[Ducati] (was) Motegi Quote's - Ducati Corse now regionalspecialties in Italy

[Tom]

> No worries, it wasn't a cultural instruction. The post was from a  lister 
> in
> (I believe) South Carolina who indicated he was planning on having  some 
> with
> pasta as a celebration. But "officially" I bow to you as the  better 
> expert on
> all things Italian since you are lucky enough to live near  by and speak 
> the
> language. I just know what I like when I travel there  on my constant 
> search
> to enjoy every day the best I can. Going in the out  door (so to speak) 
> just
> makes me laugh and gives me one more cause for  celebration. But on that 
> note I
> can say that, at least in Germany they  agree with you, ordering the local
> beer from say, Cologne in another town will  get you the sternest look you 
> have
> ever seen, stupidity at it's deepest level.  Yet, my experience in Italy 
> has
> been for the most part that ordering  something from another region will
> generally get you a tsk, tsk, we have  something MUCH better here, how 
> lucky for you
> that you came here instead of  the inferior place that serves that other
> thing!  So basically  cultural faux pas's are treated as subjects of 
> amusement and
> personal growth.  Perfect.
> Unfortunately, with travel becoming such a big part of the Italian economy
> it's getting harder to understand what's "typical of the region" because 
> it's
> not unusual for say, local Bologna specialties, to be offered on a menu in
> Rome. So for a non-Italian speaking tourist these details sometimes tend 
> to
> flow by in the general wonder that is Italy. I try really hard to make 
> sure when
> I travel with somebody that has never been to Italy before that I do the 
> best
> I  can to introduce they things "typical" as best I can. I think that here 
> in
> the  US we have become such a melting pot society that the concept of
> protecting a  regional speciality is going by the wayside.

Of course you can usually get things from other regions, but I always try 
and eat the local stuff, and learn local tidbits, such as that when in 
Bologna you are not supposed to put parmagiana or other grated cheese on 
your pasta al ragu'.  Or that only northerners put cream in their carbonara, 
or which olive oil goes with which dish (and there are always arguments 
about that!)

It's definitely fun though.  This weekend were headed down to Calice Ligure 
for a private Guzzi party (though I'll go with the ST2 again) where everyone 
brings something to eat, usually homemade, so theire's all kinds of good 
stuff.  The guy whose house it's at even presses his own olives for oil!

Tom