302225 Mon Jun 19 13:38:06 -0700 2006 13 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1690559 Growing up in an Italian American family and neighborhood, antipasto was served at home or in a restaurant first,macaroni second....Today there seems to be a movement toward "authentic regional Italian food"...Am I being to sensetive or are the "new Italian chefs" Re-inventing the menu and the language.. Mon Jun 19 13:38:06 -0700 2006 0 gudeatz 1 1690563 Could you be more specific? What is there to be sensitive about? Mon Jun 19 14:03:02 -0700 2006 1690559 0 Darren 1 1690571 The classic Italian menu is: antipasto (appetizer; optional) primo (first course, usually pasta or soup) secondo (entree) - with contorni (vegetables on the side) dolce (dessert, often fresh seasonal fruit) cafe (coffee) What reinvention have you noticed? Mon Jun 19 14:46:12 -0700 2006 1690559 0 Robert Lauriston 2 1690572 How might a salad fit into this order? TIA. Mon Jun 19 14:47:29 -0700 2006 1690571 0 MMRuth 3 1690574 The salad course comes between the secondo and dessert. A really elaborate menu could be: antipasto primo 1 primo 2 sorbetto secondo & contorni insalata formaggio (cheese) dolce cafe There are also salads served as first courses, such as caprese (tomato and mozzarella) and tuna with white beans. And a small green salad is often served on the same plate with steak. Mon Jun 19 15:00:48 -0700 2006 1690572 0 Robert Lauriston 4 1690582 Very helpful - and I always wondered about things like caprese salads ... Mon Jun 19 15:25:09 -0700 2006 1690574 0 MMRuth 4 1690586 Green salad is served with the meat course in our family. Tomato and mozz etc is like antipasta. Mon Jun 19 16:05:37 -0700 2006 1690574 0 coll 1 1690590 Whatever you do, you must never allow pasta and antipasto to come into direct contact. The energy released would dwarf an atomic explosion. Mon Jun 19 17:13:58 -0700 2006 1690559 0 Bob Martinez 2 1706541 If only Il Duce had known this we'd all be talking Italian now! Wed Jun 21 10:48:09 -0700 2006 1690590 0 Scagnetti 1 1690600 As I first heard it on the old Bob Newhart Show.... ANTIPASTA means against pasta as opposed to PROVOLONE which means for volone Mon Jun 19 21:01:38 -0700 2006 1690559 0 Phu Bai 1 1690606 i don't understand what you mean. italian-american is its own cuisine, be proud of it and let the chefs do what they want. of course most of them don't have a clue about italian food either, but just be glad you do. Mon Jun 19 21:53:06 -0700 2006 1690559 0 fara 1 1690625 I'm not sure what you mean exactly. But, if it's any help, the word "pasto" basically means "meal" in Italian. So the word antipasto (plural antipasti) means before the MEAL, not before the pasta. Some people say antipasta by mistake, but that word does not exist, to my knowledge. It has nothing to do with "before the pasta." Tue Jun 20 09:59:40 -0700 2006 1690559 0 parkslopemama 2 1690628 That's correct. "Antipasta" is a fairly common mistake among English speakers but it's not an Italian word. pasto = meal antipasto = appetizer Tue Jun 20 12:58:10 -0700 2006 1690625 0 Robert Lauriston 1 1708153 Nearly every response asked the original posted to clarify his question. Gudeatz? Are you there? You started this thread and there are people willing to talk about it.... Thu Jun 22 16:11:16 -0700 2006 1690559 0 Darren