The Truth About ITALIAN SEASONING | How Italians Actually Use Herbs & Spices

You'll never find a product called "Italian Seasoning" in Italy, and for good reason! These blends of herbs and spices mix a ton of different ingredients together and ruin any real, Italian flavor your food might have.
Less is more when it comes to seasoning, so today Eva is sharing some tips and tricks for using herbs and spices like an Italian. Stay tuned to learn when NOT to use basil, and other handy guidelines for Italian flavor!
If you enjoy this video, please give it a thumbs-up and subscribe to the channel. It helps a lot!
--------
ITALIAN SWORDFISH STEAK RECIPE - www.pastagrammar.com/post/sim...
"EGGS IN PURGATORY" ITALIA SHAKSHOUKA RECIPE - www.pastagrammar.com/post/how...
We've since found some Calabrian oregano on Amazon! You can try it yourself here (affiliate): amzn.to/3GGhdJT
--------
FOLLOW US
Website/Recipe Blog - www.pastagrammar.com
Instagram - / pastagrammar
Facebook - / pastagrammar
Snapchat - / pastagrammar
Twitter - / pastagrammar
VISIT ITALY WITH US
Italian Food Tours - www.pastagrammar.com/tour
SUPPORT US
Merch Store - teespring.com/stores/pasta-gr...
Shop Amazon - www.amazon.com/shop/pastagrammar
00:00 What Is Italian Seasoning?
01:31 How Italians Use Salt & Pepper
04:52 How Italians Use Peperoncino
06:53 How Italians Use Garlic
08:11 How Italians Use Parsley
10:05 How Italians Use Sage
12:10 How Italians Use Rosemary & Thyme
13:38 How Italians Use Marjoram
15:27 How Italians Use Oregano
17:42 How Italians Use Basil
20:22 How to Season Your Food Like an Italian
26:14 Pasta Grammarian in Action!
#italianseasoning #italianfood #recipe
--------
PAUL'S SODIUM ANALYSIS
Eva says the normal serving is 80g of dry pasta. What happens when we cook it? Well, there are three things that can happen:
1) We can take the pasta out of the water about two or three minutes early and put it into the sauce to do the final cooking and to cream it - mantecatura it - all together. When I do that, the pasta comes out of the pot at about 205g. (Note that I don't drain the pasta in a colander. I just scoop it out, and it's still quite wet when it goes into the sauce.) That means the 80g of dry pasta has absorbed 125g of salty water. With pasta water that is 1% salt by weight, the pasta has absorbed about 1.25g of salt. But each bit of the salt is made up, remember, of one atom of sodium and one atom of chlorine. The atomic weight of sodium is about 23 atomic mass units (amu), and the atomic weight of chlorine is about 35.5 amu, so by weight there is a lot more chlorine than sodium in your salt. For every gram of salt in your pasta, there is just under 0.4g, or about 390 milligrams (mg), of sodium. That means your serving of pasta will have about 488mg of sodium before it goes into the sauce. Compared to a lot of other stuff you can eat, that's pretty low. If you finish your pasta in a tomato sauce made from canned tomatoes, you'd add about 140mg of salt per serving from the tomatoes. So except for any other salt you add, your finished serving of pasta with tomato sauce will have about 608mg of sodium.
2) We can cook the pasta al dente, as we would for a pesto, for example. When I do that, the pasta comes out of the pot at about 235g. This means al dente pasta has picked up 155g of salty water, 604mg of which is sodium. So other than any salt added to the pesto, a serving of al dente pasta with pesto will have around 600mg of sodium.
3) We can overcook the pasta into a disgusting slop pile (that is, we can make a mappazzone). When I wasted some perfectly good pasta to test this, it came out of the pot at 264g. The 80g of dry pasta absorbed 184g of salty water, of which a whopping 718mg was sodium. If you add this slop to a sauce made with canned tomatoes you end up with 858mg of sodium total per serving. So properly prepared pasta will have a bit over 600mg of sodium per serving. If you overcook your pasta this figure goes up to perhaps 860mg of sodium per serving or even higher.
Compare this to a serving of
Chef Boy-ar-dee mini ravioli: 1,000mg of sodium
Nalley's chili: 1,130mg of sodium
A cup of milk: 125mg of sodium
An English muffin: 250mg
The normal baker's percentage for salt in bread
dough is about 2%, or about 780mg of sodium
per 100g of dough, or about 3.2 ounces of baked
bread.
We have to conclude that home cooked dry pasta has a LOT less sodium in it than almost any prepared food that you'll find.

[@leschab]

I listen to every word. Learning to make food more delicious is fun. Eva is one of the most interesting people on the internet.

[@irenedempsey3361]

I love these videos because my late grandparents were from conflenti and Consenza, and it gives me insight to the Calabresa people. I identify with this food, because I grew up in a city that was probably 50% Italian immigrants, and of course my mom. Next year I want to go to southern Italy and meet my relatives. Also working hard to learn the language. Thanks again for great videos.😎

[@alicetwain]

Eva probably uses pepper even less often than most Italians because of the fact that in Calabria chilli pepper is very commonly present in a lot of dishes, and if you use one you don't use the other, generally speaking. One thing that maybe Eva is not mentioning is that the use of herbs is pretty regional. Sage is a very important flavor for Tuscan cuisine (and they also make fried sage leaves!), but it's far less important in other cuisines. Also, herbs use is seasonal. Basil is always used fresh in summer. In winter you don't usually use basil because dried basil is honestly vile.

[@lipedax]

So if you are doing a Marguerita pizza in winter time, you don't use any herb ? (Not asking to be rude or anything, I'm Brazilian from Portuguese and Italian descend and want to understand the reasoning behind Italian cuisine).

[@aris1956]

Ma qui Eva l’ha detto che per quanto riguarda le spezie è anche una questione regionale (così come anche per altre cose e anche per quanto riguarda la cucina in generale). In una regione si mette magari di più una determinata spezia che da un’altra parte non si mette proprio e viceversa.

[@SheaSF]

@@lipedax It's spring in the U.S. and I just bought some fresh basil. Went to look at the package. It's from Columbia (was sure it was going to be Brazil). 😁

[@alicetwain]

@@aris1956 sì, ma l'ha detto più avanti.

[@fistikita]

@@SheaSF Columbia? You meant Colombia for sure, the country.

[@Sonex1542]

Her voice and accent is like a musical instrument. Love it.

[@jonathanrio6587]

Eva's reaction to "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme" made this entire video worth it!

[@sooz9433]

Yes😂

[@robertpickwoad8512]

Sounds like a great song title!

[@Queque2524]

@@robertpickwoad8512 Have you been to Scarborough Fair you find a multitude of parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. Mostly between the salt water and the sea strands.

[@grenny_1293]

As peperoncino is "mandatory" for calabresi, aglio/garlic is "mandatory" for piemontesi. As a piemontese myself i strongly suggest everyong to try a sauce made by garlic and parsley on fish, fresh cheese and onestly anything. The next day you would smell like you're a vampire slayer and your coworker will hate you but it's worth it. I promise 😂

[@XMarkxyz]

For garlic the best way to say it is that we Italians use garlic a lot but not a lot of garlic, meaning we use it in many dishes (but by all means not everywhere and for sure not on delicate stuff) but just a little you can even take it away after it gave its flavour/aroma

[@PastaGrammar]

That’s the perfect way to put it!

[@annother3350]

What about Alio e olio?!

[@casomai]

​@@annother3350 Only whit this recipe. Aglio. Not alio.

[@veronicat.6654]

​@@annother3350 When I cook Aglio e Olio pasta, I put max. 2 gloves of garlic not one more, you just need the taste of garlic so you then take it out. And a good olive oil that you don't have to overcook.

[@annother3350]

@@veronicat.6654 I'm sure most people use more garlic than that my friend

[@sevenandthelittlestmew]

Just an FYI, in Texas, we have a real serious problem with wild boar overpopulation. People here do hunt them, and I don’t believe there are limits (Texas hunters, correct me if I’m wrong). You are always welcome to head this way to give Harper a taste, as I’m sure chefs here would enjoy learning new ways to cook with their meat.

[@riccardodotto84]

Ciao from Italy,i'm from Friuli region(northeast of Italy) and we have many wild boars around woods,so we iften eat this kind of meat but before cook it needs the"MARINATURA" so we let the meat in a mix of red wine,red onions,sage and rosmary(somethimes blackpepper grains and lemon zest)for almost 24 hours in the fridge 'cause low temperatures help the transfert processing of flavors from marinatura to the meat,then we cook for a long time the meat adding some good olive oil and all the marinatura....BUONISSIMO😋👍

[@WinstonSmithGPT]

This would be a fantastic episode!!!

[@toscadonna]

I have 2 friends who run varmint killing businesses here in North Texas. Wild boars are eating the peanut and other crops here that they need to protect. I like wild boar, but lots of people don’t like it. It doesn’t taste like the sick, corn fed hogs in the grocery stores. It’s red meat and very robust.

[@michelem9341]

Arizona Javelina is a scourge in that state.

[@lorenzopassero8509]

Wild boar ragù pappardelle for anyone in TX then

[@biendereviere]

That’s basically the same as “herbs de Provence” from France but honestly I never buy herb/spice blends unless I can get them from specialty shops… I get my Asian spices at an Asian shop, I grow my own basil/oregano/thyme/rosemary 😍

[@annother3350]

Yes, in the UK decades ago people used those spice blends much more but not so much nowadays.

[@jpp7783]

Yes, and Curry”, which is really just a lazy catch-all blend for people who haven’t been taught how to use Indian spices

[@annother3350]

@@jpp7783 not really. Curry powder is just a UK variation of Garam Massala and has developed lots of genuine uses over the decades such as its important role in Katsu Curry to name but one popular dish.

[@ResoluteRonin]

In my cooking studies I have concluded that authentic Italian cooking is the work of genius!

[@martinparamus2412]

I'd just returned back to my country (Uruguay) after living in The States for 46 years. I'm setting up a restaurant with pasta included in the menu beside Calzones, Strombolis, NY style pizza, Foccasia, and Florence Sando Schiacciata. I've saved all your videos. Great tips. Thank you. Keep the good work.

[@vs-hk9kc]

Focaccia! Its great news, just make sure your spellings are right on the menu - as an italian abroad im always skeptical when words arent right kn the menu.

[@sadman4750]

donde queda? yo también soy uruguayo y me interesa

[@stevenrldenault7451]

Totally enjoyed this video, so helpful in understanding the secret of just using the right herbs in small quantities. I think our media chefs have lead us all in the wrong direction trying to add every spice used in a cuisine in every dish. Thank you Eva! Steve (67 yrs) Manitoba

[@oliverbutler4069]

I think the presence of garlic in this video does speak about the Italian perspective on garlic. It’s seen as a herb in Italy, just an additional source of flavour, whereas elsewhere it’s sometimes considered as a vegetable that you use like onions, to be a base for a dish.

[@Minerva-fp1zx]

And they're seldom used together almost never actually.

[@liamsmith4018]

@@Minerva-fp1zx garlic and onions?

[@suzie_lovescats]

@@liamsmith4018Garlic 🧄 and onions 🧅 is amazing 🤩

[@italiano120]

In Tuscany we use rosmary when roasting a fish. Thyme is put when sauteing mushrooms. Sage is also use when roasting chicken, rabbit and with meat in general.

[@MondoCulto]

Sage is used also with fish in Tuscany. in livorno the sage is put together with the carrot, celery and onion in the sauce of the cacciucco

[@MrMikkyn]

Love this video. I've got experience learning regional Italian recipes from Vincenzo's Plate, Giallo Zafferano, Pastagrammar, Pasta Grannies, Chef in Camicia, and some other channels. What I've learnt is what spices and herbs are used in which situation. - Juniper berries go with pork and fennel. Its used in white ragu. I've also seen it in wild boar recipes. - Rosemary. I've seen this in pasta e fagioli. - Horseradish. I've only seen this in recipes from Basilicata. They grate horseradish on pasta, not sure which dishes in particular. Also, a dish called rafanata has horseradish in it. Rafanata is some kind of frittata situation, not sure how to describe it. - Fennel seeds. These also go in white ragu, and in pork sausage - Oregano, I rarely see for some reason. The dried variety is used on pizza recipes. - Basil. This is used in caprese salad; pesto alla genovese; margherita pizza; pasta alla nerano. Basil is almost always paired with tomatoes. Always in tomato sugo. - Thyme, always in mushroom recipes with tagliatelle; or sometimes is seen in a pumpkin risotto, risotto alla zucca. - Pepper is generously used in cacio e pepe, also used in Roman classic Carbonara.. - Garlic is used in aglio e olio. Generally, most recipes take out the garlic after sauteiing in the skin, "in camicia" - Mint. I've seen this only in Culurgiones - a Sardinian dumpling/ravioli situation stuffed with saffron, mint, mashed potatoes and sardinian pecorino (pecorino sardo) - Cocoa powder, used in tiramisu & torta caprese. The latter is a flourless cake. - Lemon zest, used in gremolata - Anchovy, used in pasta c'anciova. I learnt that one from Eva yay - Saffron. This is used in culurgiones from Sardinia. - Sage, can be fried in a batter to make Italian sage fritters. It's also used in burnt butter and sage sauce which is a typical ravioli sauce. Also used in Tajarin Burro e Salvia. - Nutmeg, this is used in bechamel/white sauce. - Bay leaf, I've seen this in minestrone in Gennaro's recipe, not sure what else its used for. - Cinnamon, used in cjarsons. I've never tried this dish, but I would like to one day. A friulian dumpling situation that has smoked ricotta, cinnamon, cocoa. Depending on the nonna making it, it has variations. - Peperone crusco. Used in dishes from Basilicata. I've never seen it in person before, but would like to try it. - Chilli, used in aglio e olio. Calabrian chillies used in calabrian chilli paste. Don't know that many regional Italian chilli dishes. - Rocket/Arugula. This is used in Orecchiette alla Foggiana. - Parsley. This is used in pasta allo scammaro, I learnt that from Eva. Also used in aglio e oglio. Used in Canaderli/Knödle, which also has nutmeg in it. - Poppy seeds: used for casunziei. A beetroot stuffed pasta rom Veneto. - Asafoetida, this is used in medieval cuisine from Apicius' cookbook. Haven't seen modern recipes with this in it. - There are some obscure herbs that also get used. Like in foraged recipes that require "mille erbe", a thousand herbs. I've never tried a mille erbe recipe. - Paprika. I have seen this in a dish called pasta panna acida e paprika. I'm not sure how traditional it is though. No other Italian recipes I have seen use sour cream, ever. Italian Herbs and Spices. I wonder who invented that. Used a lot in American Italian cuisine. I also see it sold in grocery stores in Australia, so I guess its popular here too.

[@wickedcabinboy]

I have to say that Eva changed the way I cooked pasta. I was told that the salt increased the boiling point of the water and that's why you added a little. This may be true, but pasta doesn't have to boil to cook so there must be another reason. When I saw how much she added to the water and I tried that myself. The pasta tasted so much better, it was amazing. Thanks.

[@3-methylindole730]

Good rule of thumb is that the water shall taste like sea water, very salty. I would say there are few exceptions to that, for instance dishes with rather salty sauces like carbonara, which already is salty due to the ingredients, and then you’d need less sat for the pasta water.

[@deborahgardner9489]

An Italian once told me to salt the water “come il mare” (like the sea).

[@francescacasini4694]

It's enough to wait for the water to boil before adding salt 😉 It Is absolutely true that It will take longer for already salted water to boil!

[@wickedcabinboy]

@@francescacasini4694 - quite possibly so, but I don't time that. So I don't know that the time difference is significant.

[@margaretleehightower3073]

It is Absolutely Amazing to listen and watch her cook. She is a walking encyclopedia…hope she always keeps teaching Us..Much Gratitude Eva 💜

[@Edward92546]

Another excellent video. The aroma of basil instantly reminds me of my Calabrian grandmother who grew copious amounts in her garden. One priceless moment in this video was when Harper called Eva the salt and she did a quick raise of her eyebrows. Cracked me up. Pasta Grammar has to be the best Italian cooking show ever.

[@videovedo36]

Not often but we also use mint! For example it is my go to herb for zucchini. And what about fennel, both seeds and green leaves are used in our cuisine (I love fennel seeds with pumpkin). As always it's a matter of good pairings and regional (or family) taste and habit. In the winter my tomato sauce is mostly with dried origano, with basil in the summertime but I occasionally like it even with rosemary. Surely what we never ever do is to put all herbs together as in those "Italian seasonings".

[@sevenandthelittlestmew]

My mother used to make a salad with fennel stalks and fronds. It was so light and sweet and summery, with olive oil, salt, pepper and a little cheese. I should find her recipe and make that again.

[@videovedo36]

@@sevenandthelittlestmew make it with fennel, orange, oil, salt and maybe a bit of balsamic vinegar...a classic 👍

[@carriemartinez2933]

I make something similar, but I make a vinaigrette with blood orange infused olive oil and Strawberry balsamic vinegar fr a specialty shop, and it's just lovely!!

[@markantony3875]

I like to add some fresh mint when I make trippa al sugo (tripe in tomato sauce).

[@videovedo36]

@@markantony3875 never had trippa, even before becoming a vegetarian and despite being Roman myself 😅, but I guess mint is a good idea, maybe it smoothes the strong flavor of tripe with freshness (?)

[@SheaSF]

This is exactly the kind of video people (like me) who are discovering how to cook need. My mother was an excellent baker, so I understand the order and wet and dry and proofing yeast. But learning to understand spices and what doesn't go with what isn't something you can learn anywhere (at least people don't talk about it with such clarity). Thank you.

[@jpp7783]

Yes! Too much cooking instruction is about following precise rules. But cooking isn’t robotic. We need to learn how to taste, what goes with what and why or why not.

[@mala3isity]

bkc-od-media.vmhost.psu.edu/documents/HO_PE_foodherbspicepairing.pdf

[@erisisthename]

I had no idea that you’re supposed to take out the germ of a garlic clove. Didn’t even know there was such a thing. That explains so much! lol. Thanks, Eva!

[@KairuHakubi]

I only remove it when it's green and sprouted, I'm told that's when it becomes bitter though if you let it keep growing, you get 'garlic chives' which are quite tasty.

[@tizioincognito5731]

Just a myth. Removing the germ from a garlic clove does absolute nothing.

[@sparklemotion8377]

This was very interesting and informative. As a Moroccan I abide by the rule 'less is more'. Just because I have a cupboard full of spices doesn't mean I have to use everything every time all at once. But you'll hate me when you see my herb garden is mostly decoration😳

[@TheShows247]

Coriander+ Cayenne ❤❤

[@sparklemotion8377]

@no no In my case it's coriander + black pepper 😁

[@nooneyouknowhere6148]

In texas it is cilantro and jalapeño

[@sparklemotion8377]

@no one you know here The Spaniards brought cilantro from Latin America. Pico de gallo is a staple in the Mediterranean kitchen. Of course, it's called something else

[@indianhistorybuff]

Haha as Indians we put almost all the spices in everything 😂

[@katrinlausch3078]

Loving sage in saltimbocca or Fegato alla salvia (veal liver with sage) and just pan roasted veggies. Great dishes IMO

[@jeanneamato8278]

Always learn from these two when we need to. Their humor is just the seasoning for their show.

[@arlenerodriguez4314]

I'm really just learning how to cook. I mean "really cook". Learning how to use herbs, season food properly, how to buy meats, and so on. And, all types of foods. Spanish, Italian, Asian., etc. So, I esp appreciate videos like this. It is so super helpful and informative. So many of your vids have helped me. Eva you are pretty DAMN AWESOME!! Thank you sooo much. Please keep 'em coming. Arlene

[@captainufo4587]

Speaking of parsley, a Lombard classic: ris e erborin (rice and parlsey soup). A good, savory beef or vegetable stock (chicken is good too, if you're into it), idelly rich in flavor but not too rich in color; add a bit of butter whent it starts to boil, then add and cook rice in it at a gentle simmer; add a sizable amount of parsley halfway through cooking (not too early otherwise the cooking will extract some bitterness out of it). You can use stems too (in this case, add them rigth away, they need some boiling to tenderize). It's not a risotto, so it should remain a bit soupy at the end (1 liter of stock for 100 grams of rice is a good ratio). Optional grated Parmigiano on top when you serve it. Classic wintery poor rural dish for dinners, with some comfort food qualities; also quite good when your stomach is upset.

[@frafrafrafrafra]

Da Calabrese mi aspettavo che Eva citasse la polvere di peperoni cruschi, da noi in provincia di Cosenza si usa quasi ovunque. Video fenomenale come sempre!

[@laurar.durban3696]

Il video è per gli americani che usano qualsiasi aroma alla "valà-che-vai-bene" e certe raffinatezze gli complicherebbero solo la vita. 😁

[@chrismazz75]

❤❤❤ One seasoning I love that’s not as popular outside of baked goods is nutmeg, but fresh grated from the nut. I love it in dishes with greens, in a bechamel with cheese, even just grated on a glass of milk.

[@spoonierv1543]

Yeah if it has cream, even if it is a savory, I always add a little nutmeg.

[@Nighthawk799]

I put nutmeg in many recipies, cicken broth too.

[@d_richter]

Are you a fan of John Townsend, too?

[@Nighthawk799]

@@d_richter ???????

[@d_richter]

@danielabiscaro2761 John Townsend is another KZbinr who does 18th century American cooking. He absolutely LOVES nutmeg!

[@barbaramiller349]

This was awesome! I knew from watching many of your videos that “Italian Seasoning “ was way different than what I thought it was. It has totally changed the way I cook certain foods. The best and biggest thing is to salt my pasta water! I always salted it, but not enough to matter. Now I make it salty and it makes pasta taste so much better!!! I will definitely remember these additional tips!

[@thinlizzy9032]

i gotta say thanks to learning about italian cuisine from actual italians helped me appreciate the simplicity of an amazing dish that doesn't need 10 or more herbs and spices. using fewer kinds of seasonings in a dish does not mean its under seasoned. but i have a hunch that americans use way more herbs and spices in an italian dish because the quality of foods aren't the same as what you might find in italy. for example our tomatoes are kinda bland so they need the extra help with additional herbs and spices.

[@fistikita]

Loved this episode, great info. Eva is a superb cook and Harper should consider a singing career undoubtedly the best rendition of Scarborough Fair ever!

[@lesaarmstrong7462]

😢3

[@MicheleAngeliniTenor]

Brava Eva! To add one thought: it seems to me, in my experience, that most of the unnecessary additions to specific Italian dishes (cream, butter, parsley, garlic, pepper, oregano) actually comes from French cuisine. Those are all fundamental ingredients in French cooking and the American diet is very heavily influenced by French-styled cooking--probably from legendary chefs like Julia Child and Jacques Pepin and Wolfgang Puck. There is no question in my mind that French chefs sought to "elevate" the rustic style of Italian cooking. People throw parsley, for example, on every pasta dish (including sometimes pasta al forno!!) to "give it color" and because it "looks fancy." It has nothing to do with flavor or necessity, but has just become a visual element that is expected, also probably from the food design and photography fields. Of course, I am with Eva that many of these added ingredients don't actually contribute anything to do the dish...but I think this helps explain why the phenomenon exists. To me, it seems a simple difference between French cooking, which is focused on technique and appearance, and Italian cooking, which is rustic in nature and seeks to avoid competing flavors.

[@cynthiamaddalunociancutti2586]

I agree Basil is my favorite! That smell brings back so many memories of Italy and my Nonna ❤

[@rosannapizza6402]

Great episode! One correction: Wild oregano grows all over the south and wild rosemary too. In our province (Salerno) deep in the mountains, people go hunting and gathering the wild oregano and wild asparagus, manuzzi etc. and it is AMAZING> Oregano here in the US is NOT the same. In fact, Wild Italian oregano is more like marjoram fyi.

[@ghw7192]

I buy Mexican oregano because it has a more pronounced flavor than US grown.

[@letsgomets002]

​@@ghw7192 greek and Italian oregano is good

[@patricklinkous]

​@@ghw7192When you see "Mexican Oregano" in a grocery store it is actually to differentiate from the original Greek Oregano. It's a completely different plant that has a similar taste to Old World oregano.

[@Timoteo3858]

Ava, Your idea that crafting the perfect dish rely on withholding spices that compete and overpower, is powerful and proper. Using a spice on a dish, the flavor must enhance and complement the flavor of basic ingredients much like a portrait artist might highlight a subject with subtle flourishes and color shading to enhance the portrait. That English-speaking is a second language has not hindered your teaching us proper cooking techniques that apply worldwide. Your dialect beautifully enhances our retention and enjoyment factor, encouraging us to watch your presentation completely. Your husband is blessed and your parents proud to have you in their world. Respectfully submitted, Timo

[@PastaGrammar]

Thank you! ❤️

[@Timoteo3858]

EVA, My most humble apologies for misrepresenting the spelling of your name. I have an Ava in my family and she wears her intelligence prominently, like yourself. My advanced years allows my ears to hear them in a similar fashion. Again deepest apologies! Timo

[@cisium1184]

I love videos like this. It's like a little cooking class.

[@forsenuff2011]

Going to Italy for the first time in August. My daughter has wedding business there and invites me along. Amalfi. Florence. Roma…. And back to Amalfi. You both have been such a blessing… I always try to be so mindful and respectful when I’m in another country… You too are like peanut butter and jelly… That of course is American style! Lol… thank you… I cannot wait… Eva you have taught me so much!

[@michelleharkness7549]

BTW- for the record: it is wonderful that you both are sharing your ideas about how to season cooked food and as well the customs of cooking from the many exciting places you both have visited!!!

[@alessandravatalachis525]

Vi ho scoperto da poco e sto recuperando guardando tantissimi video!!! Trovo Eva una donna fantastica, un'ottima cuoca e un'insegnante perfetta. E poi,capisco perfettamente il suo inglese 😂😂

[@ccrow9147]

OMG! I absolutely can’t get enough of you two. Brilliant information. Thank you for taking the time.

[@TalkToMe66]

What can I say - Perfetto!!! Pretty large and important things of italian seasoning put simply, but accurately and short to its place... Bravo🌿🌿🌿

[@mikkileon6380]

I love to cook and live to cook. The only place I love to be more than my garden is in my kitchen. Now I’m a mature woman and I actually watch more KZbin than I do any other channel anywhere by far. I watch everything from cooking/gardening/furniture art and everything in between. Now Mexican cooking is what I’m best known for and what I’ve done more of throughout my life. Most people who know me really well know that I love to cook authentic Italian. And I love how Calabria is known for adding their special pepper to most everything lol. My third favorite foods to cook are a tie between Asian cooking and American comfort food influenced by countries from all over the world. What all this is leading to is that out of all my channels on KZbin, your channel is one of my very top favorites. Thank you so much for creating your channel exactly how you do, for the incredible and fun for us relationship between the two of you and the bonuses that come with that connection. The things you’re both passionate about plus your family and friends. I just flat out Love you guys and thank you very very much.

[@tatisakura81]

My family use marjoram in a typical Sudtirol (Austrian/Germany origin) dish: Leberknoedel or like we say in italian, Canederli di fegato (liver dumpling). Marjoram lessen the strong and bitter taste of the liver. Someday I would like to see Eva try her hand at some dishes from far northern Italy, thus leaving her comfort zone, no offense of course.

[@michaelsmith7902]

Or Leberspätzle swimming in chicken broth... Swabian ambrosia!

[@canisinumbra]

You took it from Germany. Thank you

[@DeltaAssaultGaming]

Maybe just don’t eat liver

[@cliftonmcnalley8469]

My Mom is German and somehow managed to buy "Italian seasoning" that contained marjoram - which she loves. Took me several years for me to figure out marjoram seems to be a bit on the poisonous side for me - no other herb causes such a reaction. Other than Asian 5 spice and poultry seasoning for Thanksgiving, I have never bought a spice mixture. I like to control my own spicing.

[@canisinumbra]

@@cliftonmcnalley8469 We don’t have „Italian seasoning“ in Germany.

[@marianos5181]

Thank you, finally someone speaks about this!!!!!

[@bobskiba7181]

...and sage always goes in Saltimbocca alla Romana, one of my favorite dishes that Eva's made.

[@rosebuster]

Majeram is the best spice. We use it a lot in Polish cuisine. It makes various soups and stews we have absolutely delicious.

[@FLJeff]

I had to watch 3 episodes before I realized she wasn't faking her accent! I am really enjoying this series. Glad I found it.

[@robertcase4675]

CIAO Eva and Harper! Questi sono Rob e Nancy Case - del tuo corso di Italiano a Orvieto!!!! JUST NOW had the time to sit and watch this video and LOVED IT! We learned a LOT, for example, all about the paring of spices; how well you two are together as presenters, and how well you both are doing! Congratulazioni e ben fatto! We've subscribed and we'll be watching!!! Ciao!

[@ComboMuster]

Your husband still doesn't know how to eat italian food 😁😁😁 excellent recipes left my mouth watering, every italian recipe is a delicacy for me 🙂

[@concernedonlooker]

After finding out I have a corn allergy, resulting in being forced to make almost everything from scratch due to corns pervasiveness in processed foods, I also came to realize the ubiquity of flavor enhancers in food packages. Without those chemicals being dumped into the food we consume, we need to increase the natural flavors by utilizing those ingredients in increased quantities because often times American recipes are dependent upon utilizing ingredients that feature those chemicals. But when you extricate those from your choices, you become much more dependent upon the flavors you bring to the party. And, as Eva's simple tomato sauce demonstrates, a proper balance of simple ingredients provides a fresher flavor that just can't be purchased in a bottle. This video also demonstrates the weakness of much of the American diet's willingness to just toss in flavors, almost at random, without quite having an understanding of why those flavors either should or should not be used.

[@Skenjin]

To your last point though, for many of us if there isn't a well established recipe to balance out those flavors for us, the amount of people who would only ever add some salt and pepper and then end up eating bland food is staggering. In those cases it is actually better that they add a bit of "something" to spruce it up because in many cases that something is better than nothing.

[@KairuHakubi]

people lived exclusively and extensively on corn for thousands of years without allergies appearing. Blame the overly sterile environments we're raised in. also most of that corn that's added is in the form of starch, which you can't be allergic to. no protein in it. also all food is 100% chemicals. I think you don't know what chemicals are.

[@mythicsagefire]

@@KairuHakubi - you can be allergic to the protein and/or the sugar of a product (like lactose or casein). The fat is safe if it has been processed thoroughly. This is why someone who has an anaphylactic allergy should not eat something cooked in the fat of their allergen (like peanut oil). Unfortunately corn has replaced many sources of regular natural food thanks to the American farmers subsidy program. So allergies have increased because of the unnatural overuse of chemicals in our food.

[@KairuHakubi]

@@mythicsagefire casein is a protein. nobody is allergic to lactose, they have _lactose intolerance_ because they lack an enzyme to break it down, and it gives them gas. there is a difference. peanut oil is 100% fat, there's no protein in it, and it's safe for people with peanut allergies to eat. Unless it's that cloudy hippie peanut oil that has a lot of pureed peanut in it. basically nothing you're saying is true, and you should really stop.

[@concernedonlooker]

@@KairuHakubi This is why I don't often get into discussions on the internet, there are too many people that think they know something for absolute certain while simultaneously demonstrating absolute ignorance.

[@naturexplorer]

I watch this channel for two reasons,,,, The food and Eva's hair,,,,... OMG! Love both!

[@vittoriagnecchi5783]

Another thing that I've noticed about American cooking is that they double down on the alliums. They will use garlic and onion for example. We do that too, in Italy, but not that often, and in very specific dishes, more isn't always better, as Eva mentioned.

[@SheaSF]

I remember learning in high school science class that salt raises the boiling point of water 10 degrees Fahrenheit (it also lowers the freezing point of water which is why salt melts ice on your sidewalk). I would imagine that if you didn't add salt to your pasta water (or didn't add enough salt), the pasta is not going to cook at the same rate that the package says. This doesn't really matter to me as I've stopped timing my pasta. I love to test it several times to get the super al dente I want so I can finish the cook in the sauce. But fun fact. Science is fun!

[@PastaGrammar]

That’s interesting! We might have to test cook times with/without salt. For science!

[@SheaSF]

@@PastaGrammar A discussion about the different kinds of salt would be awesome as well. I have table salt I use in baking, I have a sea salt grinder I used to add salt to a finished plate, and I have kosher salt that I cook with. I'm not really sure if that's right. Vincenzo's Plate talks about rock salt. I really think you could do an episode about salt. Perhaps Chef Alfredo could stumble around with this for a bit (love that guy!).😂

[@captainufo4587]

Salt does raise water's boiling point, it's true, but the quantities in the solution are important. Sea water, with an average salt concentration of 3.5%, boils at 103° Celsius. Pasta water should be at most a 1% solution (10 grams per liter), so the effect of the added salt is basically neglectable. Also, atmospheric pressure impacts the boiling temeprature too. The lower it is, the lower the boiling themperature. Above 1000m from sea level, for example, pure water can boil as low as 90°C instead of 100°.

[@brunogattolin9782]

yes is true that salt risies the boiling point of water but it's quite irrelevant: the pasta water usually has a concentration for salt of 1% or less (100g of salt for 1lt of water) rises the boiling point by 0.2 °C (0.5°F) because the solution is not so heavily salted so the boiling of the water is a matter of seconds, you add salt when the water is boiling because if you put salt at the beginning it concentrates on the bottom of the pot before dissolving ,and that in the long run could ruin the pot

[@deliriumtremenz]

Water will eventually reach boiling temperature, but the normal rule in Italy is to add salt to water when it already boils, to reduce (by a tiny percentage) energy consumption.

[@roseconklin5392]

Thank you Eva and Harper! Great conversation regarding Italian seasoning.

[@163london]

Parsley and artichokes.:) Here in Campania we use parsley when we prepare 'carciofi in umido': stuffed baked artichokes. (And in 'caricofi alla romana', Roman-style artichokes as made in Rome.) And as Eva said, it's in all our local fish and seafood dishes.

[@kokkinomalli]

My grandmother is Abruzzese, and her ravioli recipe with spinach and ricotta uses pepper and nutmeg. A lot of my friends with families from the south think that's really weird, especially the nutmeg.

[@elynng-c1508]

I am Sicilian but Calabrese are not the only ones that eat spicy food. My family puts peperoncino everywhere. BTW, my father is from Sciacca and my mother from Comiso in the Ragusa region. We cannot live without Peperoncino! ❤

[@aris1956]

Here more than "Italians" we need to say how the Calabrians (like Eva), Sicilians, Piedmontese, etc., season their food. Because, for example, at Eva's house they maybe season dishes a little differently than a Milanese. Adding things that maybe a Milanese person might not put.

[@hopesky2879]

Nope. Lol those are ingredients that all around italy we use, maybe in a different way or in different measure, but it's all of that for the peninsula. (There are more, those are the most common ones)

[@aris1956]

@@hopesky2879 Io ovviamente mi riferivo alle particolarità delle varie regioni. Un calabrese condisce un piatto differente da un milanese. Come vediamo nella cucina di Eva, il peperoncino è appeso come una bandiera ! I calabresi è probabile che lo mettano anche nel caffè. ;) Poi ci sono spezie, come dice anche Eva qui nel video, che in alcune zone o regioni vengono usate magari poco o niente. Magari usano un altro tipo di spezia rispetto ad un’altra regione.

[@hopesky2879]

@@aris1956 Ovviamente a seconda della regione i metodi di utilizzo le misure e i condimenti cambiano, ma non c'era nemmeno bisogno di spiegarlo, è vero che al nord non si usa molto il peperoncino come al sud o al centro, ma questo non cambia il fatto che il resto della popolazione italiana usa questi condimenti in buona quantità. Centro e sud (dato che sono comprese anche le isole) hanno una popolazione più densa, quindi il video è totalmente azzeccato se si fa un discorso generico. Poi Eva è calabrese e usa la sua esperienza, ma ha vissuto per anni a Roma, dove vivo io e qui quello che dice nel video è totalmente realistico.😅

[@markantony3875]

Don't forget, seasoning food is also an individual thing. You can't say that everyone from a certain culture on ethnic group always seasons their food the exact same way.

[@hopesky2879]

@@markantony3875 No one is saying that, we are talking "in general".

[@TheMule71]

@25:22 I love the look Eva gives to Harper and then to the camera... "what is he doing? putting that on bread? should I stop him? well I'll let it slide for today" Admittedly we would most definitely use bread at the end too, so it's not an awful idea to spread it on bread while eating it.

[@batacumba]

I feel like Eva has the most Italian head of hair I’ve ever seen. It’s amazing.

[@KairuHakubi]

this reminds me of the fact that uh, in america we mostly use 'all-purpose flour' which is half (low-protein) cake flour and half (high-protein) bread flour.. but in some other countries, especially with less storage space or that really prioritize getting bread and noodles just right, they keep both kinds and they mix them in the appropriate ratios.

[@mrkiplingreallywasanexceed8311]

I watched this again as it's so enjoyable! And every time Eva said "aria" I was waiting for opera - until I realised the word was "area"😄🥰❤

[@bettycesky4947]

So happy I found you two❤ My grandparents were from Calabria.

[@littlemouse7066]

Italian cuisine is very different from region to region. she's calabrian and she's showing you calabrian cuisine. I'm from another region and for instance we use peperoncino very rarely and sometimes we use garlic in very moderate amount only to add a taste but many times we use onions instead of garlic also in moderate amount. I've never eaten anything with maggiorana and black pepper use is rare also. another thing to consider is that every family changes the traditional recipes according to their tastes or for health reasons nowadays for instance people rarely use bacon or lard in their dishes even if they are required by the traditional recipe.

[@bikerfry]

I was a Sous Chef at a very prestigious global Hotel chain. When we boiled water for cooking we had a decree of using 1/4 cup of kosher salt for every gallon of water if the cooked ingredient (pasta, vegetable) was not going to be blanched. If blanched it would be 1/2 cup of salt per gallon. The theory I heard is that you are not trying cause the salt to be absorbed by the cooked ingredient, rather you were preventing the natural sodium in the ingredient from being leached out into the under salted water. 1/4 cup kosher salt is 39 grams, which is just over 1% over the weight of 1 gallon of water (3780 grams). This seems to agree with Eva's ratio.

[@chsckldy]

Thank You for educating us!

[@mvmone1]

I love you guys. Thanks for sharing Eva's Calabrian cooking perspective. I also love that you try to include history throughout your videos. Also noticed the Texas Pete in the background...great stuff!

[@rpowling]

I love all your episodes! I always learn something, and it’s fun spending some time with you guys ❤thank you

[@anthonygm85]

I buy the tutto Calabria oregano, I sent some to friends,they loved it as they we used to only the jar stuff, I stocked up on my peppers.still I have 5 plants in my yard so I get to pick them freash, im.working on a freash herb garden still Sandwich idea basil,olive oil, chilli peppers,little salt

[@markantony3875]

This is great! I have been trying to explain how Italians use seasonings for years to my American friends. Most so called "Italian" food in the U.S. is so over seasoned. Now, I can just point them to this video. Two other things: My family is in Campania, outside Napoli, and we love hot chilli in everything. The basil sandwich, haha, I do the same exact thing as your cousin. I love basil so much will add it to a salad and I have even made salad with no lettuce, just fresh basil leaves, tomato, onion, celery and carrots with oil and vinegar dressing.

[@sassandsavvy007]

First and foremost - I so enjoy your videos. Eva's cooking makes my 50% Italian DNA very happy and the way you two present authentic Italian food and lifestyle is just so... so... sooooo Italian (passionate, full of joy of life). There's only one little thing I don't enjoy so much - the background music. Your viewers come from all over the world, I take it most of us don't speak English as a first language and English with a strong Italian accent sounds so lovely but it takes a lot of concentration to understand. Your videos don't need background music. They are fantastic as they are, you two lovely people and a lot of yummy food - no need for anything more. I know, every cooking channel has music ( and plastic flowers on the work surface 🫣 or spectacular food and utensil acrobatics 🙄). You guys are doing a great job without all this, makes you and your channel special. I'm looking forward to many more delicious recipes, thank you both for the time you put into these videos. Best wishes from Bavaria 🙋🏻‍♀️

[@djjd2011]

Great episode, guys! Learned a lot and got 2 new recipes!

[@davidlittle6621]

Love the passion for cooking you have!

[@Kposey88]

Very informative. Thank you!

[@deoxyplasmic]

Yay! I'm happy to learn this.

[@gloriakorsgen134]

What a great episode. I learn so much from you guys. Eggs in Purgatory is one of my favorite dishes. Thank you!!!

[@veronicagrave159]

This was super helpful!

[@stauffap]

Beautiful dishes! This channel really is a gem!

[@carhoness78]

This is promising to be one of the most useful videos I've ever seen, so thank you!! 😊

[@giraffesinc.2193]

Ooooh, I love the Italian version of Shakshuka and am certainly going to make it! Thank you both for another wonderful (and extremely informative) video!

[@BOOMER751]

So useful as I'm growing a spice garden! I really adore this channel and Eva cracks me up everytime ❤😅

[@2075vj]

I grow basil all year round now that I live in Florida. I love it!🌿

[@jameshoey69]

Wow. As an avid learner of different cuisines, this makes so much sense when explained well like Eva does

[@sooz9433]

What a delight this video has been! I learned so many things I didn't know before..😮 Thank you Eva, thank you Harper! Love from Missouri to you both. ❤️

[@lambrospappas578]

Great video. I find the Italian "seasoning" is more just a novelty. In fact if you buy that donair meat in the stores, the main flavour is usually those mixed herb. As for Basil in Tomatoes, how I see it is Basil to Tomatoes is like Vanilla in baking. It helps a great deal, and it compliments it most times.

[@aev9483]

This was excellent!!

[@stevenholton438]

Excellent as usual, thanks Eva! (and 'arpere!)

[@suzzettebridges4931]

Totally enjoying your videos

[@sharendonnelly7770]

This video is exactly why I love this channel, so helpful, instructive, and authentic, plus Harper and Eva, of course.

[@jackstrubbe7608]

And their nuances and dry sense of humor. Always a joy!

[@jasonwright5799]

I’ve been binging y’all’s (from Texas) content for a while now and I love it! But this episode was so much fun and I just had to say so! I really enjoyed how you presented your recipes & actual cooking techniques. Bravi 🥂

[@sonjapapst5563]

Good as always!

[@VerhoevenSimon]

I loved the spice elaboration, and I loved the Italian name for Shakshuka

[@alleymdevita]

Thank you so very much for your videos, especially this one. I have learned so much about cooking Italian meals.

[@sandykmalta]

Okay I came here for the gravy but now just here to talk about your amazing hair and do tell how you keep those curls so luxurious. Many thanks!!!

[@sloopy5191]

I learned something new today - so this was a very good day!

[@LorienDrechsler]

The only thing that I knew for sure was...cheese. More is more! :) Great video!

[@cookinthekitchen]

Thank you for being my guide to Italian cuisine

[@arleneriley2524]

I could watch the two of you forever, well, maybe not forever but a lot! 😅

[@colleenloffredo7895]

Amazing dishes!!!👏

[@lorenzospina3174]

In the herbs lacks wild fennel , greetings from Cosenza. Guys i love your videos 😉.

[@navyjax1128]

I so love these for a few hundred reasons. The biggest thing is EVA reminds me of my late wife. her looks at me always confused me, she always looked at me and I thought, she must think I am an idiot? turns out its just they way she looked at me. She must had some Italian in there somewhere. RIP baby. I only been to Italy twice, but I really want to go back. in the meantime, I love these recipes, less is more. also love that I though my bread was Not turning out right, turns out it was fine. Home ovens just cannot make pro bread, and I can live with it. anyway thanks. learned so much.