Because of the popularity of Italian dishes in America, we have
seen a lot of restaurants that serve Italian food being put up at a
steady rate. But when we take a bite of our spaghetti with meatballs in
those American-Italian restaurants, do we necessarily equate them to
good Italian food? Most of the time we think we are eating authentic
Italian dishes even if the food being served to us are already
Americanized versions of the original. This is because only a few of us
have really tried eating Italian dishes. Most of the time we are lured
to thinking that eating a Caesar's salad in some fancy restaurant is the
equivalent of a real Italian dining experience. But the robust flavors
of the salad are what betray your so-called Italian dining. Italian
cooking is all about balance and delicateness of flavor. And let us
admit it; we have American palettes that are attuned to eating those
dishes that seemingly explode in our mouths because of the intensity of
flavors.
When you enter an American-Italian restaurant, the first thing you need to look at is the bread they are serving. Oftentimes, they serve white bread topped with tomato. This is quite Italian in itself, but usually, they arrive already cold. If you want the genuine Italian experience, you better go to an Italian restaurant that serves hot bread straight from the oven, like most Italians do for their families back in Italy. You get crusty bread in the outside, but soft in the inside. And nothing can beat hot, homemade bread.
And then you go and order a salad. Most American-Italian restaurants will serve a classic hit which is Caesar's salad. But as I have mentioned before, Caesar's salad is such a strong dish. It can overwhelm your taste buds, so it is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But if you are in a genuine Italian restaurant, you will find that you will have to look pick an antipasto before you can proceed with your meal. An antipasto is just how Italians like their food. Italians make sure that they prepare food with quite subtle flavors. They do not like adding too much dressing or condiments. They want the flavors to slowly pop in your mouth while you are eating it, and not just in one bite.
The next course is the primo which is usually pasta. A lot of American-Italian restaurants will not follow this Italian pattern of eating so they will probably serve you with a very heavy dish that will leave you thinking that you have already eaten the entire plate with just one taste. As I have said, it should be all about balance. As they say, it is not about the pasta sauce; it is about the pasta. In a real Italian restaurant, you will be able to taste that their food has quite strong flavors as well but they do not overpower you. It is as if there is just enough balance of boldness and subtlety. And you cannot argue with homemade pasta from those Italian restaurants. Most Italian restaurants make their pasta using meat extruders so the resulting pasta is thick and chewy. And one thing that you should notice in authentic Italian restaurants is that they do not like their pasta to be swimming in thick sauce. They want it to just coat the pasta so that when you eat the dish, you do not just taste the sauce but you taste the pasta as well. This is well thought of because the pasta is the focal point of the dish.
When you enter an American-Italian restaurant, the first thing you need to look at is the bread they are serving. Oftentimes, they serve white bread topped with tomato. This is quite Italian in itself, but usually, they arrive already cold. If you want the genuine Italian experience, you better go to an Italian restaurant that serves hot bread straight from the oven, like most Italians do for their families back in Italy. You get crusty bread in the outside, but soft in the inside. And nothing can beat hot, homemade bread.
And then you go and order a salad. Most American-Italian restaurants will serve a classic hit which is Caesar's salad. But as I have mentioned before, Caesar's salad is such a strong dish. It can overwhelm your taste buds, so it is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But if you are in a genuine Italian restaurant, you will find that you will have to look pick an antipasto before you can proceed with your meal. An antipasto is just how Italians like their food. Italians make sure that they prepare food with quite subtle flavors. They do not like adding too much dressing or condiments. They want the flavors to slowly pop in your mouth while you are eating it, and not just in one bite.
The next course is the primo which is usually pasta. A lot of American-Italian restaurants will not follow this Italian pattern of eating so they will probably serve you with a very heavy dish that will leave you thinking that you have already eaten the entire plate with just one taste. As I have said, it should be all about balance. As they say, it is not about the pasta sauce; it is about the pasta. In a real Italian restaurant, you will be able to taste that their food has quite strong flavors as well but they do not overpower you. It is as if there is just enough balance of boldness and subtlety. And you cannot argue with homemade pasta from those Italian restaurants. Most Italian restaurants make their pasta using meat extruders so the resulting pasta is thick and chewy. And one thing that you should notice in authentic Italian restaurants is that they do not like their pasta to be swimming in thick sauce. They want it to just coat the pasta so that when you eat the dish, you do not just taste the sauce but you taste the pasta as well. This is well thought of because the pasta is the focal point of the dish.
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