| Until last week, I'd never heard of Jamie Oliver. | | | | he had been born Italian, he could notunderstand |
| Stumblingand flipping through channels during the | | | | their utter stubbornness and lack |
| intermission of ahockey playoff game, I landed on | | | | ofopen-mindedness when it comes to different |
| the foodnetwork where | | | | interpretationsof cooking. He submitted that the |
| British Chef Jamie Oliver (a British chef? Who | | | | British were more open toother cuisine's whereas |
| knew?) wasin Italy in search of true and pure | | | | the Italians were less predisposedto try, say, Thai |
| rustic regional Italiancooking; Italy is regional on | | | | food. |
| many social levels. The episodeintrigued me since I | | | | He's right. On the other hand, it's easy for nations |
| not only cook but also consider myselfa purist in | | | | without anational diet or cuisine to be open. Then |
| the Italian kitchen. Brave kid. I had to watch. | | | | again, while the |
| It's difficult for North Americans to get into an | | | | McDonald's experience has been lukewarm in Italy |
| Italian mindsetwhen it comes to demanding | | | | at best, itseems to be doing fine in France - a |
| refinement. We're not asociety devoted to food. | | | | people with a longestablished culinary heritage. |
| It's more a chore in our day. Weoften, in some | | | | Extending into other cultures,it would be |
| cases, eat like depraved gluttons. | | | | interesting to see the results in places like |
| It's in Italy where I came to observe a dietary | | | | Lebanon, Japan and China. I deliberately leave out |
| habit that wassubtle in its near perfection. | | | | theregional Mediterranean diet at large in the |
| Everything from the times theyeat to how they | | | | interest of time. |
| serve and compliment their food, Italiansknow | | | | Suffice to acknowledge the region has often been |
| what they're doing. So subtle even world famous | | | | regardedto have a healthy lifestyle and diet plays |
| chefswho regard Italian cuisine as simplistic | | | | the largest role. |
| overlook it. Until theypay closer attention. | | | | I digress. For years, I wondered about Oliver's |
| I have often lamented about how I wish people | | | | astutecomment. Simplistically, therein lies why Italy |
| would spenda week in an Italian village. There they | | | | is, well, Italy. Ifthey weren't so single-minded and |
| would learn toappreciate that food is a serious | | | | devoted to their art, theywould cease to be |
| part of the humanexperience. They would also | | | | Italian. It's a trade off of sorts. Italy is oneof the |
| come to see why thesophisticated culinary diet of | | | | last of the Mohicans among nations |
| Italy is first rate. It's not allabout spaghetti and | | | | (especiallyamong the G7) in that artisanship and |
| meatballs. In some parts of Italy rice isconsumed | | | | craftsmanship of thehighest quality -whether in |
| more. Betcha you didn't know that, eh? | | | | shoes, machinery or furnituremaking and of |
| Jamie Oliver learnt what I learned the first time I | | | | course food - prevails. In economics they callit |
| went to Italy. | | | | opportunity costs. Sure, Italy could attempt |
| There are laws of food to observe. Just like there | | | | tomass-produce in their typical chaotic fashion to |
| are naturaland economic laws, there are culinary | | | | make moremoney but that would not be fair to |
| laws. Not in thehaughty French manner (a society | | | | the rest of us. Italyremains a land ruled by |
| first introduced to highcuisine by Catherine De | | | | dynasties who focus on one or twoproducts and |
| Medici who was known as | | | | master its contents; just like how Charlie |
| L'Italienne in France) but in an understated Italian | | | | Parker mastered the saxophone without ever |
| way. | | | | reading asingle note; it's in the Italian blood to |
| When it comes to food, tasteful conservatism | | | | make beautiful things. |
| andminimalism prevails. | | | | Though not the first, I'm glad Jamie Oliver |
| In any event, you can't just mix and match | | | | educated andbrought Italian cooking to its roots. |
| ingredients. | | | | Italian know-how takes abackseat to no one. He |
| Fusion cuisine is all the rage and trend among | | | | evidently underestimated the will ofhow Italians do |
| chefs anddiners these days; but don't tell that to | | | | things. He did a great job - and service -from |
| the Italians. In fact, it'swhat frustrated Oliver | | | | where I stand. I'm sure Italians would approve. |
| during the show. He explained thatwhile he wished | | | | |