in Bologna and my neighbour Cesidio was an Alpini in Cortina and so on. The movement for work certainly has had an impact.

[@chiclett]

You are incredible. Love your videos

[@nytn]

Thank you so much! I had a lot of fun laughing at myself in this one HAHA

[@arrow1414]

Italian-American food isn't wrong, it just developed in America from outside influences from other immigrant groups that they lived next to.

[@fairybliss7772]

If we’re being real, tomatoes are an American food. They are indigenous to the Americas. They traveled to Europe during the Columbus exchange

[@bandxdwayne]

Hahaha. U just got totally busted.😂 Ole dude just politely called you a heretic and Bless your heart. You out here thinking you cooking the heck out of some Italian food and dude just gave you the side eye. Just be glad you’re not over there trying to cook in the kitchen with a bunch of Italian grandmothers. You might not make it back home. But take solace in knowing that it’s not just you. Everybody’s food here is American fusion food with an old culture base. This was too good.😅

[@nytn]

I definitely embraced my American fraud LOL

[@cjc2]

@@nytnthis was so funny to watch. Great video!

[@bandxdwayne]

@@nytn Yeah you better embrace it. Cause we just found out that I ain’t gonna fly over there.👉 Also I’m sorry but I can’t be doing no cute little meatballs with my spaghetti. If they’re not at least the size of a golf ball I’m going to you Aunt Rosa’s house and tell on you. And your Ragu better be on point too.

[@nytn]

Lol! I wasn’t allowed any canned sauce growing up. 😂

[@bandxdwayne]

@@nytn Ragu as in meat sauce woman. I’m coming to y’all’s family reunion. And I’m telling all your Aunts on you. You gonna git got. Sauce in a can…… Quit Playing. 😎

[@Jenjen-qc5eq]

I had a rude awakening when I had real Italian pizza for the first time when I was in Italy, up until that point I didn't realise that the pizza in the UK was nothing like real Italian Pizza, by the way I prefer the real Italian pizza...😊☕

[@guidopasquariello532]

Thank goodness! I thought I was the only supporter of Italian Pizza here 🤗

[@michaelmitchell5098]

Once again…great job and thank you for the education.

[@robertwaguespack9414]

I used to live in Italy. What we ate in Italy is not a hat we refer to as "Italian cuisine. "

[@JohnnyLodge2]

Here is the reality. America has different ingredients readily available than Italy does. In particular meat like Chicken. Its not any different than differences between north and south of Italy. For example rice vs pasta.

[@giorgiodifrancesco4590]

In the North there are many traditional types of pasta dishes too.

[@ExploringUmbria]

People have to realize that Italians also borrow from other cultures, even though they may be thought to be gastronazionalismo, such as biscotti, borrowed from the Jewish word biscocho, or carcioffo alla giudea, even the coffee culture came from Turkey. I have even heard that pasta comes from Asia, maybe a different recipe though. Lasagne and Greek Pastitsio. In fact, pistacchio is the Italian for a Greek word called fystíki that is a huge staple in Italy, especially gelato. Even wine, arrived to the Italian peninsula from Croatia, where it was first domestically farmed and vinified for consumption. In fact, it cracks me up when I go to the market and I can easily pick up a pack of Phily cream cheese, which cleary makes you wonder if it is even a real cheese...found that easier than hummus, from garbanzos (American) or ceci. If something is "truly Italian", it usually has a government IGP (indicazione geografica protetta) and is usually an ingredient or a recipe like bistecca alla fiorentina chianina, or prosciutto, or parmigiano reggiano DOP... LOL.

[@joecutro7318]

Hey Danielle, this was such a great post and so well presented by Guido and you. I just arrived back in the US after 7 weeks in Italy. This was my 11th and longest trip. With every trip, I am further humbled as to how American I am. My pride in my Italian heritage is slowly changing into an understanding and appreciation of both cultures including cuisines. It took me this many trips to realize and accept that I have an American accent when I speak Italian. I thought I was running stealth! Not. 😅 Cuisine is a huge factor in many cultures that have integrated into the "great American experiment." 👍🏼 I can imagine how difficult it was to find cheeses that would "cream" properly in the US under heat, hence the introduction of heavy cream in many recipes? 🤔 It still is very difficult unless you can find cheeses made from Italian dairy products, but most are from cow's milk and not the preferred sheep, water buffalo and goat milk. Those are nearly non-existent in the US, except the ones that followed me home in my carry-on yesterday. 😮😉 The pics of Bella Napoli were a flashback including the waxy paper bags! 😂 My family was friends with the DeFazio family who also had an Italian store in Troy. It's still there I believe, but the old timers have all since passed. The term gastroracismo hit me square between the eyes. I have been guity of that for sure, but I'm changing. There is so much depth to your work that transcends just Italian-American culture. This one mixed in some fun with the education. Brava and mille grazie, Danielle!!

[@nytn]

Oh this was wonderful to read, thank you so much for adding to the conversation! Accent or not, you are an inspiration! And so happy the Bella Napoli memories are shared. Im seeing more and more get forgotten and I want to grab and save it all. Thank you for being here on the journey with me :)

[@krono5el]

In Chicago we have Italian Beef sammiches and i don't think they anything to do with italy : P

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

They do not.

[@guidopasquariello532]

I had to Google it, indeed I've never seen them. I will add it to my list of Italian-American specialties that are hard to find in Italy. Thank you!

[@nemomarcus5784]

I wonder what Italians think of California cuisine such as can be found in our wine country and the influence of Alice Waters. California is also a Mediterranean climate.

[@guidopasquariello532]

It's quite fascinating to see the influence of Mediterranean flavors in California cuisine, especially with its similar climate, while distinct, shares many principles and flavors with traditional Mediterranean cooking. The creativity and focus on fresh, local ingredients, as championed by Alice Waters, really resonate with the Italian approach to cooking.

[@LostNFoundASMR]

Think about what he said. He said that they adapted to these new foods due to their new found wealth… southern Italians were that poor in Italy that coming here to live in Italian ghettos was rich compared to living in southern Italy. Wild.

[@bahiras]

Thanks, Danielle. I love your channel, but this was a nice and not so serious change from your usual episodes. I love Italian AND Italian-American food. Yum, yum all the way around 😊

[@distantcomets]

@nytn thanks for another really interesting video. I have a question for your next AMA: can you PLEASE share a bit about what you do with music? I've watched a bunch of your videos and the producer in me is DYING because there's a TR-8, a Moog, a Behringer Wasp clone, a Theramin just staring back at me in the background! What do you make? Do you have another channel or a bandcamp?

[@nytn]

Im impressed, you got them all! I WISH I could lie and say they are mine, but those are my husband's. His collection is out of control and is taking over my life. He writes great music with those and puts ZERO out in the world. He put one song out on YT and quit it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5LWg2OPaZJkb6Mfeature=shared

[@paulacopeland8360]

The best Italian food I have ever had was when I visited Italy! And, the best Chinese food I have ever had was when I visited China!

[@guidopasquariello532]

Good point!

[@RossanoMacchioni-gm4mg]

Brava , bella anche questa puntata. Auguri a tutta la tua famiglia.

[@lg206]

To me, this seems to be common across all ethnic cuisines. Once a dish makes its way to the US, for some reason, extra butter, extra fat, and extra sugar are added. Whether it’s Mexican, Indian, Italian, etc..

[@danschneider7531]

Danielle: a point to consider is that there is a diff between the food of poorer and richer people in Italy, and it was the poor people who mostly emigrated to the US. As example, this fellow says that all chicken dishes w pasta are NOT Italian. But that's for the upscale Italians who could afford other dishes. If you were a mountain farmer then chickens might have been the only meat readily available. In the 60s and 70s I often ate over at the homes of Italian pals of mine, and those women, mostly, often had chicken recipes that went back to the Old Country. I doubt they were lying, in anticipation of 50 years later having some guy who never stepped foot in America telling them their recipes were not genuine Italian. I've seen these sorts of claims a number of times before, and it's usually yuppy Italians who make the claim, not the poor women who immigrated. In short, there's a good deal of classism at play here, conscious or not.

[@nytn]

Class issues sometimes get swallowed up in other issues, and that’s a great point.

[@MrHorse-by3mp]

We're 'Muricans. Maybe on some level we do realize we're idiots who will eat any old garbage, but you know, the feeling passes.

[@lenase7396]

Baked ziti looks like what we call pasta ncaciata. Also, we would put meat sauce (the differents cut of meats. sausages and meatball )on top of the pasta dish during Sunday lunch. I think it s a similiar concept to what you guys still do in USA? This is my culinary experience as a sicilian which of course differ from the guy in the video.

[@dario1837]

in Perus (Perugia), in the late 80s I was invited by a fellow Nigerian student to a party; there I was offered a plate of spaghetti with a chicken on top! I didn't know whether to be more horrified or surprised, but in the end it was an act of love and I ate it gladly. I was the only white at an all black party, I danced with two Nigerian girls and at the end... they thanked me! That was even weirder!

[@sandrasmith7091]

So interesting 😮I will check his site. Blew my mind but I understand how he explains the difference. Very open minded. 😊

[@CarolynEHS]

I love this!!! I've been MIA recently due to spinal surgery and have so much of your channel to catch up on. I've been watching a channel recently. called Pasta Grammar. They are a married couple, she's Italian and he is American, and they compare Italian American foods to Italian foods all the time. I've learned so much!! Check them out for authentic Italian cuisine, that I had no idea existed, LOL!

[@nytn]

Oh I hope you are recovering well! You’re the second person recommend Pasta Grammar. I need to go check it out 👌🏾

[@Lulibag]

Chicken parm? What? What? For us Italian chicken +parmesan is a very food-sheet 😮

[@JustFluffyQuiltingYarnCrafts]

Some of those revelations were jaw-dropping. I like his open-mindedness regarding Italians being accepting of the Italian-American versions of their staple dishes. I personally will enjoy all the versions regardless of the side of "the Pond" that I am on. 😉

[@guidopasquariello532]

Exactly! Good food, no matter what 'tradition' it comes from, is always welcome.

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

My favorite Italian dishes are beans and sausages cooked in the manner of small birds, baccala' all' isolana, cacciuco, risotto alla milanese, cotoletta alla milanese, torrone, panforte, and pan pepato. Not a single pasta dish. BTW, I was born in the province of Parma.

[@nytn]

Ooh yum! I need to look some of these up.

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

@@nytn The first is a Tuscan dish. The beans, toscanelli or white dried beans, are cooked in the manner of cooking small birds, that is, in a sauce made up of garlic, tomatoes, olive oil, sage, and black pepper. Saute Italian sausages separately over low heat. About 15 minutes before the beans are done add the sausages to the sauce and and half a glass of Chianti. Serve with garlic bread, fette unte. Baccala' is salted cod. All' isolana means it is cooked in olive oil with capers, potatos, olives, and thyme. Cacciuco is fish soup similar to the Sicilian fish soup called cioppino ( also made in San Francisco ).

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

Cotoletta alla milanese is breaded veal cutlet. Risotto alla milanese is cooked rice made with ossobuco, saffron, and parmigiano cheese. The last three are desserts containing almonds and dried fruit. Stammi bene, Cara.

[@guidopasquariello532]

@@lucianomezzetta4332 fagioli all'uccelletto! One of my favorites beans dishes.👌

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

@@guidopasquariello532 Bravo, Guido.

[@rroadmap]

Great video! I bet much of American food was adaptations of food from the original country the immigrants came from. The food in England isn't that much like ours. I know that Tex Mex is not the same as food from Mexico. You would never catch a Mexican putting sour cream on their tacos, nachos or tostadas. And Cali Mex is even different still. It is more similar to the food in Cabo on the Pacific coast of Mexico. My mother learned to make tacos in Northern California. They put a sweet sauce like sweet relish on them. My husband, of Mexican heritage in Texas, wouldn't dream of putting anything sweet on his tacos and thinks I'm crazy for adding it to mine. But when we lived in L.A., a Mexican restaurant down the street from my office did that almost exactly like my mother learned. My mother is from Louisiana and they eat a lot of rice and brown gravy made with Roux and lots of Cajun food, which includes a lot of seafood. My Dad on the other hand is from Kansas where things like Chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes and cream gravy are the norm. I wonder where those foods came from. I guess every large country has different cuisine in different parts of the country. NY Italian food is the best! There is a group of family-owned restaurants in our area--not a chain. The parents were from NY and started an Italian restaurant in the area. Now their kids are all grown and they have each opened restaurants about 15-20 minutes apart in the area. They all use the same recipes. The best pizza and pasta just down the street. I had the chicken fettucini alfredo just last night. Olive Garden can't even compare!

[@poemandres]

Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia where ruled by Spain during it's American Conquest...Tomato's are from Mexico, Central, and South America and are a crucial ingredient in Italian cuisine.

[@MajesteDeFrance-lg3zv]

I love Chicken Alfredo if it's not Italian then I'm shocked.

[@joeshmoe8952]

I know Italians are big on making their own sauces, none of this jar stuff. I can relate because I'm of Mexican heritage and we do not use can chile sauce in my home, only made from scratch chile sauce. Can chile is the lazy way.

[@larsedik]

There are restaurants in Italy (especially Florence) that do cater to American tourists and provide Italian-American food. I made the mistake of visiting one of these restaurants when I was in Florence, and the waiter refused to speak Italian with me and gave me fake Balsamic vinegar, which I very much objected to. I do like Chicken Parmesan (which I do not have with pasta, except at restaurants), and I always thought it was a Sicilian dish. However, I have never been to Sicily. I hate fettuccine Alfredo - I do not like any sauce that contains cream. I live in California where it is extremely easy to find local extra virgin olive oil. My favorite oils are from Paso Robles. When I make garlic bread (or toast), I combine olive oil and butter with the garlic and fresh basil. I also have small dishes to contain olive oil for dipping bread into.

[@guidopasquariello532]

Yes, it's true, Florence is really full of restaurants that, in order to please the many tourists, would serve just about anything. But it's nice to see how, more than in the past, today many American tourists demand to eat Italian when they are in Italy because they have understood that it is a different cuisine.

[@chiclett]

but When Italians try Italian American dishes, they love them.

[@nytn]

plus BBQ! lol

[@Deadseelife]

Probably very similar to when Chinese people or Chinese Americans eat at American Chinese restaurants. They know it’s NOT Chinese food…but it’s still delish! Lol 🤷‍♂️

[@nytn]

I read about that, too. Chinese food is nothing like American Chinese. So fascinating. No fortune cookies???

[@Deadseelife]

@@nytn nope! Lol no fortune cookies! Authentic Chinese food is amazing!! 🥰 Btw…I’ll let you know how those honey balls go this Christmas 😂 gotta see if I can get mom to make them with me. Lol

[@lucianomezzetta4332]

hardly.

[@juniorchavesopicassodeyahu988]

Hi Danielle. Do you like Dua's music?

[@nytn]

I dont know if I know any!

[@juniorchavesopicassodeyahu988]

@@nytn She released Houdini on all digital platforms today. I fell in love with this baby gal I can't wait to meet her personal. She is a good singer

[@gazoontight]

Most interesting.

[@julieb750]

Nobody uses Monterey Jack or cheddar in Italian food in America. Nobody. Not even the freakin’ Olive Garden (which is $#8+) does that. He’s Northern Italian, so his opinion is a bit biased. My Sicilian grandparents made food that was extremely close to what they had in Italy. The did not use butter. Please. Also, every Italian neighborhood had Italian groceries that imported traditional Southern Italian ingredients for Italians to purchase, even in the early 20th Century. Heavy red sauce stuff like spaghetti and meatballs and chicken parmigiana was created for Americans who patronized Italian restaurants. They wanted the big, heavy, meaty dishes. The owners had to have these dishes to get the extra customers. Bella Napoli was Americanized. The best Italian pastries/cookies were in Schenectady not Latham. That is because Schenectady and West Albany were the ethnic enclaves. Unfortunately, most of the old Italians who had bakeries and restaurants in those old neighborhoods have passed on. The few that are left are not very authentic or even good anymore.

[@mrburns2128]

He is not northern italian, he has been living in Milan for 10 years. He has a Tuscanian father and was raised in Florence (Firenze, Dante Alighieri's city) and a Neapolitan mother from Campania in the South. Different from Sicily, yes, but not so distant...in Italy we have cars, trains, Internet and we can communicate, you know?

[@julieb750]

@@mrburns2128 Oh, I thought Dante was from the Bronx! Please. But thanks for the history/geography lesson. Regardless of his Neapolitan genes, he sounds like his dietary preferences slant more Northern. He’s also basing his knowledge of Italian food in the U.S. on the worst, most Americanized version. Sorry, have to go catch a train to South Carolina where I can surf the internet for Southern friend chicken recipes, so I can understand what it feels like to be from the South. Ciao, Bubba.

[@mrburns2128]

@@julieb750 What a classy and mild retort madam/mister: we are talking about food, not war or civil rights but I guess you know better. Have nice day

[@johnnyearp52]

I am sure France also has gastronazionalismo (however that is spelled).

[@guidopasquariello532]

Yes. My wife is French, I can confirm that they too are very proud of their cuisine! 🥲

[@g-man4744]

I'm French; it exists but it's not even close to the Italians, I believe it's because french food is not as commonly available everywhere as Italian food (it's more complicated/takes longer to cook and prepare). Italian cuisine is almost like fast food in a way, as in it has usually few ingredients and can be prepared real fast so it's no surprise it's everywhere with insane variety. Having said that, we're 100% breadonazionalists!

[@catherinekelly532]

olive garden is a world apart from ANYTHING you'd order in italia!

[@guidopasquariello532]

These big chains have contributed (for better or worse) to creating the identity of Italian-American cuisine.

[@aclem8246]

Americans don't really eat this either. Americans eat pasta with a ragu. Most don't eat chicken parm either. Chicken is a tomato based sauce ? Yuk.

[@leotajackson5602]

Wow it sounds like we Americans have totally missed the mark with our Italian foods. I enjoyed this segment very much ❤

[@jamesdoyle2769]

Those Americans were Italian immigrants.

[@MrJr0455]

The Italians stole credit for their cuisine shocker 😱

[@mitchyoung93]

Man your dad looks like peak Tony Bennet.

[@Italiano-Forte]

Great video and channel. I am Italian American. My Nonno was from Abruzzo Italy. She made a pasta with Mini-Meatballs the size of marbles. She also made Spaghetti Alfredo. But, all it was, was spaghetti, olive oil, fresh grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, salt & pepper. NO CREAM. She also never put cream in Carbonara. I am 67 years old and have never tasted Chicken Parm & Chicken Alfredo.

[@petunia4474]

Spaghetti and meatballs? OMG I'm Italian American. Born in New York and I knew all my life there was no such think as Spaghetti and meatballs!! We ate spaghetti with other light sauces or with fish but NEVER with meatballs. I can't even look at anyone who eats these two together. Also I never grew up with Fetticine Alfredo! NEVER!! It's not an italian dish but..... I did grow up with chicken parm and eggplant parm.

[@Aurora-tp3dy]

There really isn't an Italian cuisine. Each region, and probably every village, has its own cuisine. The meatballs are from certain areas in southern Italy. However, no one would dream of putting them on top of the pasta. They would be the meat course. Heck, even growing up in Pennsylvania that wasn't done. Parents and grandparents would have been confused by that.

[@sarahMuahahaha]

Man.. I love chicken parm and chicken Alfredo 😂😂

[@jamesdoyle2769]

The mistake here, and it's been noted below, is thinking of Italy as a cultural unit. It absolutely is not. The Italians who came to American were for the most part from southern Italy. This guy, a northerner - Tuscany? Lombardy? can anyone place his accent? - wouldn't know much about their foodways to begin with. And he probably doesn;' know much about translating southern Italian cuisines from a Mediterranean to a continental climate and the adjustments that would require, and he wouldn't know much about the cultural fusion of Italian cuisines in the US, which absolutely does not happen in Italy.

[@Ariom76]

He was born and grow up in Florence, so his accent is of Tuscany, that is considered Center, not North.

[@g-man4744]

He said one of his parents was from Naples, he grew up in Tuscany.

[@coreylevine8095]

I alway like going to Olive Garden and Pizza Hut

[@truth4004]

It doesn't have to be from Italy and the "immigrants were/are real Italians. I think American Italian food is better than Italy Italian food, so there. - An American Italian. lol

[@coreylevine8095]

I wonder if Greeks food tasta a same as Italitan food

[@helgaioannidis9365]

As someone who lived in both countries I'd say no they don't. Food culture in Italy is focused on a series of well designed and balanced dishes, while Greeks tend to have everything on one plate. On the other handside Italian food culture usually means everyone eats the same series of dishes, but everyone from their own plate, while Greeks have different dishes in the centre of the table and everyone takes what he wants and combines flavours as they like. The procedure is less structured than in Italy. Also I'd say Greeks prefer stronger flavours and use open fire and ovens far more than Italians. There's also a difference due to religion, because Greeks are orthodox Christians and have lent 3 times a year, contrary to Italians, who have lent only before Easter. So Greece tends traditionally a lot towards dishes without meat I'd say. Greeks eat a lot of legumes and pies, both not as popular in Italy. Greek cuisine also isn't very focused on pasta. They have a few dishes that include pasta, mainly due to the influence of the Venetians in Greece, but it's far more common to have vegetables and meat just accompanied with bread or to make savoury pies. What both cuisines have in common is that they insist on very fresh, high quality ingredients and that due to history and geography both countries have regional differences within the respective countries.

[@guidopasquariello532]

@@helgaioannidis9365 Yes, even though many climate zones are similar and many ingredients are common, we really have different eating habits. And here in Italy, Greek cuisine is much appreciated as an alternative.

[@g-man4744]

Foods around the Mediterranean are incredibly varied! All delicious!

[@ocdbrain]

This one isnt a cyborg 👍

[@cjaquilino]

My major issue with this is he's not up to date on the latest research showing Italians owe a great deal to Italian Americans for their own cuisine. Italians also invented new mythologies and changed their own recipes just like we did. Italian cuisine is radically different post-industrializatiinn and post-WW2. Best examples are carbonara and pizza. Earliest written recipes for carbonara are from the US not Italy. Pizza napoletana today is a post-WW2 reinvention when they got access to American flour and stopped using whole wheat. In fact, early US pizza is closer to pizza from the 19th century.

[@mrburns2128]

What you don't understand as a foreigners is that it doesn't exist a national plate in Italy. Every city has its typical dishes, a lot of them. Pizza is from Naples and it spread in many countries but it's ONE kind of food. Or Carbonara from Lazio. Or pesto from Genova, etc...Italy is really culturally and historically fragmented

[@cjaquilino]

@@mrburns2128 That doesn't contradict anything I said. Some of Italy's regionalism in food is old, of course, but some of it is far newer. Like pasta dishes, particularly in the North, weren't conmonly eaten by peasants until after dry pasta became a staple when Italy nationalized. Corn and rice were far and away the more common staple staples among peasants there until the later 19th century. Yes, nobility had eaten some form of "fresh pasta" dishes since Rome-the meaning of the word "pasta" had changed. But you don't get the popular consumption, shapes, and variety of dry pastas dishes we all know today until much more recently. Even Mussolini thought pasta was a poor food.

[@mrburns2128]

@@cjaquilino Italian cusine as a whole doesn't own anything to american expatriates is my point. Have a good day

[@cjaquilino]

@@mrburns2128Well, you're wrong and believe in ahistorical nonsense. How are tomatoes from the Americas…but Italian cuisine owes nothing to the Americas? "Authentic" pizza napoletana supposedly requires so called "Manitoba" or 00 flour. Hmm, wonder where "Manitoba" flour is from? Keep telling yourself this simplistic story of Italian Americans bastardizing cuisine while Italy stayed true. It's false. Truth is, all cultures and cuisines exchange influences. Yes, Italian Americans adapted Southern Italian cuisine and culture to the new country, some things we were forcednyo assimilate. The less told story is how we also continued and even preserved some traditions that later changed in Italy. And hoe we brought apects of that culture and cuisine to new heights of global popularity-like with pizza and pasta. Credit goes to those immigrants not just to folks who stayed on the mainland.

[@christopherreed8152]

❤❤❤

[@petunia4474]

One more thing I wanted to add is since your mother wasn't italian how would you know what's authentic or what isn't Italian cuisine also it depends on what state you grew up. New York Italians, Im from Brooklyn, and Italians from another state are VERY different. We don't think alike or sound alike and we surely don't eat the same dishes.

[@nytn]

I was born in Albany

[@MizzAnto123]

Your dad is handsome

[@jh76103]

Why is the French flag in this video? Am I missing something?

[@guidopasquariello532]

Really? 😂 I didn't notice it either...

[@ChristineKiral]

Wait I thought Italians we're not Italians anymore according to your DNA findings? Whatever you think you are you are still very beautiful regardless 😍

[@Fister-kw5un]

Oh no, you will get ‘cancelled’ by the mob if you compliment a woman like that! 😢

[@nytn]

LOL, maybe the young hotties will cancel you. But married moms of 3 like me are too old and tired to do that ahah

[@joeg6655]

Not enough fish in Italian American cooking.

[@Flametree1492]

Really? there's a song "Everything must change nothing stays the same.". There's almost always a "so called "purist" they want nothing to change! Well, this is a new continent, it's the Western Hemisphere, many different peoples and cultures and each influences the others! This is America and I'm not just talking about the United States of which the USA is only one country in the Continent of America." Frankly I've eaten "real" Italian cuisine and there's no flavor no aroma! Unlike the "Carribean" neighborhoods where the aromas at dinner was overwhelming and inviting, and they didn't mind sharing!? Perhaps our version of Italian food is not up to their European expectations but here in the states we love our versions! I guess that's why we are such "fat pigs" (I was one of those) I was born and raised in East Harlem in the 1940s, to our east was and Italian neighborhood, to the south was a Jewish's neighborhood to our north was Harlem proper and then there was everyone in-between. Personally, my favorite foods were from the Jewish delicatessens and at that time the soul food restaurants were becoming popular and more "welcoming". Well, please I'm not being critical just my observations of 75+ years of living. Please keep up the good content and informative information! In truth I have an affinity for your content, based on your genetics, we have very diverse genetics we will survive as we have the vigor that comes with diversity. Hence our Italian food is very diverse and its tasty too! Here's a thought, tomatoes are indigenous to Mexico brought to Europe by the Spanish and noodles came from China so at one point in time the people of the "Italian Peninsular" adopted and adapted to use and eat "foreign" foods! and make their own.

[@josephheroux1149]

@nytn do you have a separate YT channel strictly for playing your Behringer SYNTHS? They look lonely...

[@nytn]

LOL! They're my husband's. He has a collection so huge it's overflowing into my world now. He doesnt post online really but he should. Here's one song he did upload w/ it kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5LWg2OPaZJkb6Mfeature=shared

[@Charles-tv6oi]

Lotta beans in Italy n mostly plants

[@fireofhislove3395]

Add the pasta to the sauce.

[@nytn]

pleeaseee

[@xtusvincit5230]

Italian food even in Italy is barely more than 100 years old. The whole thing is a myth. Tomatoes are a Spanish influence. Pizza barely existed in Italy before WWII. Polenta is American cornmeal mush which the native peoples have eaten for thousands of years.

[@michaelmitchell5098]

Favorite food? Pasta with olive oil and garlic sauce!!!

[@guidopasquariello532]

mmm.. Pasta aglio, olio e peperoncino👌

[@helgaioannidis9365]

My favourite Italian food is orecchiette con broccoletti. Had a roommate from near Gallipoli and his mum sent home made oriecchiette. Still dream of them 😅 I also very much love every dish that combines ricotta with spinach ❤

[@grethi8110]

ma dove l'ha mai vista la "carbonara" americana in Italia? boh

[@guidopasquariello532]

Purtroppo a Firenze, zona centro storico Piazza Duomo... Lì alcuni ristoratori sono talmente abituati alle orde di turisti che servono la carbonara con la panna.

[@genehammond7239]

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