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A Guide to the Italian Kitchen
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Italian cuisine may seem daunting to some people. We often picture softly candlelit ristorantes with stiff, impeccable waiters serving impossibly complex dishes. Okay yes, there are places like that in Italy but for the most part, Italian food is all about fresh, simple ingredients and enjoying it with your family. What I would like to provide is a basic index of ingredients and terms most commonly found in the Italian kitchen. I hope this debunks some of the myths about Italian cuisine and inspires you to give a dish or two a try!
al dente - (al DEN-tay) Literally translated, this means "to the tooth" in Italian. What this really means is cooking pasta to the point where it is soft but still a bit chewy in the center. I find this helps prevent mush and makes your leftovers last longer.
antipasto - (ahn-tee-PAS-toe) It means "before the pasta" or "before the meal". Typically this would include items such as olives and little pickled vegetables, but can also include bread, cheeses, sliced salame or more extravagant fare like mini frittate or white bean dip.
arborio rice - (are-BORE-ee-oh) A short grain rice typically used in risotto (see below). This rice gives off a wonderful creaminess that is almost sinful once it's cooked. It also makes and excellent rice pudding.
asiago - (ah-SEE-ah-go) One of my favorite cheeses. It's nutty and salty, crumbly yet soft enough to retain it's shape in slices. It pairs very nicely with sweeter fruits like grapes or pears.
biscotti - (bee-SKOE-tee) Meaning "twice cooked", these are the most commonly know type of Italian cookie. The cookie dough is baked in a loaf, sliced, and then the slices are baked again, resulting in a crispy cookie. These are excellent dunked in coffee, milk or wine (which is how they are eaten in Italy).
bruschetta - (brew-SKET-ah) This is derived from the word "bruscare", which means to roast over coals. All it really is it bread that's been brushed with a touch of olive oil and either grilled or toasted. Bruschetta makes a delicious and light antipasto when served with white bean puree or tomato salad.
cannellini - (cah-nell-EEN-ee) These are basically the albino cousins of the kidney bean. They are slightly more delicate in flavor and have a delicious creamy texture that lends them to more filling pasta dishes and wonderful salads.
cannolo - (cah-NO-low) You may be more familiar with cannoli. They are the same thing, only cannolo refers to a single pastry. These sinful little desserts are airy, crispy pastry tubes filled with decadent vanilla cream and often chocolate.
Chianti - (key-AHN-tee) You know that squat wine bottle with the straw bottom adorning the table of that Italian restaurant in your mind's eye? That's Chianti. It's a red wine coming from the Tuscany region of Italy. They tend to be floral and slightly nutty with hints of cherry. This is a nice wine to deglaze your pan or add to the base of any sauce.
crostata - (crow-STA-ta) A rustic fruit pie with only one crust. The fruit inside is exposed, making for a very pretty but simple dessert.
extra virgin olive oil - This is the good stuff and the quintessential item to the Italian kitchen. Extra virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives so it has a rich, fruity flavor. Good quality e.v. olive oil will have a lovely green color to it. It doesn't have to be imported from Italy to be excellent, it's the color you want to look for. Cheaper oils will be more yellow and have a lot less flavor.
Frangelico - (frahn-GEL-i-co) A wonderful, wonderful, hazelnut liquor. Great in desserts or coffee.
frittata - (free-TA-ta) Popular for breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon snack, frittate are basically Italian omelette's. Scrambled eggs are the base, add in some milk or cream, cheese, meat and/or veggies and heat up in your favorite skillet. Mini versions of these are great for antipasti.
gelato - (jay-LA-toe) If you think ice cream is good, wait until you try some of this. Gelato is Italian ice cream but instead of being made with cream, it's made with milk. It also has less air in it, and the result is a denser, creamier cold dessert. It often comes in classic Italian flavors like hazelnut or lemon, but I've also seen raspberry, chocolate, cookie dough, mint chocolate chip, peanut butter cup and just about any flavor you can dream up.
gnocchi - (nyoe-KEY) These are a delicious alternative to pasta. Traditionally these are potato dumplings, but I've seen sweet potato and whole wheat varieties. Fresh gnocchi cook in three to five minutes and when done, are creamy and decadent.
kalamata olives - (call-ah-MAH-ta) These little babies are my favorite type of olive. They're a beautiful purple color, rich, smooth textured and a flavor to match. They're a bit strong though, so if you're not an olive lover you may want to omit these the first time around.
Marsala - (mar-SA-la) This is a wine coming from Sicily, and what a versatile little beverage it is. Excellent as a palate cleanser or a sipping wine, this is great to cook with. It's a sweeter wine and slightly spicy.
mascarpone - (mah-scar-PONE-ay) I love this cheese. It's essentially cream cheese, but very light and delicate and floral in flavor. It's a multi-talented cheese, excellent for making your favorite marinara creamy and new or in tiramisu (see below). I love it on bagels in place of plain cream cheese.
mozzarella - (motz-ah-REL-ah) Everyone knows this cheese. Most of us know it in its prepackaged, shredded form, which is just fine for lasagne or pizza. But the best stuff comes in soft, pure white spheres of creamy goodness. Sliced with tomatoes and topped with basil, salt and pepper, it makes a wonderful and healthy salad. Serve it with bread and sundried tomatoes as an appetizer. Mozzarella comes smoked, in logs, in little balls preserved in salt water, or in seasoned olive oil.
pancetta - (pahn-CHAY-ta) Long and short of it, this is Italian bacon. It's been salted rather than smoked. It's fantastic as a base for sauces, stuffings and soups.
panino - (pah-NEE-no) The more familiar plural of this word is panini, which refers to a grilled and pressed sandwich. The sky is the limit for what you put in your panini. My personal favorite is pesto, fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato and grilled sliced chicken.
parmiggiano reggiano - (par-me-JOHN-oh ray-JOHN-oh) According to Mario Batali, this is the undisputed king of all cheeses, and I quite agree. Salty, nutty, a great thickener for almost any savory dish. The rind lends wonderful flavor to soups and stews, while I have yet to find something I can't pair this cheese with. But do yourself a favor. Please don't buy the "el cheapo" cheese that comes in a plastic can. Look for fresh, light colored cheese that has chunks as opposed to baby powder. If you really want to be safe, buy it by the wedge.
peccorino romano - (peck-or-EEN-oh row-MAHN-oh) A sheep's milk cheese, this has a slightly more delicate flavor and more nutty overtones than parmiggiano reggiano. It's lovely sliced with fruit or topping any savory dish.
pesto - (PES-toe) Traditionally this is basil ground with garlic, extra virgin olive oil and parmiggiano reggiano. Now, however, mushroom pesto, spinach pesto, arugula pesto, walnut pesto, mint pesto and cilantro pesto are all up for grabs. Great on pastas or as a spread for salads.
polenta - (poe-LEN-ta) A dish made of boiled cornmeal. Now before you scroll past it, know that polenta is a creamy, savory dish. This is to Italy what grits are to Southern America. Often polenta is combined with cheese, seasonings, and veggies. This is a side dish that goes with just about everything and also makes lovely fritters.
prosciutto - (pro-SHOO-toe) Dry cured, thinly sliced, uncooked ham. It can be salty but it compliments most dishes nicely. Put it on your sandwich for extra meatiness and depth of flavor, pair with some cream cheese as a nice alternative for your bagel, or wrap fresh veggies in it.
risotto - (ree-ZOH-toe) This is one of the most daunting dishes to the new Italian chef. It's really not so hard. Garlic and onion are sautéed in butter to form the base, followed by arborio rice, stock and cheese. The trick to good risotto is arborio rice, fresh ingredients, and lots of stirring. The result is a creamy dish that is good as a side or excellent on its own. Experiment with different stocks, cheeses, vegetables and wines.
tiramisu - (tear-ah-me-SUE) The name means "pick me up" and believe me, after a piece of this you'll feel like you're on cloud nine. Good tiramisu is comprised of savoiardi lady fingers (crisp cookies, not the soft ones), coffee or espresso, mascarpone cheese and rum. I don't care if there are children at the party - serve them something else. This dessert is not complete without the rum. Chocolate and fruit are always welcome additions to this sinful dolce.
When trying Italian cuisine, start simple. A really well seasoned pasta and marinara dish is just as satisfying as a complex one. Have fun, enjoy yourself, and buon appetito!
