Agrodolce
Italian term for “Sweet and Sour.”
Antipasti
Literally meaning “before the meal,” in Italian. This term refers to smaller portions of hot or cold items.
Bottarga
Salt cured fish roe often from Sardinia or Sicily.
Cacio e Peppe
Literally meaning “cheese and pepper” in Italian. This pasta is a Roman classic and can be found in trattorias all over Italy. Ours is made with vermicelli, toasted black pepper, grated Locatelli cheese and whipped butter.
Castelvetrano Olives
Castelvetrano olives are grown exclusively in western Sicily among the Belice river valley, near the town of Castelvetrano. Flavor is mild and buttery. Also note their striking green color.
Coppa
Dry cured whole muscle from shoulder to neck. Locally we call this Lonza.
D.O.P.
DOP is short for Denominazione di Origine Protetta (literally “Protected Designation of Origin”). Italian specialties get DOP recognition by following a strict set of guidelines: Every step, from production to packaging, is regulated.
Finocchiona
Finocchiona is a salumi variety typical of southern Tuscany characterized for the use of fennel. “Finocchio” means fennel in Italian. Finocchiona style salumi originated in the Late Middle Ages. The use of fennel was an alternative to pepper (a key ingredient of the standard salami), which was very expensive at the time while fennel grew wild and abundant.
Fior di latte
“the flower of the milk”
Formaggi
The plural word for cheese in Italian.
Garganelli
Garganelli are a type of egg-based pasta formed by rolling a flat, square noodle into a tubular shape. They can be made from smooth pasta or a ridged variant. While garganelli are very similar to penne, they differ in that a “flap” is clearly visible where one corner of the pasta square adheres to the rest.
Gelato
Italian for “ice cream.” Gelato doesn’t contain as much air as its American counterpart and therefore has a denser creamier texture. It is also stored at a warmer temperature, between 5 – 10 degrees F., where American ice cream is stored around -5 – 0 degrees F.
Guanciale
Dry cured pork jowl. Classic ingredient of the Roman dish Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Gremolata
A garnish traditionally made of flat leaf parsley, lemon zest and garlic.
‘Nduja
Spicy, spreadable pork sausage originating from Calabria.
Pancetta
Often refereed to as “Italian bacon” because it is made from pork belly. Unlike bacon, where the pork belly is smoked, pancetta is salt cured and dry aged. “Pancetta Arrotolata” means the pork belly was rolled after curing before it was aged, which creates a spiral effect when slicing.
Polpetti
Polpetti is Italian for meatballs. Ours are made from ground beef chuck and pork shoulder. They and served with cooked San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mint and grated locatelli cheese.
Salumi
Salumi is an Italian term referring to all cured meats – whole muscle (like lonza or prosciutto) or ground (like spporessata and salami).
San Marzano Tomatoes
These tomatoes come from the small town of San Marzano sul Sarno, near Naples, Italy, and were first grown in volcanic soil in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius by South American visitors. Initially, many Italians were afraid to eat the tomatoes because they thought they were poisonous. Compared to the Roma tomato, San Marzanos are thinner and more pointed. The flesh is much thicker with fewer seeds, and the taste is stronger, sweeter and less acidic. Their taste is often described as bittersweet.
Speck
Dry cured, smoked ham from Northern Italy.
Treviso
Treviso is a type of radicchio. It is deep purple in color and is longer/pointer than radicchio. Both have somewhat of a bitter taste.
