The 5 Italian food words that you're probably mispronouncing



America is a melting pot for sure and now more than ever, you can find thousands of products from around the world in your local grocery store. Or for foodies, you might find them traveling to ethnic neighborhoods to find just that right spice, cheese, or oil. Give this a read before you head into Little Italy to go shopping. The only thing that would make you seem more Italian was if you rode in on a Vespa wearing this season's Armani and smoking a Muratti. 

1. Bruschetta - Probably the most often mispronounced of them all, the delicately toasted crostini topped with a variety of mixes, the most common being Tomato & Fresh Basil of course, is pronounced Broo-sket'-ta, not Broo-shet'-ta. Now roll that "r", BRRRRUSCHETTA!!

2. Espresso - Just like it's spelled boys and girls. It can be translated to the English word "express" in reference to how fast the coffee is pushed through the finely ground beans. But, nevertheless, it's still an Italian word, not an English one. So get a taza, spoon some sugar in it, relax and say Essssspreso!

3. Cappuccino - So while we're on the subject of coffee, let's talk cappuccino. First off,in Italy they would NEVER drink a coffee with any milk in it after 2:00 in the afternoon. Cappuccino is considered a breakfast drink and is reserved for the morning. It would be like ordering oatmeal for lunch or dinner and it's a sure-fire way to spot a coffee amateur  a mile away. But when you do order it, make sure you pronounce it cop-poo-chee-no, not cup-a-chee-no and please, no cinnamon or cocoa on top, that's not how real Italians roll,  Capisce?

4. Limoncello - This wonderfully delicate, smooth liqueur comes originally from Sorrento and the rest of the Amalfi coast where lemons and other citrus fruits grow to a perfect ripeness in the almost constant sunlight and fresh ocean breezes. It has sustained itself for hundreds of years so please don't ruin it by saying lem-on-chel-lo. Instead, fancy yourself a bit of an Amalfitan(o/a) and pronounce it lee-mon-chel-lo. And please sip it, don't shoot it.

5. Ricotta - Meaning re-cooked, this is the cheese that goes into so many famous dishes like, Lasagna, Ravioli, and Cannoli. Depending on if your family hails from northern or southern Italy, you might say it one of two ways, ree-cawt-a, ri-cawt, or if you're from New Jersey, ra-gawt. I would say any of those three would make you sound like you grew up working in a caseficio. So no more pronouncing it ra-cot-ta.

                                                                

Happy shopping & Buon Appetito!

Pan di Spagna!

It means Bread of Spain, but it’s really a classic Italian Sponge Cake that I love flavored with lemon. It uses no leaveners at all. It’s leavened only by the beating of the egg whites and yolks so it’s a very delicate batter, but it comes out light as a cloud.  I actually use 3 different ways of flavoring, Lemon Zest, Lemon Extract, & Limoncello.  Once it’s made you can fill it with strawberries, lemon custard, or whatever you can come up with. But my favorite way is to just eat it plain, as is, with a nice cappuccino in the morning. Any way you choose to enjoy it, you’ll love it! Buona Fortuna!

5                              Eggs, separated into 2 mixing bowls*

1 ½         cups       Sugar

1 ½         cups       Flour

1              tsp.        Lemon Extract

2              Tbl.         Limoncello Liqueur

The zest of one Lemon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and Flour a 10” (2” deep) cake pan and place a piece of parchment paper on the bottom (also greased and floured).  With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with about half of the sugar, the lemon zest, lemon extract, and the limoncello, until they are very pale in color, thick and rich. Then, IN A CLEAN BOWL, beat the egg whites until they come to soft peaks*. Gradually add in the other half of the sugar and continue to beat to medium/stiff peaks.

Once the eggs are beaten, with a rubber spatula, very delicately fold in the whites into the yolks in 3 stages leaving streaks of white in the mixture. Do not fold them in completely. Once you’ve folded the whites in, sift the flour into the egg mixture very slowly and in many stages while folding. In other words, sift-in enough flour to cover the mixture and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula being careful not to deflate the eggs. Repeat until all the flour has been incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. If you did it right, the cake should be golden brown and nice and level. Let cool for 10-15 minutes then turn the cake out onto a 10” plate and allow to come to room temperature before cutting into it…if you can!

Buon Appetito!

*It is imperative that the bowl for the egg whites is clean. If there is ANY trace of oil, yolks, or fat in the bowl they will never beat correctly.

I took this from Yahoo's website. These are some great points/tips to creating the perfect pasta dish!!
Buon Appetito!!!

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There are certain labor-intensive recipe phrases that can make the most diligent cook roll her eyes. "Do I really have to do that?" we wonder. Leave your Do I Really Have To Do That?questions in the comments and they shall be answered, saving us all a lot of needless trouble.
Lots of questions come up when we're cooking pasta. How much salt should I add? Should I add a glug of olive oil? Do I really have to reserve some pasta water before draining? We answer all carbohydrate quandaries today with the help of the editors atAmerica's Test Kitchen in our master pasta edition of Do I Really Have to Do That? 

DO use more water than you think you need.
For every pound of pasta, you'll need four quarts of water. "This amount of water may seem excessive to some, but pasta contains tons of starch, and if cooked in too little liquid, the noodles will stick together." Ever had a pot of pasta foam up and boil over? That's a sure sign you didn't use enough water.

DO add salt.
Add 1 tablespoon of table salt or 2 tablespoons kosher salt to the boiling water. Some cooks say it should be as salty as sea water. "It really enhances the flavor of the pasta, making it taste fuller and wheatier."

DON'T add olive oil.
"Contrary to popular belief, adding oil to boiling water does not prevent sticking." The oil will just float to the surface and then be drained off with the cooking water. And there go a few dollars down the drain, to boot.

DON'T follow the package timing.
If you want al dente pasta, the suggested cooking times on the pasta box will likely lead you astray. Instead, "about 3 minutes shy of the package time, simply lift a piece of pasta and taste it." (You DON'T need to throw it on the wall.) Remember that like eggs and meat, the pasta will continue to cook as it's drained and sauced. "In the test kitchen, we compensate for this by pulling the pot off the heat and draining the pasta when it’s just shy of al dente."



DO reserve some of the pasta cooking liquid.
"Before draining, reserve some of the cooking water—about a ½ cup or so. A splash of this starchy water can adjust the consistency of a pasta sauce that’s become too stodgy or thick." To help yourself remember this step, place your colander in the sink while the pasta is cooking with a measuring cup inside as a visual reminder. If you still forget, "mix ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 cup of water and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until hot. Just a splash or two of the slightly thickened liquid creates a sauce with just the right consistency."

DON'T shake pasta dry.
"A little water clinging to the pasta is desirable because it helps the sauce combine with and coat the pasta." Besides, if you've ever refrigerated leftover spaghetti, you know what happens as pasta dries: the strands stick together in a tangled glob. Try this method instead. "Just pour the pasta into a colander, and let the pasta drain of its own accord for 30 seconds or so—resist the urge to vigorously shake the colander (although one or two gentle shakes won’t hurt)." 

DON'T rinse pasta.
Unless you're headed to a picnic with your signature pasta salad, don't rinse. It cools down the pasta––not what we want if it's a hot dinner we're after––"but it also washes away all of that beautiful starch that helps the sauce cling."

DO pair your pasta shape with the right sauce.
Cook's Illustrated senior editor Dan Souza explains how the ideal marriage between pasta and sauce offers a taste of both in every single bite. Thin pasta like angel hair and spaghetti goes best with a smooth, light sauce, like pesto or olive oil and garlic. Thicker strands like tagliatelle, fettucine, and linguine are better matches for a slightly chunkier sauce with ground meat, like a bolognese, or a creamy sauce like alfredo. Larger tube shapes like rigatoni or shells are best with a really chunky sauce that will get stuck in its crevices, like pasta alla norma. Smaller tube-shaped pasta like penne and fusilli are at their best with a lightly chunky tomato sauce.

So here’s a great little treat to help beat your winter-time blues. They’re called Polpetti di Riso or Rice Meatballs. Not to be confused with Arancini, this is a much simpler, peasant recipe and a real crowd pleaser. You’ll see that the ingredients resemble those of a meatball recipe, hence the name. When I make these, I have to make them by the “bushel”. Everyone just loves them and I hope you do too!

Polpetti di Riso

2          cups     Long Grain Rice

8          cups     Water

½         cup       Bread Crumbs

½         tsp        Salt

¼         tsp        White Pepper

½         tsp        Granulated Garlic

2          Tbl.      Chopped Fresh Parsley

1          cup       Grated Cheese (Romano, Parmigiano, etc…)

3                      Eggs

Put the rice and the water into a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so or until the rice is tender. Then, drain the rice in a colander (or a scola pasta) and run a little cold water over the rice for a few seconds to help cool it down.

Then, mix all of the ingredients together until well combined.

Wet your hands with a little water and roll some of the rice mixture about the size of a golf ball. You can flatten them a little to form a patty or make then a little oblong to resemble and “Old School” meatball.

Fry the polpetti in a couple inches of oil heated to about 350° until golden brown on both sides. Allow them to cool before serving.  

Buon Appetito!!

Escarole In Brodo

So next to Minestra di Cavolo (recipe below), one of my favorite things to have when the weather gets cold is my Nana's Escarole Soup. I usually make a large pot of it and enjoy it for a few days. I have put a few things into the recipe that I think improves it just a little. Of course, much like Nana herself, I make it when Escarole is on sale! HA! See the note in the recipe about adding Cannelini Beans and Italian Sausage to turn the soup into a meal!

1                                                                                Extra Large Head of Escarole (or 2 small ones)

2                stalks                Celery, chopped

2                tablespoons      Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4                quarts               Simmering Chicken Stock

Salt, Pepper, & Granulated Garlic to taste

Put a pot of boiling water to boil. Meanwhile, cut the bottom of the escarole off and separate the leaves into the kitchen sink and fill the sink with cold water. Wash the escarole well, it gets pretty dirty at the bottom, and transfer it to a colander. When the water is boiling vigorously, put a couple teaspoons of salt in it and add the escarole. Continue cooking until the water comes back to the boil. Then, drain the escarole in the sink and rinse with lots of cold water.

Once it’s cool enough to handle, gently squeeze the excess water out of the escarole and place it on a cutting board. Cut the escarole a few times across and a few times down. Get a large soup pot on the stove and heat it on medium-high heat. Add the Olive oil and heat another few seconds*. Add the chopped escarole to the oil and sauté for 3-5 minutes**, season with the Salt, Pepper, & Granulated garlic. Once you’ve sautéed the escarole and celery, add the simmering stock. Bring the soup to a low boil and simmer for an additional 20 minutes or so.

Buon Appetito!!!   

*At this point you could add a half pound or so of Italian Sausage (out of the casing) and sauté it before adding the escarole.

**At this point you could add 1 can of Cannelini beans to the pot. Be careful not to stir too roughly and smash the beans.

Your favorite loaf...

Here's a picture of some fantastic crusty bread that I took on a recent trip to Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Where's your favorite bread from?

Roasted Red Peppers……Pepperoni  Arrostiti

As summer comes to a close, one of my favorite seasons commences, Canning Season! It’s really the best way to take the season’s best farm fresh vegetables and keep them year round without losing flavor or paying out-the-nose!

So, get your culo to a farm or farm stand and get a big bunch of Red Bell Peppers and roast them over some white-hot coals on the grill. As they blacken on all sides, put them into a covered container with a little water in the bottom (the water will help steam the skins off of the flesh of the peppers). Once they’re all roasted, let them steam for a few minutes. Then peel the skins from the flesh of the peppers and clean out the seeds. This is a really messy job so you might want to be like a good Italian and do this in the back yard! Once you have all the peppers cleaned, mix them with a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and stuff them into pint jars and close the lids tightly. Place the jars into a large pot, make sure they fit tightly. Fill the pot with water about 2 inched above the rims of the jars. Put the pot on the stove and, once the water begins to boil, boil the jars for 1 hour. Then, allow the water to cool slightly and CAREFULLY remove the jars from the water. Place the jars onto a table and cover them with a towel. The jars that are not sealed when they come out of the water should seal as they sit (12-24 hours). The jars that so not seal at all should not be eaten. If there is any bachteria in the jar that causes it not to seal, it could be due to botchulism and could cause very serious harm if consumed.

Otherwise, these puppies are ready to onto the shelf for future use. Buon Appetito!!!!