RuvidaMente
From MACCA to MUSET
MACCA Soup made with fava beans, chili peppers, onions, tomatos, and spaghetti.
MACCHERONI Macaroni; in parts of southern Italy this is a generic term for dried pasta, though elsewhere it usually refers to short pasta tubes like rigatoni and ziti.
MACEDONIA DI FRUTTA Fruit salad.
MACELLERIA Butcher shop, macellaio butcher.
MACINARE To grind or crush food.
MACIS Mace, a spice most often used for cookies and cakes.
MADIA Wooden trough for breadmaking.
MAFALDA Sicilian braided bead made with semolina flour.
MAGGIORANA Marjoram.
MAGRO Lean, as in carne magra, lean meat.
MAIALE Pork, with every part of the pig used for one dish or another. Roast suckling pig, porchetta, is done on a spit.
MAIOCCHINO Sicilian ewes' milk cheese, often made with black peppercorns, and pressed into basket molds.
MAIONESE Mayonnaise.
MAIS Corn, often used to make polenta. See: Corn
MALAGA Rum raisin flavor, an in icecream.
MALFATTI "Badly made" spinach gnocchi of a lumpish shape that gives them their name. Also, a mix of cheese and spinach shaped to resemble a pasta stuffing, but left without its pasta covering.
MALLOREDDUS "Small bulls." Tiny Sardinian gnocchi made from semolina, saffron and shaped into small ridged dumplings with a slit down the center.
MALTAGLIATI Diamond-shaped, flat pasta of Mantua and the Veneto.
MALTO Malt extract.
MANDARINO Mandarin, a tangerine like the larger mandarancio and smaller clementina.
MANDILLI DE SAÊA "Silk handkerchiefs." Very thin Ligurian lasagne pasta sheets.
MANDOLINO Slicing utensil for vegetables, usually with several blades.
MANDORLA Almond, used in desserts, as a flour, in stuffings. Mandorlata means containing almonds or their flavor; mandorlato Veneto almond nougat candy.
MANFRIGOLI Umbrian dish of pasta, garlic and tomatoes.
MANGIATUTTO Snow peas, also a thin asparagus.
MANICHE "Sleaves." Short tube maccheroni.
MANICOTTI Large tube maccheroni stuffed with ricotta cheese and ham and baked.
MANINI Ferrarese bread shaped like crossed hands.
MANTECA Basilicata cheese with a center of butter.
MANTECATO Ingredients pounded into a form of paste. Also, a general term referring to a common technique to sautée pasta in a skillet with a bit of its sauce and grana.
MANZO Beef from adult male or female cattle, though younger than bue (see).
MARASCA Morello cherry used to make maraschino liqueur.
MARGARINA Margarine.
MARICONDA, LA Lombardian soup of dumplings made from breadcrumbs, egg, nutmeg, butter and cheese, usually served in a meat stock.
MARILLE Short, ridged maccheroni joined side by side to form a double-barrel shape.
MARINARA, ALLA "Mariner's style." A quickly made sauce usually containing fresh crushed tomatoes, garlic, oregano and olive oil.
MARINATA Marinade.
MARITOZZO Roman raisin buns, traditionally made during Lent.
MARMELLATA Marmalade
MARMITTA TORINESE Turinese soup of vegetables, potatoes, basil, onion and garlic, served over a slice of bread.
MARMORA Striped bream, best grilled or roasted.
MARRO Abruzzese dish of lamb's intestines flavored with garlic, rosemary and pancetta.
MARRONE Chestnut. See: Marrone di San Zeno, Marrone di Castel del Rio, Marrone del Mugello
MARTIN SEC Valle d'Aosta late-ripening pear, commonly cooked in red wine.
MARUBINI Scalloped stuffed pasta rounds, a specialty of Cremona.
MARZAPANE Marzipan, sweet almond paste, used in pastries; also called pasta reale.
MARZOLINO Tuscan and Latium cheese similar to pecorino.
MASARO ALLA VALESANA Venetian dish of wild duck marinated in vinegar, thyme and tarragon, barded with bacon, baked, cut into pieces and sautéed with butter, wine, anchovies, onions and capers.
MASCARPONE A fresh, soft cream cheese, close to butter; unsweetened it may be used in pasta or risotto, sweetened with fruit or desserts. It is the basis for the dessert tiramisù.
MASO A holding, often referring to a vineyard or estate.
MASSERIA Farm or estate.
MASTRICH Lombardian mixture of mascarpone, egg yolks, sugar, rum, grated lemon peel and olive oil, served chilled with chocolate sauce.
MATALOC Domed sponge cake containing fennel, nuts, raisins, citrus zest and spices, a specialty of the Lake Como region.
MATTARELLO Rolling pin.
MATTONE, AL Cooking technique of flattening an ingredient with a heavy weight, while grilling or sautéeing it.
MAZZAFEGATI Umbrian pork sausage with orange rind, pine nuts and raisins.
MAZZANCOLLA Large prawn also called gambero imperiale.
MAZZARELLE D'AGNELLO "Bundle of lamb." Abruzzese dish of lamb's lungs and offal wrapped in chard or beet greens then braised in white wine.
MAZZETTO ODOROSO Bouquet of rosemary, parsley, bay leaf, sage and marjoram used as a garnish but mostly to flavor soups and stews.
MEDAGLIONE "Medallion," as in a thick cut of meat or fish.
MEINO Lombardian sweet, round cornmeal bread served with heavy cream.
MELA Apple, widely used in pastry and desserts. See Mela della Val di Non
MELA COTOGNA Quince, a fruit used in preserves, as a filling, and in pastry.
MELANZANA Eggplant, a principal vegetable of Italy, particularly the south, where it is breaded and fried, stewed, layered and baked, and roasted.
MELASSA DI MIELE Bitter honey.
MELICA Cornmeal.
MELOGRANA Pomegranate, principally used as a flavoring and coloring in beverages.
MELONE OR POPONE Cantaloupe or muskmelon; watermelon is cocomero or anguria.
MENOLA Picarel fish, not frequently consumed, best stewed.
MENTA Mint; many species, wild and cultivated, are used in cooking and beverages; menta piperita peppermint; mentuccia is a tasty variety popular in Rome.
MENU Restaurant menu.
MERASCA Sour plum, used in preserves.
MERENDA Snack, light meal or picnic, also called spuntino.
MERENDINE DEL GRANDUCA "Granduke's snacks," Tuscan crêpes with a filling of ricotta, strawberries and Malvasia wine.
MERINGA Meringue made from whipped, sweetened egg whites baked at a very low temperature.
MERLANO Whiting fish, similar to cod.
MERLO Blackbird, of little culinary interest.
MERLUZZO Hake, used to make baccalà, as with cod.
MESSCIUA Ligurian chickpea soup made with wheat or spelt, berries, beans and olive oil.
MESSICANI "Mexicans," a Milanese dish of veal bundles filled with sausage and eggs, sautéed in butter and flavored with Marsala.
METODO CHARMAT Sparkling wine made by the sealed tank method.
METODO CLASSICO or TRADIZIONALE Terms for sparkling wine made by the bottle fermentation method, replacing the terms champenois or champenoise, which can no longer be used in Italy.
MEZZALUNA Curved chopping knife with two handles.
MAZZANCOLLE Imperial prawn, grilled or baked.
MIASCIA Lombardian bread pudding made with apples, raisins, pears and rosemary.
MICCONE Lombardian large loaf of bread with a soft center.
MICHETTA Milanese five-sided round, crusty bread.
MIDOLLA DI PANE The spongy interior part of a bread loaf.
MIDOLLO Beef marrow, used to enrich stews and gravies, and commonly consumed from the bone of osso buco.
MIELE Honey.
MIGLIACCIO Any of a variety of baked cakes or puddings, particularly chestnut-flour cakes or blood pudding.
MIGNOZZI Abruzzese sweet fritters flavored with Cognac.
MIGNUICE Apulian semolina dumplings.
MILANESE, ALLA "Milan style." Any of a variety of dishes associated with Milan, usually involving butter in the cooking process. Costoletta alla milanese is a pounded, breaded veal chop with the bone that is sautéed in butter.
MILLASSATA Sicilian egg omelet made with artichokes.
MILLECOSEDDE Calabrian soup of dried beans, vegetables and wild mushrooms, served with ditalini and olive oil.
MILLEFOGLIE "Thousand leaves." Dessert consisting of several layers of very thin puff pastry sheets and pastry cream topped or dusted with chocolate.
MILLERIGHE Fat, hollow, flattened, ridged maccheroni.
MILLESIMATO Vintage dated sparkling wine.
MILZA Spleen of cattle, often served as a purée on toasted bread.
MINESTRA generic term for soup and also for first course (covering pasta, risotto, gnocchi, etc.); minestra in brodo broth with pasta or rice; minestrone hearty vegetable soup; minestrina light soup or broth; see also zuppa.
MINNI DI VIRGINI "Virgins' breasts," puffy semolina cakes filled with pastry cream.
MIRTILLO Blueberry, consumed fresh or in a sugar syrup.
MIRTO Myrtle, used to make a liqueur.
MISSOLTIT Preserved fish made from Lake Como agoni.
MISTICANZA Salad of wild greens like rugola, endive and watercress mixed with other fresh ingredients.
MISTO Mix.
MITILI or MUSCIOLI or MUSCOLI Mussels, also called cozze.
MOCETTA Chamois prosciutto.
MOLECA Soft shell crab, usually fried.
MOLINO Flour mill.
MOLLICA DI PANE Breadcrumb.
MOLLUSCHI Mollusks, including octopus, squid and shellfish, such as clams and mussels.
MOLVA OCCHIONA Mediterranean ling fish, similar to cod.
MONACONE "Fat monk." Caprese casserole made with layers of eggplant, veal, prosciutto, Fontina and tomato.
MONDEGHILI Lombardian meat croquettes fried in butter.
MONTASIO Mild Friulian cheese, used to make frico.
MONTE BIANCO "White mountain." Piedmontese dessert confection of chestnut purée topped with whipped cream to look like a white mountain.
MONTONE Mutton, grown to a year-and-a-half in age. Because its somewhat chewy texture, it is usually stewed or roasted.
MONZETTE Sardinian stuffed snails.
MORCHELLE Morel mushrooms.
MORE Mulberries or blackberries.
MORLACCO Veneto mountain cheese made from partially skimmed milk.
MORMORA Striped bream, usually grilled or sautéed.
MORSEDDU Calabrian breakfast dish of pork tripe stewed in red wine, tomatoes, chili peppers and herbs.
MORTADELLA Large pork sausage, originally from Bologna. See: Mortadella di Bologna
MORTAIO Mortar
MOSCARDINO Small curled octopus.
MOSCIAME Dried, salted strips of dolphin, swordfish or tuna. See: Mosciame
MOSTACCIOLI Small cakes of southern Italy made of honey, flour, orange peel, almonds and spices.
MOSTARDA Candied fruit flavored with mustard seed, specialty of Cremona
MOSTO Must. Grape juice not jet fermented into wine
MOZZARELLA See: Mozzarella di Bufala Campana
MUGGINE Grey Mullet. Its back is dark grey, the stomach silvery white. On its sides there are silver and gold parallel lines. Its meat is white and delicious though fatty. Its flavor varies according to season and geographical origin and to the food the fish has been eating. Mullet can be boiled, stewed, sauteed, grilled or baked. Its liver is delicious. In many Italian regions its egg sac is salted and air-dried, and it is known as Bottarga.
MUGNAIA, ALLA A classic method of cooking sole. The floured fish are browned in clarified, foamy butter, then sprinkled with parsley and drizzled with lemon juice. They are served with melted, hazelnut-colored butter.
MURSADDU Calabrian flan made with veal liver, pork liver and giblets, tomato, and chili pepper, cooked in a pie dish lined and covered with bread dough
MUSET Friulian cotechino made with pork, pork rind, cinnamon, coriander, nutmeg, chili pepper, salt, pepper, and Marsala wine.
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