L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 12 L'Italo-Americano T here's an endur- i n g l o v e a f f a i r with Italian food a m o n g s t m o s t Americans, Ital- ian heritage or not. Recent rankings from food industry giants Technomic and US F o o d s b a c k u p t h e c l a i m : A m e r i c a n s f a v o r I t a l i a n , Mexican, and Chinese food – in that order – for dining out. It's easy to understand. Italian food is delightfully d e l i c i o u s , a n d w i t h m o r e than 5 million Italian immi- grants on US shores by the 1930s, a vast variety of fla- vors and dishes found their way deep into the collective consciousness of American stomachs. Like a good piece of gos- sip where the story alters with each retelling, original r e c i p e s b r o u g h t f r o m t h e Motherland have diversified and transformed with each passing generation. While purists might find offense at dishes we'll be looking at in a m o m e n t , i n n o v a t i o n a n d creativity have given birth to many "Italian" favorites that are about as Italian in origin as Taco Tuesdays. Spaghetti and meat- b a l l s – a n I t a l i a n d i s h beloved and present in any Italian restaurant that wants to stay in business, wouldn't you agree? This celebrated dish, however, cannot trace i t s i n c e p t i o n t o t h e b o o t - shaped peninsula. Polpette, meatballs formed from any variety of ground meat and bread/vegetable additions, are very Italian but typically come plated da sole (alone) as a secondo in the course of a meal. It's believed that these small meatballs not only grew in size once immi- grants had ready access to meat, but were then paired with inexpensive dried pasta a n d s a u c e t o e x t e n d a s a hearty, filling meal at low cost. About as American as apple pie now, this popular dish would only be found on t h e m o s t b r a z e n t o u r i s t menus in Italy. Chicken Parmigiana – t h e w o r d s a l o n e b r i n g a stomach rumble of anticipa- tion. For many, it's been the gateway food to Italian cui- s i n e . A p r e d i c t a b l e a n d f a m i l i a r s t a p l e o f b r e a d - c r u m b c o a t e d c h i c k e n bathed in marinara sauce and mozzarella, it satisfies l i k e a N o n n a ' s h u g . T h e truth of its advent, however, points to the east coast in t h e e a r l y 2 0 t h c e n t u r y . Immigrants from the south b r o u g h t t h e i r r e c i p e s f o r melanzane alla parmi- giana, that savory dish of sliced, breaded, and fried eggplant slathered in toma- t o s a u c e . T h e n e w w o r l d o f f e r e d p r o t e i n s s u c h a s chicken at more affordable prices, so creative cooks got busy. Before long, this new- found creation was appear- ing in restaurants and cook- b o o k s … a n d a f i r s t - generation Italian classic was born. Who doesn't love a big steaming hunk of soft toast- ed bread slathered in butter, garlic, and melted cheese! Garlic bread - cheese-cov- ered or any other form - is an expected staple in any Italian restaurant within our c o n t i g u o u s b o r d e r s . I t ' s a l m o s t u n i m a g i n a b l e t o think of spaghetti and meat- balls without a side of garlic bread! Bread, certainly, is a part of most authentic Ital- ian meals, most often served as a few slices of a rustic loaf to "fare la scarpetta" – to sop up every last drop. Any request for garlic bread will result in a serving of s m a l l p i e c e s o f c r u n c h y toasted bread rubbed with fresh garlic and drizzled in o i l . K n o w n a s " c r o s t i n i , " t h e s e a r e t h e b a s i s f o r bruschetta and many other antipasti delights, but rarely take top billing on their own or as a side. There's a lovely story that goes with the "Italian clas- sic" Fettuccine Alfredo. This popular dish is actually Italian by birth but became akin to a deported citizen that found fame and glory elsewhere. It was 1914 and Rome restauranter Alfredo di Lelio's pregnant wife was plagued with nausea. Alfre- do kept a steady supply of pasta in bianco – white pasta – on her plate. Fresh noodles coated in butter and Parmesan, this classic reme- dy for an upset stomach was a l l s h e c o u l d k e e p d o w n . T h e c o m m o n d i s h w a s added to the menu, offered up with whatever type of pasta was fresh that day. While on their honeymoon in 1920, American actors D o u g l a s F a i r b a n k s a n d Mary Pickford sampled the dish – fettuccine on that day – and loved it. Alfredo gifted them with the recipe – if you can call it that — and in t u r n t h e y s e n t h i m a n engraved gold spoon and f o r k a n d a u t o g r a p h e d p h o t o . S o o n , A l f r e d o ' s restaurant become a tourist h u b f r e q u e n t e d b y o t h e r Hollywood elite hungry to try the "Fettucine Alfredo." I t a l i a n s d i d n ' t f i n d t h i s tummy ache antidote all that exciting, however, and the dish never found popularity outside of the restaurant. It's a different story here, t h o u g h . W i l d l y p o p u l a r , Alfredo sauce is American- i z e d w i t h l o a d s o f m i l k , cream cheese, more butter please, and whatever else feels right that day. Squelch the dream, though, of find- ing Fettucine Alfredo "when I'm in Italy!" Case in point: I actually heard a waiter tell a tourist, "You may go home t o y o u r O l i v e G a r d e n f o r that!" Touché! It's a touchy subject, but one we must address. Salad d r e s s i n g . F o r s t a r t e r s , there really is no such thing in Italy. It's good oil, some vinegar, a sprinkle of salt… and you're good to go. Here, it takes a paragraph to list a m e n u ' s v a r i e t i e s o f s a l a d dressings, with Ranch and Italian topping the populari- ty chart. But if it's not Ital- i a n , w h y t h e n a m e ? T w o tales answer the question, the first dating back to 1941 in Farmington, MA. Using a family recipe from Sicily (so maybe we CAN say there are I t a l i a n r o o t s ) , F l o r e n c e Hanna made a variation to serve in her husband Ken's restaurant. Fast forward to today, and what you know as Ken's Italian Dressing is the offspring of Mrs. Hanna's creation. Another version t a k e s u s t o 1 9 4 8 a n d t h e W i s h b o n e R e s t a u r a n t i n Kansas City, MO. You can already tell where this tale is going: the blend of oil, vine- gar, herbs, and spices is on your grocer's shelf today. Creativity and adaptation are kitchen tools as impor- tant as a wooden spoon and a mixing bowl. Love the one you're with, as they say. It's natural that purity of origin can be lost in translation, as we've seen with just a few examples of "Italian dishes" t h a t r e a l l y a r e n ' t . W h i l e g a i n e d k n o w l e d g e m a y reduce the romantic factor of many of these beloved d i s h e s , t h e f l a v o r w i l l undoubtedly remain pleas- ing up to the last swipe of the scarpetta. PAULA REYNOLDS A slice of garlic bread… which is most definitely not Italian (Photo: Jaymeb325/Dreamstime) Fake Italian food? Popular dishes that really aren't Italian LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE

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