Italian Cuisine - A to Z Trivia Quiz

Answer: Skewered cubes of cheddar, boiled ham, and pepperoni sausage.

Although the Italians use many cheeses in their cooking and as antipasti, including a few non-Italian cheeses which come from surrounding countries like France or Switzerland, one would never expect to see Cheddar cheese at an Italian table. Also, pepperoni is actually not a traditional Italian sausage; it is an American creation.

The word "peperoni" in Italian means "peppers". Plain, boiled ham is also rarely seen in Italy.

Answer: "Twice-cooked" or "twice baked"

Most biscotti are first shaped into long, fairly thin loaves and baked. After they have cooled, they are sliced diagonally and then toasted on either side. Thus, they are "baked twice" ("bis" - again + "cotti" - cooked or baked).

Answer: Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara is traditionally made by tossing egg yolks and, perhaps, a little cream with the cooked pasta until the egg yolks are cooked. Grated cheese, pepper, and cubes of bacon or pancetta are then tossed in. (Cremini is a type of mushroom, Cantucci is a traditional Italian cookie, and Catanisella is a type of pasta shape.) P.S.

This is Mike Myers's ("Austin Powers", "Shrek") favorite pasta dish.

Answer: Delight

There seems to be no general rule for making Delizie, only that the results be delightful.

Answer: Espresso Macchiato

"Macchiato", meaning marked or spotted, describes the appearance of the espresso when splashes of milk have been randomly dropped into the cup. Cappuccino, of course, refers to the foamy, creamy type of espresso; "Corretto" refers to espresso which has been "corrected" by having a few drops of a liqueur added to give flavor. Latte is a very milky, sweetened coffee given, generally, to children or people who, for health reasons, should not be given strong coffee (in America, lattes are more widely consumed than in Italy).

Answer: Fior di Latte

Fior di Latte (meaning "flower of milk") is a type of fresh Mozzarella made from cow's milk (there is alo a variety of Mozzarella made from the milk of the water buffalo called, appropriately, Mozzarella di Bufalo). It is very perishable and should be used the day it is made.

Its flavor is so sweet and creamy that there is a type of ice cream (gelato) with the same flavor (and name), only sweetened with sugar. (Fontina is another type of cheese, Fior di Sicilia is a flavoring agent, and Fettuccine is a pasta).

Answer: Gelato

Gelato is lighter in texture than American ice cream. The best gelati have no additives or preservatives, and are not artificially flavored. (Gelatina means "gelatin", Grissini are breadsticks, and Granita is a dessert ice made with fruit juices or sweetened espresso frozen to the point of slushiness).

Answer: Honey

Strufoli are fried puffs of dough coated with warm honey and sprinkled with non-pariels. They are traditionally made around the Christmas holidays (or Easter in some regions) and shaped into a pyramid or a wreath.

Answer: Panzanella

Although all of these are salads, Panzanella (which gets its name from "pane" - bread) is the one. You need good quality country-type bread to make it right; regular sandwich bread turns to mush.

Answer: La Jota

This is obviously an extremely hearty dish; the use of sauerkraut recalls the Austro-Germanic influence in the region's cuisine. (Jambalaya is a Creole rice dish, Jambon is the French word for ham, and Jagasee is a Portugese dish).

Answer: Krapfen

Krapfen are found in areas of Italy close to the German border (such as Trieste)and are frequently seen around "Carnevale" time ("Mardi Gras"). They are often filled with jam.

Answer: Linguine

Shaped like slightly flattened spaghetti, linguine are thought to resemble the long, thin tongues of lizards or frogs (not a very appetizing image, but I defy anyone to be put off by a plate of well-prepared linguine). Lasagne are, of course, wide, flat noodles made for layering with cheese and sauce. Lumache are snails; there is a type of pasta with this name which is shaped like a snail's shell. Lagana are fettuccini-like strips of pasta made from the dough left over after cutting ravioli or canneloni.

Answer: Mascarpone

High in butterfat and very perishable, Mascarpone tastes like extremely thick, rich whipped cream. (Mortadella is a pork product from Bologna, Montasio is another type of cheese, and Macchiata is a type of espresso).

Answer: Nocciole

There is a delicious type of Gelato called "Nocciole" which tastes like a higher class of peanut butter. (Nodi means "knots" and is a type of biscotti in which the dough is twisted into a knot; these are frequently made for weddings. Noci is the general word for "nuts"; Nonno means "grandfather").

Answer: Trebbiano

Trebbiano is a type of grape used to make Balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico) and the Easter dessert wine Vin Santo. The rest are olive varieties.

Answer: Prosciutto

Prosciutto is made from the pig's leg. By law, the pigs must be fed on acorns and the whey left over from making Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Prosciutto is not smoked. The hams are cured using only salt and spices over a long period of time. (Pancetta is Italian bacon, peperoni means "peppers" in Italian and Porchetta means "pig" or "pork").

Answer: Quaresimali

Quaresimali (the word "Quaresima" means Lent) traditionally use little or no butter or lard and, thus, are an acceptable sweet to have during the Lenten fast. Quadrucci are little squares of pasta; Quindici means "fifteen" in Italian. Quintole is an Italian city.

Answer: Risotto

Traditionally made with Arborio rice, a starchy, short-grain rice. The rice is sautéed in butter and/or olive oil with shallots or onions. Gradually, hot broth and, perhaps, a bit of wine are added until the rice is of a flowing, but not soupy consistency. Saffron is also added and the rice is tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese. Risotto may contain vegetables, seafood (in which case the cheese is omitted), or meat. (Risone is a rice-shaped pastina, Risi e Bisi is a dish made with rice and peas, and Ribollita is a Tuscan vegetable dish).

Answer: Carpaccio

Carpaccio is a dish of thinly sliced and pounded raw marinated beef. Soppressata is a type of salami pressed under a weight while curing. Zampogne is a creamy-textured pork sausage, stuffed in a boned pig's trotter, that is best served poached or simmered. Luganega is a sweet pork sausage.

Answer: Tarocchi

Tarocchi are rarely found in American grocery stores, and are usually quite pricey when they are. However, in Sicily they are plentiful, even when food is generally scarce. (Taralli are hard biscuits, Tacchino is turkey, and Tagliatelle is a fettucine-like pasta).

Answer: Uvetta

Uve means "grapes". Uvetta is a diminutive meaning "raisins". Umbria is a region of Italy; Ugolini is the plural of Ugolino, a family name.

Answer: Lamponi

Lamponi are raspberries, a fruit. Cipolle are onions, sedano is celery, and lattuga is lettuce.

Answer: Wurstel

According to Marcella Hazan (in "The Classic Italian Cookbook"), cold sliced wurstel (or any cold meats) are typically tossed with cold rice, chopped vegetables, and dressing and served as a summer salad. (The other three are German words for sausages except wurzel, which means "root".)

Answer: Yellow Bread

Pangiallo (Pan - bread + giallo - yellow) is a Roman sweet bread, traditionally served at Christmas time. It gets its yellow color from the eggs in the dough and may contain raisins and/or chopped candied fruits.

Answer: Zoccolo

Zuppa Inglese is a sponge cake moistened with a liqueur-flavored syrup, layered with custard and candied fruits, and covered with whipped cream. Zabaglione, or Zabaione, is a frothy custard made by cooking the yolks of eggs in a double-boiler with Marsala and, perhaps, rum.

A Zuccoto is a dome-shaped dessert made with strips of sponge cake, cream, fruits, chocolate, and nuts (yes, it's delicious!). Zoccolo is a large cube (or "clog") of fried bread, typically placed in the center of a savory dish or stew where it sops up the sauce or juices from the dish.