My experience of Calabrian men is that when it comes to food there are 2 ways to cook every dish. Firstly, exactly as Mamma makes it, and secondly, wrong.Yes, but Sicilians usually claim they know everything. Besides, as you say they were arguing and laughing about what is right and wrong, so not really dogmatic.
There are men who have been married for many years who are prepared to accept that their wife's take on a dish is acceptable, even if it is clearly inferior to La ricetta della Mamma.