Thanks for your comment. It comes at an interesting time for us. We just did some shopping at a Latino market in Bradenton, FL, where the deli department served a number of breaded and fried dishes called ‘Milanesa.’

As for the Argentinian connection, I’m not surprised. If I’m not mistaken, about 28% of Argentinians are either Italian or of Italian origin.

Best regards,
Skip Lombardi

Delighted to hear from you. Of course, you’re absolutely right with regard to Italians using the technique of breading and sautéeing various foods. My Sicilian grandmother made Cottolette di Vitello that brought tears to my eyes.

But our point here is that neighborhood Italian-American restaurants didn’t really exploit the possibilities of boneless, skinless chicken breasts until well into the 1970′s or ’80′s.

There are a few of reasons for this:

1) Until they were available as a mass market item, it made little sense (in a professional kitchen) to dedicate the necessary labor to detach the breasts from a bunch of chickens. Mama wasn’t always there to make soup with the rest of the birds, and heaven forbid they should have poultry leftovers in the walk-in!

2) But things changed when commercial suppliers began to offer cut-up chicken parts on a large scale. Think Tyson, Sysco, and Frank Purdue!!!

3)Furthermore, this new availability coincided with the demand for “lighter” Italian food. If you’ve been following us for a spell, you know we’ve written about the popularity of American developments like Chicken Ziti and Broccoli and Chicken Caesar Salad.

And, as you correctly state, breaded cutlets and eggplant go back a long way, maybe not to Pompeii, but a LONG way back… However, Italians did not think of chicken as a substitute for veal until fairly late in the game.

Best regards,
Skip & Holly

Lisette