A bunch of us members of the Older Generation, during a recent dinner party, were discussing how we survived all these years without seat belts, baby car seats and air bags. I saw a Facebook post from Horn News that
A bunch of us members of the Older Generation, during a recent dinner party, were discussing how we survived all these years without seat belts, baby car seats and air bags. I saw a Facebook post from Horn News that said members of the Older Generation are tough because we survived spanking, lead paint, wooden playgrounds, second-hand smoke, toy guns, no helmets, playing outside till it was dark without parental supervision and drinking from the garden hose.
Today, we are breaking the law if we do not wear seat belts or have our children in either a car seat or booster seat. Laws were enacted to protect us from ourselves and sometimes just address people who don’t have common sense.
So, it is interesting to see what will happen in Italy if Parlamentarian Elvira Savino, who is the mother of a 7-year-old son, has her way regarding Italian parents who feed their children a vegan diet.
“I just find it absurd that some parents are allowed to impose their will on children in an almost fanatical, religious way, often without proper scientific knowledge or medical consultation,” Savino says.
Pediatricians claim a vegan diet, one without meat, fish, poultry, milk, cheese and eggs, lacks sufficient nutrition.
Punishment ranges from one year in prison for raising a child on a vegan diet to four years if the child develops permanent health problems and up to seven years if the child dies. If the child is younger than 16 years old, the sentencing could be increased by one year and more if the child is younger than 3 years old.
Lawmakers were made aware of the problems with a vegan diet when, in 2015, an Italian court ordered a divorced mother to stop raising her 12-year-old son on a vegan diet after the boy’s father filed a complaint that his son’s growth was stunted. Then last month in Milan, a 1-year-old boy was taken to the hospital with his weight at that of a 3-month-old because he was on a vegan diet.
Italy already had some unwritten rules about food but no laws. The Slow Food movement, where fast and food don’t go together, started in Italy. Italians enjoy eating their meals slowly unlike Americans, who do not savor their food.
Pasta is not a side dish, so you will never see pasta next to a steak. Also, certain pasta shapes go with different sauces. Olive oil goes with penne or rigatoni and not with a spaghetti sauce. Spaghetti should NEVER be cut. Twirling the pasta onto your fork is the proper way to eat it and unlike the Thai method, Italians do not use a spoon along with a fork to eat spaghetti.
There is no such thing as spaghetti alla Bolognese. Instead, there is pasta al ragu, which differs from village to village.
Pizza is a street food and should be eaten with your hands. Cutlery is not necessary.
Italian coffee is espresso, with variations such as macciato with hot or cold milk, with or without foam. Cappuccino is for breakfast and an afternoon break and forbidden during meals. You may not have take-out coffee as Italians never walk and sip their coffee. A break at a cafe is a religious experience.
An Italian breakfast consists of cappuccino and cornetto (a type of croissant). There are no cereal, eggs or pancakes.
Lunch, or pranzo, is the main meal of the day, usually consisting of a three-course meal, an antipasto or appetizer, primi, or first course (usually soup, pasta or rice), and secondi (second course, usually meat or fish).
Drinks or foods are never ordered to go. Italians look down on anyone chowing down on a bus, metro or while walking, similar to the Japanese. You don’t see Italians or Japanese walking and eating. It is considered rude.
Bread is an accompaniment to primi and secondi courses, and mostly to sop up any sauces left on the plate. Italians do not make a meal of bread as they think it will fill you up unnecessarily.
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is never added to a fish-based pasta dish or on your pizza.
As a general rule, if the waiter does not offer you cheese with your pasta carbonara or amatriciana, don’t ask for it as those dishes traditionally do not add Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on them.
When Italians eat a green salad, it is with a good quality olive oil and vinegar only. There is no such thing as Italian dressing.
Italians eat only what is in season as they think food is the rhythm of life.
Leaving too much food on your plate is an insult to the cook, so — like you mother told you — clean your plate please.
Italian white wine is usually served cold and red wines at room temperature. You should not pour white wine into a pitcher and add ice.
If you are in Italy, order bottled water as there’s a lot of calcium in the tap water. Italians don’t want to get kidney stones, so they instead order bottled or sparkling water.
Italians have prided themselves with regional foods. Their Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese comes from the Parma region, their balsamic vinegar from Modena and their wonderful Parma ham from the Parma region.
If you go to an Italian restaurant, a trattoria is usually a local restaurant with affordable, regional food in a relaxed setting; an osteria is a more humble establishment with home-cooked meals, often served family style.
Foodie bites
The 21st Taste of the Hawaiian Range is 6-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, at the Hilton Waikoloa Resort. Tickets are $45 until midnight midnight Thursday, Sept. 8, or $60 at the door. For more details, visit www.TasteoftheHawaiianRange.com.
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