About Italian recipes and the lack of measurements (amounts of an ingredient).

Many of you who can read Italian (and French) are perhaps befuddled by the fact that many times these Glorious Books (both French and Italian) lack certain data.  It is the lack of measurement and amount in a Recipe.  Perhaps I should make something clear.  Some recipes are traditionally inspired.  Some have no measurement because the chef kept his real recipe close to his breast (Carnacina, one of the finest Italian chefs, warns people in his cookbooks that he IS changing the recipe from the one he usually makes in his own restaurants).  Sometimes they are a matter of taste.  Some like more onions some less...some onions are stronger than others...etc.. etc..
The fact is that telling someone to use 4 cloves of garlic is actually a pointless thing...and a good chef knows that.  Some garlic is very strong and only two or three will be needed.  They assume you know that.  So sometimes they will just say Garlic!...period!  Also Culture is important.  Many who naturally produce a recipe from a book have had the meal before.  The american often has not.  He may have had the unfortunate experience of eating food from some boater from Italy who's only experience with cooking is that he's Italian.  The boater  chooses to open a restaurant and unfortunately creates a prejudice of Italian cooking to the common man.   The boater is cooking what he thinks Italian Food should be; imparting his ignorance to others.
I will make sure that I take into consideration all facts:  That ingredients such as Garlic in this country tends to be a little weaker than Garlic in Italy.  Also, that many of you have no knowledge of what it should taste like, and finally that many of you have a prejudice of what it should taste like.  Please I only humbly say that...but it has to be said.
Buona Sera.