Tag: dialect

Italian Words Gone Wrong – 6 Mistakes Native Italians Don’t Make

For a narrated version of this article, please check out: Italian Words Gone Wrong – Mistakes on the Menu Even though Italian food is prominent in North America as well as other English speaking countries, restaurant menus often use Italian words in ... Continue reading

Chard and Spinach Gnudi, the Naked Ravioli

This recipe was adapted from Domenica Marchetti’s “Swiss Chard and Spinach Ravioli Nudi”, part of her great cookbook The Glorious Vegetables of Italy, entirely dedicated to the prominent role of vegetables in Italian food. I chose this recipe ... Continue reading

[Thoughts on the Table – 22] Grandma’s Wartime Memories: Food in Northern Italy

During my last trip to Italy, I had a chance to record an unusual episode featuring Chiara, my grandmother, who just turned 94. She doesn’t have a blog, but nonetheless she has lots to say :) The topic is very serious, life during World War II, ... Continue reading

Rice and Parsley (Ris e Erburin)

Having some more Italian (flat-leaf) parsley in my fridge, not an easy find in Vancouver, and looking for something quick to make for dinner, I naturally went back to my childhood for a dish where parsley is the absolute star of the show: a simple soup ... Continue reading

Ravioli: the Food of Kings and Peasants

The word ‘ravioli’ (plural of ‘raviolo’) refers to all kinds of filled Italian pasta where a thin layer of dough wraps around a filling (‘ripieno’, in Italian). Ravioli are either boiled and dished out with sauce (a ... Continue reading

Bruschetta, Properly Pronounced :)

Bruschetta , plural ‘bruschette’ (brus-ket-teh), is a very popular appetizer born in the 16th century in central and southern Italy, which then spread to the entire country and eventually followed the Italian emigrants around the ... Continue reading

Antipasto – A Primer on the Italian Starters Course

The word ‘antipasto’ (plural, ‘antipasti’) comes from anti- (before) and pasto (meal) and has absolutely nothing to do with pasta. An antipasto is the Italian equivalent of the starters course, but it also defines each ... Continue reading

Formaggio – An Introduction to the Many Varieties of Italian Cheese

Even though Italy is a pretty small place, its regions are quite different from one another. And cheese (formaggio , in Italian) is one of the products that changes the most across the territories. Since the area of origin is a big part of what ... Continue reading