The Art and Culture of Italian Cuisine: A Conversation with an Italian-American Chef

When it comes to Italian cuisine, many Americans think of rich flavors, wine, and pizza. However, the reality is that traditional Italian cuisine is often vastly different from its American counterpart. To gain a deeper understanding of this complex topic, I had the pleasure of sitting down with a well-known Italian-American chef who shared his insights on the differences between authentic Italian cuisine and the adaptations made in America.

For Chef [Last Name], cooking is not just about following recipes, but rather an expression of love and tradition. He began his culinary journey as a mechanical engineer for a milk company, later becoming a jet mechanic in the United States Navy. After returning to the deli industry, he discovered a passion for making mozzarella cheese from scratch. "I was always fascinated by how much work goes into making mozzarella," Chef [Last Name] explained. "It's not just about mixing cream and salt; it requires patience, skill, and attention to detail." Today, his restaurant serves classic Italian dishes with a focus on quality ingredients and traditional techniques.

One of the most interesting aspects of Italian cuisine is the concept of Sunday sauce, also known as ragù. In Italy, this hearty sauce made with ground beef and pork is typically reserved for special occasions, such as family gatherings on Sundays. The dish is often served with pasta, meatballs, or sausage, and is a staple of Italian-American cuisine in America. However, when Chef [Last Name] travels to Italy, he's often disappointed by the availability of this sauce. "In Italy, you can't find Sunday sauce just anywhere," he said. "It's typically made on Sundays for special occasions, not every day." This scarcity has led some Italian-American cooks to adapt their recipes and incorporate more meat into their sauces.

Chef [Last Name] also discussed the importance of using high-quality ingredients in his cooking. He emphasized the need to use fresh oregano from his wife's family, who dry it in bulk each summer. "The quality of our sauce is directly related to the quality of the ingredients we use," he said. "If you skimp on ingredients, your dish will suffer." Another key aspect of Italian cuisine is the concept of 'Sunday dinner,' a traditional meal that typically includes pasta, meatballs or sausage, and other family favorites.

When it comes to meat in the sauce, Chef [Last Name] explained that this was not as common in Italy. "Meat was used in sauces, but not as much as you might think," he said. "In fact, many Italian dishes are designed to showcase simple ingredients, like pasta and olive oil." However, when Italian immigrants arrived in America, they found that meatballs and sausage were a convenient way to add protein to their meals.

One of the most interesting aspects of Italian-American cuisine is the blending of flavors from different cultures. "Italian cuisine has always been influenced by other cultures," Chef [Last Name] noted. "From African American to Korean-Italian fusion, there's no shortage of creative dishes." For example, the classic combination of spaghetti and brownies was not a traditional pairing in Italy. However, as Italian immigrants adapted their recipes to local tastes, this sweet and savory combination became a staple of Italian-American cuisine.

As our conversation came to a close, Chef [Last Name] shared his thoughts on the impact of cultural exchange on Italian cuisine. "Italian hospitality is one of the most beautiful things about our culture," he said. "When you visit Italy, you're always welcomed with open arms and a full plate." Despite the many differences between authentic Italian cuisine and its American adaptations, Chef [Last Name] remains committed to honoring his heritage through food. As he so aptly put it, "A good meal is just like a warm hug for your stomach."

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthe Italians came to the Americas in three major ways first in the 19th century then again after each of the two world wars in the New World they made their mark in art and fashion in music and film weaving an essential thread into the American tapestry perhaps nowhere more so than in the realm of food pizza spaghetti and meatballs baked ziti chicken parm over fifteen point seven million people in the u.s. identify as Italian Americans and an even larger number regard Italian food as their comfort food but the majority of these dishes as Americans have come to know and love them are in actuality American inventions I wanted to find out what we get wrong about Italian food and whether italian-american cuisine constitutes a category all its own Emilio and Josephine Pulido emigrated from a small town called Saco located in the Salerno province in southwestern Italy at the instep of the boot there's a little deaf police I made it this morning hmm just Alisa in true Italian fashion they refuse to let our production team go hungry sat us all down to eat before shooting and sent us with a big box of leftovers to take home whoever comes in the deli they need all the time you if they don't have money they come and pay the next day this is the Wednesday special fry peppers broccoli and grilled chicken manicotti let's sit down try any enjoy time one person is not getting away from the monocot is amazing oh it's a ricotta little parsley pepper and cheese it's a sauce to that it makes a nice mostly stuff is made in sauce sell a lot of sauce I could eat this every day these are the mountains are these your Mountain those are my mountains come from this is the river where as a kid is just swimming in looks beautiful it's but division so we started things a little bit differently because I had a feeling when we came here you weren't gonna let any of us leave without all eating together well you have to know how important is is eating together for the Italian community this closeness being close to the family so it's very important to be together least once a day together we come from the same town she was a little brat when she was suffer I must it was four years old then when I was born him and his mother came to visit my mom because everybody's to visit each other when a child was born so he comes he sees me in a crib and his mom this is a girl I'm gonna marry don't put that in camera this is a joke and these mother was very happy she's always happy but did you know each other from the same town you know no we were never girlfriend ago but you knew each other yeah yeah I mean I left Italy I was 17 she was 11 years old I came here first he wasn't a Navy when it came I was 17 also oh wow the Italians came in two big waves and at the end of the World War 2 through to the cemetery so you were there my grandfather even he was in the United States but at the time did they stay and though some of them stood there a long time as some other people didn't say very long I think that one thing that a lot of American people think about italian-american food is more meat heavy specifically it's very import but that's not really that's a much different in it the main course annuity was pasta we make your own from scratch actually we never made but where I come from we made ravioli don't you same thing the same ingredient cavatelli and purcha tell me how do you think that meats like specifically beef and pork became such a part of italian-american cuisine when it's not so common in Italy because getting that much over later so they be abundant in this country so they got used to where they like they use a lot I love steak I had it for breakfast when I came initially I never had a steak lover oh wow because the six in Italy didn't like the t-bones the filet mean you're nothing like that because was always a hard meat over you usually meet that which makes a little tender does it were you ever like what people's impression of Italian cuisine is based on italian-american food for instance spaghetti and meatballs is what everyone thinks of when they think of Italian food but it's not classically will come from we don't have to have meat we never made spaghetti meatballs we used to make our meatballs were ricotta spaghetti meatballs mansion actually well their bond in the food they have here so they wanted to make something different so they think every about each spaghetti meatball when did you first encounter the spaghetti and meatballs you spaghetti with fish with spaghetti just with that sauce clam soup and then mix with the meat the more that the Italian community grew were there more ingredients that you were familiar with starting to come into the grocery store - what is something that you feel like you have to go back home to taste my mother's Korean and I grew up going to Korea every other year there was always like at least two or three restaurants that my aunts would take us to because she just like I just miss eating this so much nothing is like quite the same when I try to make it do you have other places like that and taco that knew I was like the first thing I do when I get there I'm going to eat they have no restaurants you wanna eat you cook the multiple pizza that's a couple of pizzeria that they have whatever this is good and if the door isn't a reason they're not gonna make you pizza like you know york city god bless america yeah so I mean that's like the most obvious thing that people think of when when a lot of Americans go to Italy and they try pizza they're really shocked how different it is just will be is richer in wine oh do you miss me miss italiana we make you make your own wine is there anything you don't like people how do you find the time we are like a shitty bang we don't sleep every morning we're making so much damn decart mozzarella is the media venomous actually always wanted to make mozzarella so I'm really excited okay wow this is so happy Linda why this is 20 pounds Wow Anjali we got it from you Wow so you cut how bigger than oh we have them a machine than my father me oh wow your father my father made this and it would cut in pieces and we pet looks like tofu just a little bit hotter than told ya how many years have you done doing this 22 years 22 years every morning every morning except when I brought you before this we had no idea we never worked in the deli before she was a medical assistant there was a building engineer was it hard to learn at first it's in your blood no I was a mechanical my life this is nothing a Saturday United States Navy I was jet mechanic on the f4 phantom one of the festive airplanes in the world at the time that was gonna get no more then that was a mechanical for the milk company then it was a building engineer heating an air-conditioned it was my job it's amazing to go from engineering so many I know things just doing something so soft and gentle that's the Italian to me life goes on Wow like way more milky and creamier so good thank you so much how do you think that that special Sunday sauce that was only once a week with things like beef and pork how do you think that became what people assumed was the standard of Italian cuisine in America because the Sunday they got together with the whole family because they all work during the week so sometime especially in America so on a Sunday for most everybody's home so you make a special dinner and that's some way in Italy it's a big big day for the family and they go to church come on eat and then the visits relatives all the relatives come and visit you right now people eat Sunday sauce every day it seems like you can have meat in the sauce every day in America the abundance of it's typically done in the bank you have to but when someone goes to Italy and comes back you don't tell them like make sure to bring this in this like because we don't have it as good quality yes what were those things that you make sure to bring this also is just Jesus we're serving the sauces are so used to being sausage at last the oregano from her mountains how much of this gets sent to you every year oh my husband in bunches they bring it much is they dry they do it in you know the beginning of the summer and then the hangar for a week or so and it's dry and it can bring it over if it's why they let you bring it yeah a nice meal is just just a little bit buddy being some nice mag so he's a full bag like rolling back with oh so interesting to me that even as a korean-american with roots with no Italian roots at all I'm so comforted by Italian cooking there's just something about it that feels he said the buck taste so you like it when you think of Italian food at least in America you think of like really huge sometimes over there you can only had so much do you feel like Italian American cuisine is a totally different type of food than Italian food it already totally different the flavors there but it's not totally different is a little bit different because there's more things like you know you have the meat in the spaghetti and if it's you have the best era you put the brownie you put sausages but they do it the same with the pizza there are now there are changed and when those days they were not like that there's so many great stories oh my goodness what a visit your mountain I can't believe this I feel good to be where you were oh my gosh this will Korean Stewart Italians a very warm Italian hospitality and it's its finest leaving with an entire box of foodthe Italians came to the Americas in three major ways first in the 19th century then again after each of the two world wars in the New World they made their mark in art and fashion in music and film weaving an essential thread into the American tapestry perhaps nowhere more so than in the realm of food pizza spaghetti and meatballs baked ziti chicken parm over fifteen point seven million people in the u.s. identify as Italian Americans and an even larger number regard Italian food as their comfort food but the majority of these dishes as Americans have come to know and love them are in actuality American inventions I wanted to find out what we get wrong about Italian food and whether italian-american cuisine constitutes a category all its own Emilio and Josephine Pulido emigrated from a small town called Saco located in the Salerno province in southwestern Italy at the instep of the boot there's a little deaf police I made it this morning hmm just Alisa in true Italian fashion they refuse to let our production team go hungry sat us all down to eat before shooting and sent us with a big box of leftovers to take home whoever comes in the deli they need all the time you if they don't have money they come and pay the next day this is the Wednesday special fry peppers broccoli and grilled chicken manicotti let's sit down try any enjoy time one person is not getting away from the monocot is amazing oh it's a ricotta little parsley pepper and cheese it's a sauce to that it makes a nice mostly stuff is made in sauce sell a lot of sauce I could eat this every day these are the mountains are these your Mountain those are my mountains come from this is the river where as a kid is just swimming in looks beautiful it's but division so we started things a little bit differently because I had a feeling when we came here you weren't gonna let any of us leave without all eating together well you have to know how important is is eating together for the Italian community this closeness being close to the family so it's very important to be together least once a day together we come from the same town she was a little brat when she was suffer I must it was four years old then when I was born him and his mother came to visit my mom because everybody's to visit each other when a child was born so he comes he sees me in a crib and his mom this is a girl I'm gonna marry don't put that in camera this is a joke and these mother was very happy she's always happy but did you know each other from the same town you know no we were never girlfriend ago but you knew each other yeah yeah I mean I left Italy I was 17 she was 11 years old I came here first he wasn't a Navy when it came I was 17 also oh wow the Italians came in two big waves and at the end of the World War 2 through to the cemetery so you were there my grandfather even he was in the United States but at the time did they stay and though some of them stood there a long time as some other people didn't say very long I think that one thing that a lot of American people think about italian-american food is more meat heavy specifically it's very import but that's not really that's a much different in it the main course annuity was pasta we make your own from scratch actually we never made but where I come from we made ravioli don't you same thing the same ingredient cavatelli and purcha tell me how do you think that meats like specifically beef and pork became such a part of italian-american cuisine when it's not so common in Italy because getting that much over later so they be abundant in this country so they got used to where they like they use a lot I love steak I had it for breakfast when I came initially I never had a steak lover oh wow because the six in Italy didn't like the t-bones the filet mean you're nothing like that because was always a hard meat over you usually meet that which makes a little tender does it were you ever like what people's impression of Italian cuisine is based on italian-american food for instance spaghetti and meatballs is what everyone thinks of when they think of Italian food but it's not classically will come from we don't have to have meat we never made spaghetti meatballs we used to make our meatballs were ricotta spaghetti meatballs mansion actually well their bond in the food they have here so they wanted to make something different so they think every about each spaghetti meatball when did you first encounter the spaghetti and meatballs you spaghetti with fish with spaghetti just with that sauce clam soup and then mix with the meat the more that the Italian community grew were there more ingredients that you were familiar with starting to come into the grocery store - what is something that you feel like you have to go back home to taste my mother's Korean and I grew up going to Korea every other year there was always like at least two or three restaurants that my aunts would take us to because she just like I just miss eating this so much nothing is like quite the same when I try to make it do you have other places like that and taco that knew I was like the first thing I do when I get there I'm going to eat they have no restaurants you wanna eat you cook the multiple pizza that's a couple of pizzeria that they have whatever this is good and if the door isn't a reason they're not gonna make you pizza like you know york city god bless america yeah so I mean that's like the most obvious thing that people think of when when a lot of Americans go to Italy and they try pizza they're really shocked how different it is just will be is richer in wine oh do you miss me miss italiana we make you make your own wine is there anything you don't like people how do you find the time we are like a shitty bang we don't sleep every morning we're making so much damn decart mozzarella is the media venomous actually always wanted to make mozzarella so I'm really excited okay wow this is so happy Linda why this is 20 pounds Wow Anjali we got it from you Wow so you cut how bigger than oh we have them a machine than my father me oh wow your father my father made this and it would cut in pieces and we pet looks like tofu just a little bit hotter than told ya how many years have you done doing this 22 years 22 years every morning every morning except when I brought you before this we had no idea we never worked in the deli before she was a medical assistant there was a building engineer was it hard to learn at first it's in your blood no I was a mechanical my life this is nothing a Saturday United States Navy I was jet mechanic on the f4 phantom one of the festive airplanes in the world at the time that was gonna get no more then that was a mechanical for the milk company then it was a building engineer heating an air-conditioned it was my job it's amazing to go from engineering so many I know things just doing something so soft and gentle that's the Italian to me life goes on Wow like way more milky and creamier so good thank you so much how do you think that that special Sunday sauce that was only once a week with things like beef and pork how do you think that became what people assumed was the standard of Italian cuisine in America because the Sunday they got together with the whole family because they all work during the week so sometime especially in America so on a Sunday for most everybody's home so you make a special dinner and that's some way in Italy it's a big big day for the family and they go to church come on eat and then the visits relatives all the relatives come and visit you right now people eat Sunday sauce every day it seems like you can have meat in the sauce every day in America the abundance of it's typically done in the bank you have to but when someone goes to Italy and comes back you don't tell them like make sure to bring this in this like because we don't have it as good quality yes what were those things that you make sure to bring this also is just Jesus we're serving the sauces are so used to being sausage at last the oregano from her mountains how much of this gets sent to you every year oh my husband in bunches they bring it much is they dry they do it in you know the beginning of the summer and then the hangar for a week or so and it's dry and it can bring it over if it's why they let you bring it yeah a nice meal is just just a little bit buddy being some nice mag so he's a full bag like rolling back with oh so interesting to me that even as a korean-american with roots with no Italian roots at all I'm so comforted by Italian cooking there's just something about it that feels he said the buck taste so you like it when you think of Italian food at least in America you think of like really huge sometimes over there you can only had so much do you feel like Italian American cuisine is a totally different type of food than Italian food it already totally different the flavors there but it's not totally different is a little bit different because there's more things like you know you have the meat in the spaghetti and if it's you have the best era you put the brownie you put sausages but they do it the same with the pizza there are now there are changed and when those days they were not like that there's so many great stories oh my goodness what a visit your mountain I can't believe this I feel good to be where you were oh my gosh this will Korean Stewart Italians a very warm Italian hospitality and it's its finest leaving with an entire box of food\n"