What is the first translation that comes to mind when you see the Italian word marmellata? If you said marmalade, you wouldn’t be wrong, but there is more to this sweet and sticky tale than meets the eye … marmellata jam / preserve According to the precise EU definition, marmellata must be crafted from specific …
I recently began using a standing desk and under-the-desk treadmill at work, and although the set-up has been revolutionary for my health and mood, I initially found it incredibly difficult to drink water while walking, as it would splash all over the desk. (Not a pretty sight, believe me!) Fortunately, I managed to resolve the …
Do you know someone who is a voracious eater, gobbling up everything in sight? If so, you might have a mangione on your hands! Mangione is a playful Italian word that means “big eater” or “glutton“. It is the combination of the verb mangiare (to eat) and the suffix -one which is used to describe …
A few years back, I remember being in the kitchen with my Italian mother-in-law, helping her prepare a shopping list for the week. The Monday meal was going to consist of her famous zucchini fritters, so I diligently started writing out the word: zucchini… “Zucchini? Don’t you mean zucchine?” she asked, peering bemused over my …
Ricetta is the word Italians use for both recipe, as in a list of instructions for preparing a dish, and prescription, as in the instructions written by a doctor so that a patient may receive a medicine or treatment. Curiously, in the 16th century, the word recipe in late Middle English used to refer to …
The Italian word pasticcio is best translated as mess or muddle in English, and as you have probably guessed, it is used to describe a situation or piece of work that is chaotic, disorganised or poorly executed. It is a masculine noun, so it takes the following definite and indefinite articles: Although the origin of …