The "I Didn't Comment in Another Thread" Thread

[overgeeked]

Mexican-American restaurants are often closer to what one might get in Mexico than one might think.

For one thing, there's no singular "Mexican" cuisine, but a whole host of regional dishes. (There are 129 million Mexicans across 29 states, with cultural traditions that often pre-date Columbus.) The Mexican food one gets in California typically echoes what one can get in Baja California or Sonora. Tex-Mex is the cuisine of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon or Tamalipas covered in cheese.

Yep. And it’s amazing. Still the best food in the world. My favorite regional cuisine is still Oaxacan.

And, more importantly, Mexican immigrants are in the kitchens of every major city in the United States, and they have a vested interest in being able to find food they like and recognize when they're off-duty.

Sort of. Yes, Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans work in kitchens across the country, but they’re not always in charge of what goes into the food. When you have a certain level of Mexican population in a city they start opening their own restaurants or food trucks. That’s where you find the good stuff. That’s where most of the immigrants go. Because that’s where the authentic or more authentic Mexican food is.

 

[trappedslider]

 

[el-remmen]

"If it could be about me, I am going to assume it is about me."

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

When you have a certain level of Mexican population in a city they start opening their own restaurants or food trucks. That’s where you find the good stuff. That’s where most of the immigrants go. Because that’s where the authentic or more authentic Mexican food is.

Yeah, that's what I meant, although probably not as clearly stated as it should have been.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Italian-American dishes, for sure. Italian immigrants were amazed at the abundance of cheap, high quality meat, for starters.

Italian American food and Italian food in Italy are often quite different. I grew up on Italian food, and went to Italy. The best food I ever ate was in Italy. But you can find authentic restaurants these days (especially if the owners are from Italy). It is also pretty regional.

With Italian American cuisines. The stuff at the restaurants is very different from how it is usually made at home. And there are lots of dishes that just aren't usually at restaurants. The sauces for example are usually nothing like the ones that are homemade. There is an interesting channel called Pasta Grammar with a woman from Italy who tries to show how dishes are made there compared to here.

With Mexican food. I spent some years in Southern California as a kid and went to Mexico a lot. After Italian, Mexican is my favorite food simply because of that experience I think. I have actually been surprised in recent years in Boston how much good Mexican and South American food has become available. There are a lot of little restaurants and taco places that remind me of the food I ate in Southern California and in Mexico in the 80s

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Italian American food and Italian food in Italy are often quite different. I grew up on Italian food, and went to Italy. The best food I ever ate was in Italy. But you can find authentic restaurants these days (especially if the owners are from Italy). It is also pretty regional.

Yeah, a lot of early Italian-American immigrants were Sicilian, which definitely shaped what Americans expect from their "Italian" restaurants. (Fortunately, Sicilian food is fantastic.)

There is an interesting channel called Pasta Grammar with a woman from Italy who tries to show how dishes are made there compared to here.

I will check that out.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Yeah, a lot of early Italian-American immigrants were Sicilian, which definitely shaped what Americans expect from their "Italian" restaurants. (Fortunately, Sicilian food is fantastic.)

My family was from Abruzzo, which I have never been to, so I do not how close any of the food I grew up on was to it. But all the stuff we cooked were from my great grandmother who was born there (my Great Grandfather was from another town in that region but they met here). I would imagine there were a lot of changes though due to local ingredients being different, changes that may have been introduced over time, etc. I did have a Sicilian Aunt, and she cooked very differently from my mom and my other aunts

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

So many people never get over being the smartest kid in their elementary school.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

This is what I envision when I see a notification that certain people have responded to me.

 

[Ryujin]

So many people never get over being the smartest kid in their elementary school.

I have the trophy and everything!