As many of you know, I am half-Italian. (It’s on my mother’s side, so it’s not at all discernible from my last name, but I promise I am. I will even let you meet my mama’s family to prove it.) My ethnic heritage is the subject of many jokes in my circle of friends, mostly relating to how I have mob ties or how I can get “The Family” to take care of something. And not only is it good for making a joke or two, it’s just a well-known fact. I’m really proud to be Italian because it’s a wonderful culture in a beautiful place with delicious food. Also, Giada di Laurentiis is totally the hottest chef on the Food Network, and if you didn’t gather from her name (or the name of her TV show), she’s ITALIAN.
Anyway, well-known fact and subject of jokes that it is, I was still a little surprised to receive the following text message from one of my sorority sisters: “What do you drink with spaghetti?” I responded by saying, “Um, I usually drink water with everything. Coke sometimes, red wine maybe, not milk.” (Seriously, y’all, I would not recommend milk with spaghetti. That’s a little too school lunch-y and also kind of vomit-inducing.) We exchanged a few more messages that explained that she and her best friend were arguing about what to drink; I asked her if it was Ask an Italian Day or something.
For the record, I think you can drink whatever you want with spaghetti. I just wouldn’t go with milk. Or orange juice. Other than that, it’s pretty open.
Also, if you’d like a question answered by a genuine half-Italian-American, feel free to leave a comment. You can also comment and tell me what YOU drink with spaghetti … because why not?
Ciao.
