Food For Thought

Name	Mispronunciation	Italian Pronunciation
Bruschetta	“Brew-shetta”	“Bru-sketta”
Mozzarella	“Mahtz-a-rella”	“Mohtz-a-rella”
Asiago	“Ahs-iago”	“Az-iago”
Espresso	“Expresso”	“Ess-press-o”
Famiglia	“Fami-glee-a”	“Fa-meal-ia” (best way to describe the soft, Italian “gli” sound)
Biscotti	“Biss-cott-ee”	“Bee-scoh-tee”

Food	Misconception
Cannoli	“Cannoli” is plural! So one is “cannolo,” while plural is not “cannolis”. In addition, fresh cannoli should be filled right before serving! In Italy, you will see cannolo shells, unfilled, that will be prepared upon purchase.
Cappuccino	In Italy, a cappuccino is served in the morning, as coffee drinks without milk are served later in the day (espresso, macchiato, etc.). Moreover, a macchiato can be two different drinks, depending on the order; a macchia is a stain, and so a latte macchiato is stained milk (milk base + espresso shot), while a caffè macchiato is stained coffee (espresso shot + a little foamed milk).
Bread + Olive Oil	This is a no-no in Italy! Bread is served with non-carbs, such as salad, and is not served with olive oil for dipping.
Italian food is all the same…	The type of food served depends on the region, which determines ingredients available for cooking. Thus, each region, even city, in Italy has a unique set of ingredients and therefore a unique set of recipes from which to cook.