In Italy you can find yourself without many staple items like brown sugar, sour cream, and salad dressing. What are you supposed to do without things you’re so used to buying? Make it, duh! Did you even know you can make sour cream? I didn’t! Â I’m going to give you the list of things I’ve learned to make completely from scratch since moving to Italy:
Pumpkin puree
all salad dressings
cornbread
pancakes and crepes
brown sugar
cole slaw
salsa
hummus
barbecue sauce
cough syrup
grits
croutons
popcorn
sour cream
Some of these things you can find in Italy, others you just can’t, some you’re better off making yourself anyways for the correct flavor or texture. You can find popcorn in bags, but I don’t have a microwave as I have no space for one in my tiny kitchen. So, I reverted to putting kernels in a pot on the stove! I made myself a little butter and salt sauce and coated the popcorn after it all popped and it was delish! I felt like I was living in the 1950s and I loved that feeling. I felt so free and independent of modern machinery, a true chef 🙂 The brown sugar in Italy is brown crystal sugar, not the compact brown sugar you get from the States, so I had to learn to make that quick in order to use half of my recipes! The salsa here is just yuk, so I figured it would be better if I just made it myself. I realized I had to make my own pumpkin puree when Thanksgiving rolled around. I started practicing my pumpkin pie in October, I’m glad I started early cause I had to chop up a pumpkin, bake it, puree it, can it…mamma mia, I’m an expert now.
Since learning to make this stuff from scratch I’m telling you that I will never ever buy some of these things again for the rest of my life. Pancake mix is a COMPLETE Â RIPOFF. They actually make you pay for mixing flour and salt together with a little bit of baking powder…come on, it’s so fast to whip it up yourself it’s not worth the space in your pantry. The same goes for salad dressing, just make it as you need it. If you do that you’ll realize how much space you save in your fridge, and how much healthier you’ll be from using fresh ingredients. As for the pumpkin puree, it tastes better fresh but may not be worth the effort if you don’t have the time and you’re only making one pie. Nevertheless, if anyone wants a recipe let me know in the input tab at the top of the webpage.
Another thing I’d like to do for this post is give you a magical list of all the Italian cooking terms in English! I found this randomly online last year and it has been such a help for an expat like me trying to figure out Italian cookbooks. Here it is:
A:
abboccato                             sweetish (wine)
l’acciuga                               sardine
l’aceto                            vinegar
l’aceto balsamico                  balsamic vinegar
l’aceto di mele                     apple vinegar
l’aceto di vino                      wine vinegar
l’acqua di rose                     rose water
l’acqua minerale                   mineral water
l’acqua minerale gassata           mineral water with gas
l’acqua minerale naturale           mineral water without gas
l’acquavite                         brandy
affetttato – affettare                 sliced – to slice
affogato – affogare                 poached – to poach – also used to describe coffee and ice-cream “gelato affogato” –
affumicato – affumicare             smoked – to smoke
l’aglio(masc)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â garlic
l’agnello                          lamb
l’agnello di latte                    baby lamb
agro                             sour, bitter
agrodolce                        sweet and sour
l’agrume                          citrus fruit
al forno                          oven baked
l’albicocca                        apricot
alcolici                           spirits
l’alice                            anchovy
al cartoccio                       wrapped in aluminium foil and cooked in the oven (fish)
all’arrabbiata                     with chilli sauce
alla casalinga                    home cooking style
alla griglia                       grilled
l’alloro                                                    bay (NB – bush with big shiny leaves and black berries is poisonous – called “lauro ceraso”)
amabile                         sweet (wine)
amaro                           bitter
l’aneto                           dill
l’anguilla                         eel
l’anice                           aniseed
l’anice stellato                    star aniseed
l’antipasto                        hors d’oeuvre
l’aragosta                        lobster
l’arancia                         orange
l’aranciata                        orange drink
gli aromi                         aromatic or seasoning herbs
arrostire                         to roast
l’arrosto                          roast
l’asparago                       asparagus
l’asparago selvatico               wild asparagus
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B:
la bacca                         berry
il baccalà                        dried salted cod
il baccello                        pod
bagnare, bagnato                 to soak, soaked
il bagnomaria                    bainmarie Exp.: cuocere a bagnomaria (cook in a double saucepan)
il barile di vino                   wine cask
il basilico                        basil
battere                          to beat
la batteria da cucina              set of pots and pans
bere                            to drink
la bevanda                       drink, beverage
la bibita                                                drink, beverage
il bicarbonato di sodio            bicarbonate of soda
la bicchierata                    glassful
il bicchiere                      glass
il bicchiere da vino               wine glass
il bicchiere di vino                glass of wine
il bicchiere a calice               goblet
la bietola                         silverbeet, beet, chard
la birra                                                  beer
la biscottiera                     biscuit barrel or tin
il biscotto                        biscuit
la bistecca                                           steak
la bistecca alla brace             BBQ steak
la bistecca al sangue             rare steak
il boccone                       mouthful
bollire                          to boil
bollito                           boiled (adj)
il bollito                         boiled meat
il bollitore                       kettle
la bomboniera                   sweets box given as a souvenir at weddings, first communions, christenings
la bottiglia                       the bottle
brasato                         braised (adj)
il brasato                        braised beef
la bresaola                      dried salted beef
brindare                         to make a toast
il broccolo                       broccoli
il brodetto                       light broth
il brodo                         broth or stock
la brocca                        jug
il brodo di manzo                beef stock
la bruschetta                    slice of toasted bread
la buccia                        skin, pod, peel or rind
il budino                        pudding
il buongustaio                   gourmet
il burro                                                  butter
la bustina di tè                   tea bag
_________________________________________________
C:
il caffè                          coffee
i calamari                                            squid
il calzone                                             pizza pastie
la camomilla                     camomile
il canederlo                      meat ball
la cannella                       cinnamon
il cannellone                     pasta in the shape of a large tube filled with meat or ham and baked with sauce
il cappero                       caper
la capra/ il capretto               Goat/Kid
il cappone                       capon
il cappuccino                    frothy white coffee
la caraffa                        carafe – decanter
il carciofo                        artichoke
la carne                         meat
la carne al arrosto                roasted meat
la carne al ferri                   grilled meat
la carne bollita                   boiled meat
la carne di maiale                pork
la carne di manzo                beef
la carne di vitello                 veal
la carne in scatola                tinned meat
la carota                                               carrot
il carpaccio                      a dish made of very thin slices of meat, generally raw or smoked, with condiments
le castagne                      chestnuts
il cavatappi                      corkscrew
il caviale                         caviar
il cavolo bianco                                   cabbagge
il cavolfiore                      cauliflower
il cedro                          lime
le ciliege                         cherries
la cipolla                                              onion
il cioccolato                      chocolate
la cola                                                   coke
il colapasta                      pasta colander
il coltello                         knife
condire                          to season
congelare                        to freeze
il cornetto                                             croissant
il cosciotto d’agnello                          leg of lamb
le cozze                                                 mussels
la crema di caramello             creme caramel – pronounce “cren caramel”!
la crema inglese                  custard
il cucchiaio                       spoon
il cucchiaino                     teaspoon
cucinare                         to cook
il cumino                        cumin
cuocere                         to cook
cuocere al forno                  to bake or to roast
cuocere a vapore                 to steam
cuocere e far addensare          to reduce – to thicken through cooking
cuocere in padella                to fry
cuocere in umido                 to stew
_____________________________________________________
D:
il dattero                        date
il dentice                                              sea bream
disossare                        to bone
disporre a strati                   to arrange in layers
disgelare                         to thaw
il dolce                          sweet, dessert
dorare                          to brown
il dragoncello                                    tarragon (also called “estragone”)
_____________________________________________________
E:
l’erba ciipollina                  chive
le erbette aromatiche             aromatic herbs
l’escanda                        cereal “Triticum durum dicoccum” also called “farro”
l’estragone                      tarragon
l’estratto                         extract
evaporare                       to evaporate
______________________________________________________
F:
il fagiano                        pheasant
i fagioli                          beans
far legare                        to bind
la faraona                       Guinea hen
la farina                         flour
la farina bianca                   white flower
la farina di castagna              chestnut flour
la farina di riso                   rice flour
la farina di segala                rye flour
la farina gialla                   maize flour
la farina integrale                wholemeal flour
la farina con lievito               self-raising flour (“miscela di farina e lievito”)
il farro                                           cereal “Triticum durum dicoccum” also called “escanda”
il farsumagru           stuffed shoulder of veal, Sicilian cooking
fatto in casa                     home-made
il fegato                         liver
il fegato d’oca                    goose liver  (“foie gras”)
fermentare                       to ferment
la fetta biscottata                 slicead, toasted bread or biscuit
il fico d’India                     prickly pear
i fichi                                                      figs [singular: il fico]
filettare                          to slice meat thinly, making fillets
il filetto                          fillet
il finocchio                       fennel
il fior di farina                    superfine flour
il fior di latte                      cream
i fiori di sambucco                elder flowers
la focaccia                       special type of bread
la fonduta                       cheese fondue
la forma di formaggio             whole cheeses\
il formaggio                      cheese
il formaggio di pecora             sheep’s milk cheese
il formaggio duro                 hard cheese (i.e. Parmesano)
il formaggio fresco                “ricotta style” cheese that you can spread
la fragola                        strawberry
le frattaglie                       offal
friggere                          to fry
il frigorifero                       fridge
la frittata                         Italian omelette
fritto                             fried
il fritto misto                      mixed fry
il frizzante                        sparkling wine
il frumento                        grain, wheat
la frutta                          fruit
la frutta di bosco                  wild berries mixture
la frutta secca                    dried fruit
i frutti di mare                     seafood
i funghi                          mushrooms
i funghi secchi                    dried mushrooms
il fuoco                          fire
______________________________________________________
G:
il gamberetto                     shrimp
il gambero                       prawn
gelare                           to freeze
la gelatiera                      ice-cream machine
la gelatina                       gelatine
la gelatina di frutta                fruit gelatine
gelatinoso                       gelatinous
il gelato                         ice cream
il gelato di crema                 dairy ice
il gelso                          mulberry
il germe di grano                 wheat-germ
il ginepro                        juniper
girare/voltare                    to turn
il girello                         round steak or topside
il glutammato sodico             monosodium glutamate
i gnocchi                        small dumplings made of potato or semolinga
gocciolare                      to drizzle
la granata                       pomegranate
la grancevolla                   spider crab
il granchio                      crab
la granita                       kind of water ice
il grano duro                    durum wheat
il grano integrale                wholemeal wheat
il granturco                     maize
la graticola                     grill
il grasso                        fat
il grasso per cucinare            cooking fat
gratinare/gratinato              to cook “au gratin”
la grattugia                     grater
grattugiare                     to grate
il grissino                      bead-stick
_____________________________________________________
I:
imbottire                      to fill or to stuff
imburrare                     to butter
impanato/a                    covered with breadcrumbs
impastare                      to knead
impastato/a                    covered in dough
in agro                        cooked and preserved in a mixture of oil, vinegar, herbs and spices
in agro-dolce                   same but in a sweet and sour version
in brodo                       with broth or stock
in marinata                     marinated
in padella                      fried or cooked in a frying pan
in umido                       stewed
l’indivia                        endive
l’insalata brasiliana             iceberg lettuce
integrale                       wholemeal
l’involtino                      roulade
l’iogurt                        yogurt
______________________________________________________
K:
il kaki (cachi) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â persimmon
kasher                         kosher
il ketchup                      ketchup
il krapfen                       doughnut
_____________________________________________________
L:
il lampone                                          raspberry
lardellare                                             to lard
il lardo                                                  bacon fat, lard
lasciar andare                                    to allow to cook
lasciare in concia                              to allow to rest, to keep aside
il latte                                                   milk
il latte di bufala                                  buffalo´s milk
il latte intero                                       full cream milk
la lattuga                                            lettuce
i legumi                                              pulses
i lenticchie                                         lentils
la lepre                                               hare
lessare/lessato                                to boil, boiled
il lievito                                               yeast
il lievito di birra                                 brewer´s yeast
il lievito in polvere                            baking powder
la limonata                                         lemonade
il limoncello                                       lemon liqueur
il limone                                            lemon
la lingua                                            tongue
la liquirizia                                        licorice
il liquore                                           liqueur
la lisca                                              fish bone
la lombata                                       loin
il luccio                                             pike
la lumaca di mare                          sea snail
____________________________________________________
M:
la macedonia                  fruit salad
macerare                      to marinate (particularly in the case of fruit preserved in liqueur)
la macina                     grinder
la macinacaffè                 coffee grinder
il macinato                    minced meat
la maggiorana                 sweet marjoram
il maiale                      pork
la maionese                   mayonnaise
la mandorla                   almond
il mango                      mango
il manzo                      beef
marinare                     to marinate, to pickle
la marinata                   preparation to marinate or to pickle
la marmellata                 marmalade
la marmitta                   cooking pot
il marrone                    chestnut
il marzapane                 marzipan
il mattone                    earthenware skillet to cook chicken, etc.
il mazzetto                   bunch
il mazzetto di aromi            bunch of aromatic herbs, “bouquet garni”
la mela                      apple
la melanzana                aubergine
il melagrano                 pomegranate
la meringa                   meringue
il merluzzo                   cod
mescolare                   to mix
mescolando bene                         stirring well
mettere ammollo              to soak
mettere in concia             to marinate
la microonda                 microwave
la miele                     honey
il miglio                      millet
la minestra                   soup
la minestra di verdura         vegetable soup
il mirtillo rosso               cranberry
la miscela                   blend
misto                        mixed
il mollusco                   mollusc
la mora                      mulberry
la mora di rovo               blackberry
la mostarda                  mustard
_____________________________________________________
N:
il nasello                    hake
la nespola                                  medlar
la nocciola                  hazelnut
la noce                      walnut
la noce di cocco              coconut
la noce di burro              knob of butter
la noce moscata              nutmeg
______________________________________________________
O:
l’orata                       bream
l’origano                     oregano
l’orzo                        barley
l’orzata                      barley water; almond-based cordial
l’osso                        bone
l’ossobucco                   bone marrow
_____________________________________________________
P:
il palombo                   dogfish; wood pigeon
la pancetta                   bacon
il pane                       bread
il pane a cassetta             sliced bread
il pane bianco                white bread
il pane casareccio            homemade bread
il pane di burro               butter block
il pane di segale              rye bread
il pan di Spagna              sponge cake
il pane integrale              wholemeal bread
il panino                     bread roll
la panna                     cream
la panna montata             whipped cream
il parmigiano                 Parma cheese
passare                      to strain
il passato/la passata           puree
passato di cottura             to be overdone
la pasta                      pasta; dough; pastry; paste
la pasta di acciughe           anchovy paste
la pasta di mandorle          almond paste
la pasta frolla                 shortcrust pastry
la pasta leggera tipo biscotto        light biscuit dough
la pasta lievitata              leavened dough
la pasta sfoglia               puff pastry
la pastella                    batter
il pasticcino                  petit four
il pasticcio                   pie
la pastina                    small pasta shapes used in soup
la pastinacca                parsnip
la patata                    potato
la patata dolce               sweet potato
pelare/pelato                to peel/peeled
la pentola                   pot, saucepan
il pentolino                  small saucepan
il pepe                      pepper
il peperoncino               chili pepper
il peperone                 capsicum
il peperone ripieno           stuffed capsicum
il peperone rosso            red pepper/capsicum
il peperone verde            green pepper/capsicum
la pera                     pear
la pernice                   partridge
pesare                     to weigh
la pesca                    peach
le pesche                   peaches
il pesce                    fish
il pesce gatto               catfish
il pesce spada              swordfish
il pestello di legno          wooden pestle
il petto di pollo              chicken breast
piccante                   hot and spicy
il piccione selvatico         wild pidgeon (game)
la pietanza                dish
il pimento                  pimento, allspice
la pinna                   fin
il pinolo                   pine nut
il pinzimonio               crudites, raw vegetables served with a dip
pirex                      pyrex
la pirofila                  heat-resistant glass or dish
pirofilo                    heat-resistant
il pisello                   pea
il pistacchio               pistacchio nut
il pollame                 poultry
la polpa                   pulp, flesh
la polpa di carne           lean meat
la polpa di pomodoro       tomato puree
la polpetta                 meat ball, rissole
il polpettone               meat loaf
il pomodoro               tomato
il pompelmo               grapefruit
il porcellino di latte         suckling pig
il porro                    leek
la pralina                  confection
la preparazione            preparation
il prezzemolo              parsley
il primo piato              entree or first dish served
il prodotto alimentario      foodstuff
il prosciutto                ham
il prosciutto affumicato      smoked ham
la prugna                  plum
la prugna secca            prune
pulire                     to clean
_____________________________________________________
Q:
la quaglia                  quail
______________________________________________________
R:
il rafano                   horseradish
raffredare                  to cool down
raffredare in acqua            to cool down in water
il ragù                    meat sauce for pasta, etc.
la rana pescatrice            monkfish (also called “il rospo”)
la rapa                    turnip
il ravanello                 radish
il rene                     kidney
resistente alla fiamma       fireproof
ribes bianco                              whitecurrant
ribes nero                                  blackcurrant
ribes rosso                                redcurrant
il riccio di mare             sea urchin
ripieno                     stuffed
la ribollita                  soup that has been boiled twice
riscaldare                  to heat up, to reheat
il riso  comune              ordinary rice
il riso in brodo               rice soup
il riso in bianco              boiled rice
il rombo                    turbot
il rosmarino                 rosemary
il rospo                     monkfish (also called la rana pescatrice)
la rucola                    rocket
______________________________________________________
S:
la salamoia                 brine
salato                      salted
la sale                     salt
il salmone                  salmon
la salsa                    sauce
la salsiccia                 sausage
la salsiera                  sauceboat
la salsina                   thick sauce
la saltimbocca              rolled  veal with ham
la salumeria                delicatessen
il salumificio                cured pork meat factory
il sapore                    flavour
saporito                    tasty
la sardina                   sardine
il savoiardo                 sponge finger
sbollentare                  to parboil
scaldare                    to heat
lo scaldavivande             dish-warmer
lo scalogno                  shallot
la scaloppina                escalope
lo scampo                   prawn
schiacciare                  to crush, to mash, to crack
sciogliere                   to melt, to dissolve
lo sciropo                    syrup
scottare                     to scald, to burn
scremato                    skimmed
secco                       dry
il secondo piatto              second course
il sedano                   celery
la selvaggina                game
il seme (il nocciolo) Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â seed, pip, stone
i semi di finocchio           fennel seeds
i semi di sesamo            sesame seeds
semi-secco                 demisec
il semolino                  semola
la seppia                   cuttlefish
servire                      to serve
il sesamo                   sesame
sffettare/tagliari a tranci       to slice
lo sformato                   type of souffle
sgelare                      to defrost
sgocciolare                  to drain
lo sgombro                  mackerel
sgranare                     to shell, to remove grains or kernels (corn)
sgrassare                    to remove grease or fat
sobbollire                    to boil slowly, to simmer
soffrigere                    to fry lightly (il soffritto)
il soffritto                     fried base of vegetables, herbs, meat or bacon
la sogliola                   sole
la soppressata               pressed salami
il sorbetto                    sherbet, fruit ice confection
sott’aceto                    marinated or preserved in vinegar
sott;olio                      marinated or preserved in oil
la spalla                     shoulder
spalmare                    to spread
spazzolare                   to brush
spennellare                  to brush
spezzettare                  to break up into small pieces, to crumble (bread)
spianare                     to roll out (dough)
lo spiedo                     spit (BBQ) Exp.: “allo spiedo” = on a spit
la spigola                    bass
gli spinaci                    spinach
spinare                                         to bone
spolverare                   to sprinkle with
la spremuta                  fresh fruit juice
lo spumante                  sparkling wine
la squama                   scale (fish)
squamare                    to scale fish
stagionato/a                  seasoned, matured
lo storione                   sturgeon
stufare                       to stew
il succo                      juice
sventrare                    to disembowel
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T:
il tacchino                   turkey
tagliare/tagliato               to cut
tagliare a dadini              to cube
tagliare a tranci/sffettare       to slice
tagliuzzare                   to cut into small pieces
il tarassaco                  dandelion
il tartufo bianco               white truffle
il tartufo nero                 black truffle
la temperatura di cottura       cooking temperature
il timballo                    timbale
il timo                        thyme
il tonno                       tuna fish
la tortiera                     cake tin
il tortino                      savoury pie
il tramezzino                  sandwich
la triglia                      mullet
la trippa                      tripe
tritare                        to mince/to chop
il tritatutto                    mincer
la trota                       trout
il tuorio                      egg yolk
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U:
l’uovo                       egg
l’uovo a la coque/sodo        soft boiled egg
l’uovo all’ occhi di bue         fried egg
l’uovo al tegame              fried egg
l’uovo fresco                 freshly laid egg
l’uovo in camicia              poached egg
l’uva                         grape
l’uva passa                   raisin
l’uva spina                   gooseberry
l’uvetta                      raisin
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V:
la vaniglia                   vanilla
versare                      to pour (out)
il vino                       wine
il vino bianco                 white wine
il vino di tavola               table wine
il vino liquoroso              dessert wine
il vino rosatto                 rose wine
il vino rosso                  red wine
il vitello                      veal
la vongola                   clam
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W:
il würstel                     hot dog
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Z:
lo zabaione                   dessert made of egg yolks, sugar and marsala wine
lo zafferano                   saffron
lo zampone                   stuffed pig’s trotter
lo zenzero                    ginger
la zucca                      pumpkin
zuccherare                    to add sugar to
lo zucchero                   sugar
lo zucchero a velo             icing sugar
lo zucchero caramellat         caramel
lo zucchero di canna           cane sugar
lo zucchero filato              candy floss
lo zucchero vanigliato          vanilla sugar
lo zucchino/la zucchina        courgette (BE) / zucchini (AE) – it’s feminine when it’s the vegetable
lo zuccotto                    ice cream sponge
la zuppa                      soup
la zuppa inglese               triffle
la zuppiera                    tureen
Happy cooking~ Jessica
Quite useful post.
I thought so! Glad you liked it
Continuate così, bravi!
Grazie