| First of all, let me just say this. I love both Chinese food | | | | make them yourself. Chinese noodles, while delicious, |
| and Italian food. Don't get all excited and start thinking I | | | | seem to have less variety. |
| am bashing on any particular culture. I am not; in fact I | | | | 7. Easy to make: For some reason I just can't get my |
| am attempting to take a man's view on cooking Italian. | | | | white Anglo Saxon attempt at Chinese food to taste |
| Both styles are mega delicious and should be | | | | authentic. I never seem to have the one ingredient that |
| consumed in great quantities. | | | | creates the magic touch. In Italian cooking, I have |
| | | | everything I need,( which is the fab four: olive oil, onions |
| 1. Italian wine: Need I say more? Ever hear of a good | | | | garlic and basil), and it is usually just comes down to |
| Chinese wine? I think not. Maybe a Saki, but as far as I | | | | adding more of "this" or "that' |
| am concerned, it's an acquired taste. | | | | 8. Impersonations: I just don't do a good imitation of an |
| 2. Complexity: Husbands who don't venture into the | | | | Asian, but I can get you going with my rendition of |
| kitchen much tend to feel more comfortable with | | | | Vieto ala beanie. Everyone can do a good Italian |
| something not as complex. Spaghetti and meatballs is | | | | imitation. This is the part where cooking is becomes |
| really not too tough. | | | | fun. (its easier to make fun of your own) I love to |
| 3. Lots of variations: You can start with any kind of | | | | entertain my children with my cheesy attempts at |
| pasta, dump anything on top of it, and you have | | | | cultural impressions. It's better received to kiss your |
| transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary. | | | | fingertips in appreciation than to muster up a large |
| Anything in your pantry or refrigerator is fair game. | | | | belch. |
| 4. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are beautiful. They come in | | | | 9. Italian food tastes better the next day: My |
| so many varieties, and can be spiced in so many | | | | grandmother would make sauce, but we were never |
| ways. How can you not like them? | | | | allowed to eat it until the next day. That's because all |
| 5. Simple ingredients: We have very good Chinese | | | | the flavors came together while it sat overnight in the |
| friends who invited us to dinner once. She asked me | | | | refrigerator after assembly. What I once thought was |
| to grab something out of the refrigerator for her while | | | | a cruel thing to do to a boy, turned out to be a |
| she was creating our culinary delight. Upon opening the | | | | rewarding exercise in patience. (check out our pasta |
| refrigerator, I saw items that I have never seen in my | | | | fagioli, most excellent the next day) |
| refrigerator before. There was funky plant life and | | | | And the number one reason....(Actually #10) |
| animal parts that I did not think you could buy much | | | | Garlic: As far as I am concerned, garlic is the center of |
| less eat. This was one well stocked unit but I would | | | | the universe. I can't get enough of it. I love the smell of |
| have to imagine it would take a while to buy all those | | | | it, I like it on my hands, I like the way it smells in the |
| ingredients. Italian refrigerators seem a little simpler. | | | | kitchen, I like it on bread, in sauce, on pizza or in pesto. |
| Besides, gizzards and chicken feet just don't work for | | | | Heck if I could get away with garlic sheets on the bed. |
| me. | | | | (you get the idea) Italians love to cook with it and its |
| 6. Neater noodles: Italian noodles are just more fun to | | | | versatility is certainly bound to make it the signature of |
| me. You get all kinds of noodles in all sorts of shapes | | | | any dish. Sauté' some with some onions and |
| and sizes. You can buy them in boxes and bags or | | | | olive oil, it can make a grown man cry. |