tiki
[id=quote font="arial, helvetica"]quote: Originally posted by hutt
Being an Italian has nothing to do with it. Nothing at all. Anyone who makes the effort and uses a good recipe will turn out the same food.
I suppose African-Americans make the best fried chicken, too?
There's millions of Italians that can't cook to save their lives. It's the individual, not the race or nationality.
I personally wasnt saying that ALL Italians are great cooks when is aid i dont eat in Italian places run by Wasps---i also dont eat in nChinese places where the cook are Irish---or Greek places run by Aussie---its a matter of ETHNICITY---when i eat Ehtnis i mwant to taste the Flaovrs of the Culture and AS A RULE that is hard to capture if you have not LIVED the culture--although it CAN be one can be learned -it is NOT the rule in MOST American food venu-exceptions do exist for sure--i know that i make lots of great Chinese style dishes-Thai-Mexican and lots of others--i also know that my BEST cuiisine is Italian--i grew up with it--i LIVED it---we raised the food--cooked it--served it--etc--BUT i do know ==that if i am out for diner--it is USUALLY better to go to a place --of any ethnicity-that is run run by folks FROM that group---especially if you are ONE OF THEM--AS CHANCES ARE GREAT THAT YOU WILL NOT BE SATISFIED ANYWAY BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW--NOBODY CAN COOK AS GOOD AS "MY GRANDMOTHER"!!! 
I certainly did not mean to say that only Italians can cook Italian--just that for THIS Italian--if you wqant my MONEY for it--you better be REALLY good---cause i know i can do it myself cheaper than you can serve it to me.
This is an interesting subject. I believe that if you have a good recipe and have been taught well, you can turn out ethnic food of the same quality even though you are not a member of that particular ethnic group. However, this is probably the exception rather than the rule. It's no coincidence that you don't see any other than Chinese at your local Chinese restaurant. Most Italians probably can't make Shepherd's pie. And so forth. Generally speaking, those from a particular culture are those who are better able (from experience) to make these dishes.
It seems that the best pizza and Italian food is made by those living in areas where there is a large Italian population. Pizza is lousy down south, out west, and other areas where there aren't a lot of people who have been exposed to the culture.
Ah, but the exceptions. I know a guy (not Italian) who was adopted by an Italian American Family. He was taught to cook growing up. He loved it and eventually went to a Culinary school (the CIA?) and became a chef and eventual owner of an Italian restaurant with a good reputation.
A friend of mine who went to the Olive Garden, which many Italians don't consider authentic Italian food, told me that he peeked into the kitchen and saw that the kitchen staff were all Mexicans. There was a pizzeria located on my old mail route that I ate at frequently. Still do occasionally. They have better than average pizza. The owner is from Italy. I've noticed that 90% of the time the pizza is outstanding. The other 10% just ok. One of the deliverymen told me why. Ironically the pizza was made most of the time by the Mexican guy. The other 10% of the time the owner made it.
I'm not Italian, but I think I can make an Italian Hot Dog as good as anyone. I attribute this to my passion for this sandwich, my experience eating them from many places, and knowing and asking questions of those in the business. My daughter used to work at an Italian Hot Dog restaurant that was known for the quality of their product. At the time there were a few people who were trained by the owner to be cooks. One of the young men was Indian. He made the sandwich as good as anyone since he had been working there awhile and was trained by the owner who was trained by the previous owner who was trained by the owner of the place where this sandwich was invented who was trained by the son of the man who invented this sandwich. Who was trained by his father, Jimmy Buff himself, whose wife made the first Italian Hot Dog. Still, my daughter told me that there were many times when customers walked in and saw this young Indian guy behind the counter and said, "oh, the store has been sold" and walked out!