I think Amanda's entertaining and lighthearted article perfectly addresses these cultural peculiarities, and has hit the hammer on the head. I do agree with Luca on 3 though, I hadn't heard of the dairy and meat clash, rather that the milk is simply "bad for digestion" (as I've had many Italians tell me). I always thought it was funny since the most popular desserts-- panna cotta, tiramisu, profiteroles, etc-- all contain copious amounts of cream (dairy!). Signore Bucci clearly misunderstands her attempt to help guide and advise foreigners who might otherwise make fools of themselves at a meal, especially since many Italians can be quite crude when any of these faux pas are committed (or even just commenting on them!). Thanks Amanda!