If you’re not italian and don’t have a nice family recipe and generational knowledge about precisely how to do it, going to an Italian restaurant (if it’s run by an actual italian family) can be an eye-opening experience about how good pasta and sauce can be.
Like I can make passable Thai or Vietnamese stir fries, but even if I do my absolute best to use the most authentic ingredients, it just won’t be the same as if it were made by a Thai or Vietnamese person.
The importance of generational knowledge in the techniques of cultural cooking is impossible to overstate. Everything from the temperature of the pan, to how often and how aggressively to stir it, to how much oil to use, to the ratio of the spices, and how long to leave it on the heat, whether or not to flip, what to do when you take it off the heat, when to add certain spices, etc.
Like, it’s easy to read some instructions and make a passable dish. But perfecting all the precise little details is something that takes a lifetime of immersion and learning from someone who’s been doing it their whole life, such as parents or grandparents.
If you’re not italian and don’t have a nice family recipe and generational knowledge about precisely how to do it, going to an Italian restaurant (if it’s run by an actual italian family) can be an eye-opening experience about how good pasta and sauce can be.
Like I can make passable Thai or Vietnamese stir fries, but even if I do my absolute best to use the most authentic ingredients, it just won’t be the same as if it were made by a Thai or Vietnamese person.
The importance of generational knowledge in the techniques of cultural cooking is impossible to overstate. Everything from the temperature of the pan, to how often and how aggressively to stir it, to how much oil to use, to the ratio of the spices, and how long to leave it on the heat, whether or not to flip, what to do when you take it off the heat, when to add certain spices, etc.
Like, it’s easy to read some instructions and make a passable dish. But perfecting all the precise little details is something that takes a lifetime of immersion and learning from someone who’s been doing it their whole life, such as parents or grandparents.
Pasta, sauce, and bread are the same way.