Akron - Canton Area Cooks and Chefs Association
A C F Chapter OH051
Founded 1976
ITALIAN-ENGLISH - CULINARY VOCABULARY
Abbacchio: suckling lamb (Rome)
Acciughe: anchovies in oil
Aceto: vinegar;
----- sott'aceto: preserved in vinegar;
----- balsamic vinegar
Acqua: water
Acqua minerale: natural sparkling mineral water
Affettato: literally "sliced" cold cuts
Affogato: steamed
Affumicato: smoked
Aglio: garlic
Agnello: lamb
Agnolotti: pasta with meat filling
Agro: sour
Agro-dolce: sweet and sour
Agrumi: citrus fruit
(alla) Chantilly: with whipped cream
alla fiorentina: T-bone Steak, grilled or broiled See: bistecca
alla giudia: deep fried in oil;
alla mantidana: grilled;
alla romana: with butter and Parmesan cheese
alla romana: stuffed with garlic, parsley, and mint, and steamed in wine;
alla provatura, bread slices baked with melted cheese and served with anchovy sauce
alla vaccinara: oxtail cooked in a rich tomato sauce See
Albicocche: apricots
Alici: anchovies in salt
Allodole: larks
Amarena: sour cherry
Amaretti: macaroons
Amaro: bitter
Amburghese: hamburger
Ananas: pineapple
Anguilla: eel
Anguria: watermelon (Northern Italy)
Animelle: sweetbreads
Anitra: duck
Antipasti: appetizers or hors d'oeuvres
Aragosta: spiny lobster
Arancia: orange
Aranciata: orangeade, or a carbonated orange drink
Aringhe: herring
Arista: spitted or oven-roasted pork
Arrosto: roast
Arselta: cockle (Genoese)
Arzilla: ray
Asce': hamburger
Asparagi: asparagus
B
Baccala': dried, salted cod
Banane: bananas
Barbabietole: beets
Barbo, barbio: red mullet
Barchette: flaky pastry boats, usually containing a fish
preparation
Basilico: basil
Battuto: base for soups, stews, meats, sauces, and vegetables; made of
onion, celery, parsley,
carrot, garlic, and sometimes prosciutto, sauteed in oil
Bauletto: veal rolls filled with cheese, simmered in sauce
Beccaccia: woodcock
Beccaccino: snipe
Beccafichi: small birds
Bel paese: soft, mild cheese
Besciamella: bechamel, or basic white sauce
(in) bianco: pasta with butter and Parrnesan; a sauce without
tomatoes;
steamed or boiled
Bicchiere: glass
Bieda: chard
Boidro: angler or frogfish
Biscotti: cookies, biscuits
Bistecca: beef or veal steak;
Bollito: boiled
Braciola di maile: pork chop; di manzo: rib steak
Branzino: striped bass
Brasato: braised roast
Broccoletti di rape: leafy plantwith broccoli-like, long-stemmed
flowering heads;
closest equivalent; mustard or turnip greens come from the
same family, can be used as substitute
Broccoli: broccoli
Brodetto: fish soup
Brodo: broth
Bruschetta: toasted bread seasoned with garlic and oil
Buccia: skin or peel
Budino: pudding; blood pudding
Bue: beef
Burro: butter
----- fuso; melted butter
Burro del cacao Cocoa Butter
Burro di noccioline: peanut butter
C
Caccia, cacciagione, selvaggina: game
(alla) cacciatora: hunter style: usually cooked with some combination
of garlic, parsley, sage, bay, or other spices, oil, vinegar, white wine,
celery, onions, anchovies
Cacciucco: fish stew, a specialty of Livomo
Caciocavallo: cow's milk cheese similar to provolone
Caffe': coffee;
----- caffe corretto: coffee with grappa;
----- caffe' espresso: strong, black coffee
----- caffe' latte: half hot milk, half
coffee
Calamari, calamaretti: squid
Caldo: hot
(a) calo: to pay for wine by the amount consumed
Calzone: flaky pastry envelope with minced chicken, meat or fish, and
vegetables
Canape': small open faced sandwich
Canestrello: small scallop-like bivalve
Cannella: cinnamon
Cannelloni: pasta squares rolled around filling (usually meat), covered
with sauce
(tomato, cheese, bechamel) and baked
Cannoli: crisp pastry tube filled with sweetened ricotta, chocolate, and
candied fruits
Cannuccia: drinking straw
Cappelletti: filled, hat-shaped pastas like raviolli
Capellini: long, thin noodles, usually served in broth
Capicola, capocolla, capacola, capicollo, cappicola, capacolo, capacollo:
Boneless pork shoulder butts which are cured and then cooked.
Capitone: large eel
Caponata: eggplant hors d'oeuvre
Capperi: capers
Cappone:c capon
Cappuccina, barba di; insalata salad of small herbs
Cappuccino: coffee and hot aerated milk
Capretto: kid
Capri(u)olo: venison, roe buck
Caramelle: candies
Carciofi: artichokes;
----- alla giudia: deep fried in oil;
----- alla mantidana: grilled;
----- alla romana: stuffed with garlic, parsley,
and mint, and steamed in wine;
----- fondi di: bottoms
Cardi: stalk-like vegetables of the thistle family, cardoons
Came: meat; came macinata: ground meat, hamburger carote: carrots
Carrozza, mozzarella in: a crusty fried sandwich of
mozzarella dipped in batter
Carpa: carp
Casalingo, casereccio: homemade
Cassata: frozen dessert from Sicily usually quite sweet
Casseruola: deep metal cooking pot
Castagne: chestnuts
Caviale: caviar
Cavoletti di bruxelles: Brussels sprouts
Cavolfiore: cauliflower
Cavolo: cabbage
Ceci: beans (garbanzo)
Cedro: citron
Cefalo: common grey mullet
Cerfoglio: chervil
Cernia: grouper, like sea bass
Certosino: mild, soft, spready cheese
Cervello: brains
Cervo: venison
Cespo (d'insalata): lettuce
Cetrioli: cucumbers
Cetriolini (sott'aceto): gherkins
(alla) Chantilly: with whipped cream
China: quinine
Chiodo di garafano: clove
Cialda: wafer, waffle
Cialdone: horn-shaped wafer; panna e cialdone: whipped cream with wafers
Ciambella: nug-shaped cake, often coffee cake
Cicoria: chicory, sometimes dandelion
Ciliege: cherries
Cinghiale: wild boar
Cioccolato: chocolate
Cioccolato del Bianco White chocolate
Cioccolato del buio Dark chocolate
Cioccolato del Latte Milk
Chocolate
Cipolle: onions
Cipolline: pearl onions
Ciriole: small eels
Cocco: coconut
Cocomero: watermelon (Rome)
Coda (di bue):
coxtail; alla vaccinara: oxtail cooked in a rich tomato sauce
Coltello: knife
Condimenti: condiments
Condito: seasoned;
----- insalata condita: salad with dressing;
----- insalata scondita: salad
with-out dressing
Coniglio: rabbit
Conserva: conserve (generally tomato paste)
Contorni: yegetables accompanying main course
Coppa: head cheese, a fatty pork cold cut; also cup or bowl (of dessert
or ice cream);
Coppa mista: cup of ice cream of assorted flavors
Coratella: liver, lights, giblets, heart
Cornetti: croissants, crescents
Coscetto, Cosciotto, coscia: leg
Costatella, Costoletta, Cotoletta: chop
Costato: rib steak
Cotechino: highly spiced pork sausage
Cotogno: quince
Cotto: cooked
Cozze: mussels
Crema: custard; crema caramella: custard with caramel glaze
Crema di: cream of (with soups)
Crema di latte: coffee cream
Crêpes: pancakes
Crescione: watercress
Croccante: crispy
Crosta; Crostata; Crostatina: crust; pie crust; tart
Crostini: croutons, bread cubes, or triangles of toasted bread; in
Florence spread with a
pate of chicken livers, anchovies and capers;
----- alla provatura,
bread slices baked with melted cheese and served with anchovy sauce
Crudo: raw
Cucchiaio, Cucchiaino: large spoon, small spoon
Cuore: heart
Cuscus, Cuscussu', Couscous: a Southern Italian dish of
North African origin, generally
containing meat and semolina
D
Dadini: cubes or croutons
Datteri di mare: sea-dates, like mussels
Dente:
(al) dente (pasta or rice) cooked firmly
Dentice: dentex, similar to pompano
Dolce: sweet
Dolci: sweets, cakes
Dorato: golden brown, sometimes breaded
Dragoncello: tarragon
E
Entrecote: rib steak
Erbe: herbs
erbe cipollina Chive
erbe cilantro Cilantro
erbe lavanda Lavender
erbe zecca Mint
erbe senape Mustard
erbe origano: Oregano
erbe rosmarino Rosemary
erbe saggio Sage
erbe santoreggia Savoury
erbe sorel Sorel
erbe santoreggia dell'inverno Winter savoury
erbe timo Thyme
Erbetta: parsley (Rome)
Escarola: escarole
F
Fagiano: pheasant
Fagioli: kidney beans, white beans
Fagiolini: string beans
Farcito: stuffed
Farina: flour;
----- d'avena:oatmeal;
----- gialla: cornmeal;
----- di riso: rice flour
Fava: broad bean
Fegato: liver; alla veneziana: liver sauteed with
onions
Fegatini di pollo: chicken livers; alla salvia: with sage
(ai) Ferri: grilled
Fette, fettine: slices
Fettine dorate: fried bread, southern style
Fettuccine: thin egg noodles;
----- alla romana: with butter and Parmesan
cheese
Fichi: figs
Filetto: filet
Finocchio: fennel
Fiocchi di granturco: comflakes
Focaccia, fogaccia: pizza crust
Fondi di carciofi: artichoke bottoms
Fonduta: fondue
Fontina: medium tangy soft cheese
Forchetta: fork
Forrnaggio: cheese
Forno, al forno: roasted or baked
Fragole: strawberries
Fragoline dei boschi: tiny wild strawberries
Fragoline di mare: baby octopi
Frappe': frappe' (whipped coffee or ice cream)
Frattaglie: interior organs and minor parts, such as giblets, tail,
marrow, heart, etc.
Freddo: cold
Fresco: fresh, uncooked, raw
Friggere: to fry
Fritella: fritter or doughnut; fried squares of cheese-filled
pasta
Frittata: omelette
Fritto: fried
Fritto misto (alla romana): mixed fried foods: brain, artichokes, liver,
veal steaks, heart, sweet-breads
G
Garofano: clove
(alla) gratella: grilled
Gratinato: au gratin
Grattugiato: grated
(alla) griglia: broiled or grilled
Grissini: bread sticks
Groviera: Swiss cheese
Guanciale: bacon (Rome)
I
Imbottito: stuffed
Indivia: endive (escarole type);
-----del Belgio: Belgian endive
Insalata: salad;
-----Capricciosa, mista, misticanza (Rome):
mixed salad;
-----Cappuccina, barba di: salad of small herbs;
-----Verde: green salad;
-----Russa: cooked vegetables with mayonnaise
Intingolo: gravy, sauce, spicy dish
Involtini: thin veal slices rolled around prosciutto, sage leaves,
carrots, mozzarella
(or other variations) and saute'ed in broth &/or wine
J
Lamponi: raspberries
Lardo: lard
Lasagne: broad flat noodles;
-----Timballo di, al forno: baked in layers of sauces and cheese
Latte: milk
Lattuga: lettuce
Lauro: laurel or bay
Legumi: vegetables, in general those with pods or shells
Lenticchie: lentils
Lepre: hare;
-----in salmi': marinated in wine and herbs
Lesso: boiled
Lievito: yeast
Limonata: lemonade
Limone: lemon
Lingua (di hue): tongue (beef)
Liquori: liquors, cordials or liqueurs
littoridina: periwinkles
Lombata: loin
Lombatine: loin chops
Luccio: pike
Lumache: snails
M
Maccheroni: macaroni
Macedonia (di frutta): fruit cocktail with maraschino or white wine, served for dessert
Maggiorana: marjoram
Magro: lean
Minaiale: pork
Maionese: mayonnaise
Mandarino: tangerine
Mandorla: almond
Manteca: cheese and butter loaf
Manzo: beef
(alla) marinara: from 'mariner'- sailor style
Marinato: marinated
Maritozzi: sweet buns sometimes filled with whipped cream
Marmellata: jam, marmalade, preserve
Marsala: wine 'fortified' with brandy from the sea voyage to England (1773) - can be sweet or dry
Martino: angler fish
Mascarpone, marcherpone: soft cream cheese
Mazzancolle: very large prawns (Rome)
Medaglioni: medallions
Melagrana: pomegranate
Melanzane: eggplant
Mele: apples
Mele cotte: baked apples
Melone, Popone: melon, generally cantaloupe;
------- Prosciutto e melone: ham and melon antipasto
Menta, mentuccia (Rome): mint
Meringhe: meringue
Merlano: whiting
Merli: blackbirds
Merluzzo: cod
Messicani: stuffed veal parcels, usually in sauce
Midollo: marrow
Miele: honey
Mille foglie: short flaky pastry
Milza (di hue): spleen
Minestra: soup
Minestre: soup &/or pasta course
Minestrone: vegetable soup with pasta or rice
Monte Bianco: Mont Blanc, a pure'ed chestnut and whipped cream dessert
Molecche (Venice): tiny soft-shell crabs
Mollica di pane: a binder for stuffings: the soft, white interior of bread, soaked in milkwater, stock or vinegar depending on the recipe,squeezed out,
broken into crumbs with a fork.
Monachine: bullfinches
More: blackberries
Mortadella: large spiced baloney
Moscardino (Genoa): very tiny octopus
Mostarda: mustard
Mozzarella: soft, mild cheese used in pizza;
----------- in carrozza: fried mozzarella
sandwich
Muggine: common grey mullet
Murena: moray
N
Nasello: hake
Nes pole: medlar pears
Nocciole: hazelnuts
Noccioline americane: peanuts
Noce moscata: nutmeg
Noci: walnuts
O
Oca: goose
Odori: herbs
Olio: oil; all'olio: in oil
Olive: olives; nere: black olives;
verdi: green olives
Ombrina: sea perch
Omelette: omelette
Orata: red snapper, bream
Origano: oregano
Ortolano: green grocer; ortolan
Orzo: barley
Ossohuco: shin-bone of veal, cooked with the marrow
Ostriche: oysters
Ovoli: (amanita Caesarea) wild, orange-scarlet mushrooms
P
Paglia y fieno: 'hay and straw' fresh white and green pasta
Pagliata, palata: a kind of tripe, tubular and very succulent
Palombacci: game pigeons
Palombo: dog fish
Pan di Spagna: spongecake
Pancetta (di maiale): bacon
Pane: bread;
----- in, a, cassetta: packed, sliced bread;
----- di segale, di merano, nero, or tedesco:
rye bread;
----- integrale: whole wheat bread
Pane tostato: toast
Panettone: cake studded with candied fruit peel, a Milanese specialty
Panforte: a hard Sienese cake of finely ground nuts and candied citron
Pangiallo: traditional Roman Christmas cake, of nuts, spices, citrus
peel, raisins
Panini: rolls
Panna montata: whipped cream
Pappardelle: broad noodles, somewhat like lasagne
Parmigiano: Parmesan cheese
Passatelli: Bolognese pasta made by forcing egg-cheese-bread crumb dough
through sieve,
and poaching it in broth
Passera: plaice
Pasta: dough of flour and water used to make noodles, spaghetti, etc.;
----- all'uovo: dough of flour, water and eggs
----- pasta asciutta: pasta served in any form except soup;
----- pasta per dolci, pasticcio: dough for pastries
Pastella: batter for frying
Pastina: small noodles (or paste in other shapes) for soup
Patate, patatine: potatoes;
----- arroste: roast potatoes;
----- fritte: fried potatoes;
----- novelle: new potatoes;
----- pure' di: mashed potatoes
Pecorino: hard sheep-milk cheese, rather sharp, widely used in Rome
Pepe: black pepper
Peperoni: green peppers;
---- gialli: sweet red peppers;
----- sott'aceto: peppers preserved in vinegar;
----- sott'olio: peppers dressed with oil
Peperoncini: dried, sometimes crushed, hot red or green (chili) peppers
Pere: pears
Pernice: partridgePersico: bass
Pescatrice: angler
Pesce: fish
Pesce spada: swordfish
Pesche: peaches
Pesto: a Genoese specialty of fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, andsometimes pine nuts or walnuts, ground in olive oil, used on spaghetti
or in minestrone
Pettirossi: robins
Petto di: breast of
Pezzi, pezzetti, pezzettini: pieces, small pieces, bits
(a) piacere: cooked to your pleasure
(alla) piastra: cooked on the griddle
Piatti: dishes, courses;
----- freddi: cold dishes;
----- caldi: hot dishes
Piccante: spicy;
----- salsa piccante: spicy sauce in general
Piccione: squab
Pilaw: pilaf
Pimiento: sweet red pepper
Pinoli: pine nuts
Piselli: peas;
----- al prosciutto: peas, ham and onion;
----- seppie coi piselli alla romana: peas and
cuttlefish stewed in white wine,
oil, and garlic
Pizza al forno: usually cooked in a wood fired oven
(alla) pizzaioia: with tomato sauce, generally seasoned with garlic and
oregano
Polenta: cooked corn meal, often served with meat sauce or with game
Pollame: poultry
Pollo: chicken;
----- alla diavola: grilled or broiled chicken
Polpette, polpettini: meatballs
Polpetti: baby octopi
Polpettone: meat loaf
Polpo: octopus
Pomodoro: tomato
Ponce, poncino: punch
Popone: melon
Porchetta: roasted whole suckling pig, filled with spices, often served
sliced at festas
on crusty bread or rolls
Porcini: (Boletus edulis) large field mushrooms
Porro: leek
Prezzemolo: parsley
Prosciutto: ham; - cotto:
cooked, boiled ham; -crudo: cured ham; - e melone: ham and
melon antipasto
Provatura: a cheese of buffalo milk, very fresh and soft, similar to
mozzarella
Provola: buffalo cheese, sometimes smoked
Provolone: smoked, semi-hard cheese from buffalo's or cow's milk
Prugne: prunes, fresh plums
Punch: punch
Puntarella: spiky salad green,
usually served with an anchovy, oil and garlic dressing
Pureé: puree
Q
Quadrucci: small squares of pasta, used in broth
Quaglie: quail
R
Rabarbaro: rhubarb
Radicchio: red salad plant
Radici: radishes
Rafano: horse-radish
Ragu': meat sauce; stew
Rane: frogs
Rapa: tumip
Ravanello: radish
Ravioli: pasta envelopes stuffed with meat &/or vegetables, sometimes ricotta
Razza: ray
Ribes: currants
Riccio: sea urchin
Ricotta: cottage cheese
Rigaglie di polio: giblets (of chicken)
Rigatoni: thick tubular pasta
Ripieno: stuffing; as an adjective,
or meaning something filled
Riso, Risotto: rice, rice dish
Ristretto: consomme'
Rognone, Rognoncini: kidneys
Rosbiffe: roast beef
Rosmarino: rosemary
Rosolare: fry or roast to a brown color; brown
Rospo, Coda di rospo: angler or frogfish; tail of same
Rughetta: arugula
S
Salame: salami
Sale: salt
Salmi', in salmi': marinated in wine and herbs
Salmone: salmon
Salsa: sauce; besciamella: bechamel or white sauce;
----- di pomodoro: tomato sauce;
----- verde: green sauce, a blend of parsley, capers,
anchovies, garlic, gherkins, onion, salt
and pepper, ground to a fine paste and added to oil and vinegar; generally
served cold with meat
Saisicce: pork sausage
Saltimbocca alla romana: thin veal slices, fresh sage leaves, and
prosciutto, skewered
together and sauteed in oil/ butter and Marsala
Salvia: sage
(al) sangue: rare (of meat)
San Pietro: John Dory
Sarde, sardine: sardines
Savoiardi: lady fingers
Scalogni: scallions
Scaloppine: thin slices of veal saute'ed in oil/butter, sometimes with Marsala, mushrooms, etc.
Scampi: large prawn or in America a shrimp
Scarola: escarole
Schienali: "marrows" or cords of the backbone, like brain
Sciroppo: syrup
Scondito: unseasoned
Scorfano: scorpion fish, like rockfish
Sedano: celery
Selvaggina: game
Selvatico: wild
Semi: seeds
Semi freddi: mousses, frozen puddings
Semolino: semolina, a very good quality of flour
Semola: bran
Senape: mustard
Seppie: cuttlefish
Sfinge: doughnuts or cream puffs
Sgombro: mackerel
Soffriggere: fry lightly
Soffritto: base for soups, stews, meats, sauces, vegetables; of saute'ed onions, celery,carrots, parsley, oil, garlic, and some-times prosciutto
Sogliole: sole
Sorbetto: ice cream (sherbet type)
Sottaceti: pickles
Spaghetti: spaghetti
Sparagi: asparagus
Spezie: spices
Spezzato: cut in pieces, such as
Spezzato di vitello, veal stew
Spiedino, Spiedo, allo spiedo: spit, spitted, roasted on a spit
Spigoia: striped bass
Spinaci: spinach
Spremuta: freshly squeezed fruit juice, squash;
- ------ di arancio: orange juice;
- ------ di limone: lemon juice
Spuma: whip
Spumone: spumone, a frozen pudding of pure'ed fruit or other base,
and whipped cream
Squadro: angel shark
(di) stagione: in season
Starna: partridge
Stoccafisso: stockfish; prepared dried cod, usually served with oil,
anchovies, walnuts,
and black olives
Storione: sturgeon
Stracchino: soft, mild cheese
Stracciatella: broth containing a mixture of egg, semolina, and
grated cheese
Stracotto: pot roast
Strozzaprete: "priest strangler" - homemade pasta
Strutto: lard
Stufatino: meat and vegetable stew
Stuzzicadenti: toothpick
Succo: juice
Suffle': souffle'
Sugo: gravy or sauce
Suppli: hot rice balls filled with meat, mozzarella, and sometimes
tomato sauce
Susine: plums
Sacchino: turkey
Sagliatelle: flat egg noodles
Samarindo: tamarind, a fruit with acid pulp used in preserves, but most
commonly
as a thirst-quenching drink
Sarocco, Sarocehi also (Sorocco): blood orange(s)
Sartelette: flaky filled pastry, served as antipasto
Sartufo: truffle; - Nero: blacktruffle; - Bianco:
white truffle; -
di mare: clam-like shellfish
T
Te', the': tea
Tegame: frying pan; al tegame: cooked in the pan
Tellini (Tuscany): cockles
Testa: head; -
di maiale: pig's head; -
di vitello: calf's head
Timballo: casserole, mold
Timo: thyme
Tonno: tuna fish
Topinamburo: Jerusalem artichoke
Tordi: thrushes
Torrone: nougat
Torta: cake
Tortellini: small stuffed rings of pasta served in broth or sauce
Totani: cuttlefish
Tramezzino: small sandwich
Trancia: slice
Trenette: shoelace thin noodles, usually served al pesto
Triglia: red mullet
Trippa: tripe
Trota: trout
Tuorli: egg yolks
U
Uccelletti, uccellini: small birds;
Uccellini scappati,
uccelletti matti: rolled veal birds
(in) umido: stewed in a gravy, usually with tomato and herbs
Uova: eggs; -
alla coque: boiled eggs; -
sode: hard boiled eggs; -----
fritte: fried eggs; -
in camicia, affogate: poached eggs; -
strapazzate: scrambled eggs
Uva: grapes
Uva secca, uvetta: raisins
V
Vaniglia: vanilla
Vermicelli: very thin spaghetti
Vermut: vermouth
Vincisgrassi: variation of baked lasagne, layered with cheeses, and meat
sauce
Vino, vini: wine, wines; bianco: white wine; Rosso: red
wine;
'da tavola', 'Comune', 'Locale', 'Nostrano': local or table wine
Vini passiti: sweet dessert wines made from dried grapes
Vitello: milk-fed, very young veal
Vitellone: young beef
Vongole: clams
W
Wiener, Wurstel: hot dog or small sausage
Y
Youart: yoghurt
Z
Zabaglione, Zabaione: egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala whipped frothy over
low heat
Zafferano: saffron
Zampa: foot
Zampone: highly spiced pork sausage, encased in the skin of the forefeet
(a specialty of Modena)
Zeppole (di San Giuseppe): cream puff type sweets eaten on St. Joseph's
Day in Rome
Zucca: pumpkin
Zucchero: sugar
Zucchine: squash
Zuppa: soup; ---- di pesce: fish stew;
----- inglese: custard pudding and cake; trifle