Snippets from the Italian Scene
On Substance
Winding down, not too long ago a person wrote asking for what she termed an oxymoron: Light Italian food. Wince on my part; while it is true that there are Italian dishes that would sink a dreadnought, at least as many would not. Part of the problem is that Italian cooking is quite seasonal; winter dishes are much heartier than summer ones because they were developed to keep winter's chill at bay. Though now this might seem unimportant, one has to remember that most Italian homes are made of stone, and until after World War Two few had central heating -- they got cold in the winter (even with central heating stone homes feel much colder than wooden ones given the same thermostat setting, and many homes in the South don't have central heat due to the mildness of the climate).
Another reason for heaviness is individual taste. Many older Italian recipes give only ingredients but not quantities, leaving them up to the cook. If the cook has a heavy hand then rising up from the table takes much more effort than it ought to. The key, as Artusi (who is often quite vague about quantities) says repeatedly throughout La Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene (the first successful cookbook aimed at the middle class, written in 1891), is moderation. When a recipe calls for butter, go easy. Likewise with oil and other fats. Don't smother things with cream sauces or cheeses. And remember, portion sizes shouldn't be excessive. Even dishes that are commonly considered heavy, for example lasagna or eggplant Parmesan, are light if you limit yourself to a small serving. The standard Italian pasta serving today is 80 grams -- about 3 ounces -- with between a quarter and a third of a cup of sauce, while the standard second course is about a quarter pound of meat or fish, and a vegetable. Unless a person is of very slight build, this is not a lot, and it is also the main meal. Dinner is often considerably lighter and many skip it entirely.
Of course neither of these points answers the question of why many people (especially in Italian immigrant communities beyond the national borders) continue to cook heartily and provide vast quantities despite health advisories and such. I think the answer is partially cultural, and partially class related. Up until the 1950s hunger was widespread in Italy (both North and South); I've talked to many elderly farmers and trades people who told me they only ate meat once a week when they were growing up, and survived primarily on greens, bread and pasta. I've also heard stories about the rural poor of Piemonte who would hang an anchovy over the table so each diner could flavor his or her piece of polenta by rubbing it against the anchovy, which would last several meals. And contemporary descriptions of the diet of the urban and rural poor living a century ago are simply frightening. The upshot of this is that being overweight was a statement of wealth for the poor, many of whom left Italy during the period from 1870 to 1920 or so; as soon as the immigrants could afford to they cooked hearty, and this custom has been passed down to the more recent generations.
By way of contrast, the wealthy have never been overweight (at least in youth) -- in paintings and photographs from the past the aristocrats are almost all quite trim. Since they could afford to eat they had no reason to overindulge.
Moving to the present in Italy, it's interesting to note that the younger generations (born since 1945) have in large part discarded hearty foods; one generally encounters them only on special occasions and in restaurants specializing in traditional fare. The buzz word is to eat light; people under 45 are for the most part thin and the food magazines are full of light healthy things, especially during the summer months. During the winter? Then we do get stews, hearty pasta dishes, and rich soups. There's butter, there's cream, and there are carbohydrates, but there's also that word -- moderation -- repeated over and over.
A presto,
Kyle Phillips
Webweaver, About Italian Cuisine
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