pasta shells, ground beef, tomato sauce

[Thomas]

WOW,

Now I understand you.

Most people I meet think Italian food is a monocultural concoction. Since it was the people from the Mezzogiorno who mainly came to this country (at first) it was southern Italian food that Amercians learned is THE Italian food.

I recently read a story about the actor, Michael Farina, who is from Chicago. Even he thinks Italian food is one thing, I suppose because that is all he was exposed to in Chicago, which was heavily southern influenced by the likes of you know who...who, incidentally got his scar as a bouncer in my Brooklyn neighborhood, before Lucky Luciano had him deported.

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 10-27-2004).]