What makes a chef?

This will come as no surprise to anyone who has lived in Italy. The Italians have a broad streak of racism running up their backs. Things will be said that would never, ever be tolerated in the U.S.

The NY Times has an article about the increase of non-Italian chefs in Italy’s restaurants. Although the article talks mostly about poorer immigrants working their way up the restaurant ladder, it certainly struck a nerve with me.

An American chef in an Italian restaurant? I was a novelty, something not to be taken seriously. Even though I cranked out the pasta, not the Roman chef who literally was clueless about making pasta.  Or his idea of bread being something that was given an hour or so to complete its one and only rise before going into the oven. I was never going to be Italian enough.  A disturbing article that raked up some buried muck.