Glossary
B
babà al rhum This yeasted sweet is baked and soaked in a rum syrup until it is entirely imbued with the rum's aroma and flavor. The most famous are from Naples, where it was prepared for the aristocracy.
baccalá This is dried codfish, either salted or sundried, often present in the menus from Veneto. A legacy of the Norwegians, and found in the cuisine of amny Mediterranean countries, it can be prepared in a variety of ways beginning with a long soak in cold water (24 to 48 hours). The water should be frequently changed during the softening process. Though baccalá can be fried in strips or even eatedn raw, the most familiar version involves cooking the cod very, very slowly in milk.
baccalá mantecato A common dish native to Venice, consisting of salted cod cooked very slowly with milk, onion, olive oil, garlic, anchovy filets and parsley for at least four hours.
bistecca alla Fiorentina The epitome of steak, Florentine steak is a hefty T-bone cut of Chianina beef, named after the Val di Chiana where these cows are raised. The meat is not fatty and more flavorful than other types of meat. To prepare the steak, the meat is grilled quickly over charcoal and seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. For best results, it should be 2" thick.
bagna cauda Literally translated, "hot bath", this is a typical sauce of Piedmont. Flavor from crushed, sliced or minced garlic is underscored by a generous amount of minced anchovies; these are skillfully incorporated into olive oil and unsalted butter, which are melted and kept hot at the table in a fondue pot. Raw vegetables like radishes, peppers, cabbage, carrots and cardoons are used for dipping in this sauce, and cooked vegetables like turnips and potatoes are often served as well.
bagnapan seafood soup thickened with bread
bagnèt In a dialect of Piedmont, this means sauce. A red and a green version are common, and both are used to accompany bollito misto, a typically Piedmontese assortment of boiled meats. The red bagnèt features tomatoes, carrots, celery, onion, and garlic that are cooked for hald an hour, to which wine vinegar and sugar are added; the sauce is simmered for two more hours. The green bagnèt is a piquant blend of anchovies, hard-boiled egg yolks, parsley, galric, capers, bread that has been soaked in milk and squeezed dry, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
bagozzo hard, sharp Grana cheese, otherwise known as Bresciano
bain-marie Known as a water bath in America or a bagnomaria in Italian, this refers to the technique of immersing a pot of food in a hot water bath to cook it gently and evenly, much like a double-boiler. The technique is often used for chocolate dishes, custards, mousses and other delicate dishes. The water in the lower bowl or pan should be hot, but never boiling.
balsamico extravecchio Real balsamic vinegar is always vecchio (old), but the most flavorful and aromatic is extravecchio (extra-old). To get its seal of extra-old approval, an extravecchio must be aged at least 25 years, and sometimes up to 100 or more years (as opposed to the 12 years required of a regular balsamico tradizionale).
bastarda, salsa butter sauce, thickened with egg
bastoncini small, stick-like pasta for soup
batufolli polenta balls prepared with meat sauce and Parmesan, traditionally placed in a pyramid
bavette pasta similar to Linguine
bel paese a variety of well-known mild, soft, pale yellow cheeses from Lombardy
besciamella béchamel, a white sauce
bigoli A type of pasta from the Veneto region in which the dough (flour, eggs, melted butter, salt, milk) is worked until pliable, cut into small stick shapes, and extruded through a special instrument called a bigolaro. The resultant rough texture gives a surface that is excellent for absorbing sauces. Egg noodles are a suitable substitute.
bisna polenta made with beans, sauerkraut, and onion
bodino (budino) baked veal stuffed with layers of vegetables and prosciutto
bolognese, alla Outside Bologna, and especially outside Italy, the term refers to a meat sauce for pasta. (In Bologna, it's known simply as "ragú.")
bonarelli thin ribbons of pasta
bonet This dessert is a specialty of many trattorie and home cooks in Piedmont. First, a caramel is prepared and poured while hot into the bottom of a baking dish. An egg custard typically flavored with crumbled Amaretti di Saronno, rum, and melted chocolate is poured over the caramel base, then the while is baked in a water bath.
bottarga Made from salted and pressed fish roe, bottarga is an orange hued bar with an intense flavor. Most commonly identified with Sardinian and Sicilian cooking, Bottarga is made with grey mullet in Sardinia and tuna in Sicily.
bresaola Made from lean beef (top-round, rump, or filet) bresaola is a savory cured meat native to the Valtellina area in Lombardy. The meat is lightly salted, marinated in wine and herbs, and dry-cured. Bresaola can be aged for long periods of time or very briefly. Its flavor intensifies as it ages. The best way to savor Bresaola is raw, drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with pepper.
brovade A peasant food that is virtually unknown outside the region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, based on sliced turnips macerated fro a month or so in grape skins. They turnips are most often served as an accompaniment to meat dishes, but they can also be folded into pasta e fagioli or other soups.
bruschetta toasted bread seasoned with garlic and drizzled with olive oil, at times served with tomatoes or other various toppings
brutti ma buoni Literally "Ugly But Good," these light almond macaroons from Northern and Central Italy may look ugly and irregular but taste absolutely delicious.
bruz Sometimes called bròs, this is a cheese preparation typical of Piedmont and Liguria. It is made by mixing together left-over bits of robiola or goat cheese, adding grappa or brandy, olive oil, vinegar, chili pepper or peppercorns, and salt, then placing the mixture in hermetically sealed terra-cotta pots to ferment and become spicy. The fermented cheese is slathered on warm toasted bread and grilled polenta.
bucatini A dried pasta that looks like spaghetti but is hollow. Typically, bucatini are served with tomato- or meat-based sauces.
buccellato A traditionally wreathed-shaped sweet of Lucca in Tuscany, buccellato was often prepared to celebrate confirmations. It is a simple dessert, made of leavened dough enriched with eggs, sugar, and butter or lard; dried citron or Marsala are sometimes folded in. There are endless variations of buccellato, and every baker has his or her special touch.
burrata Basically a soft mozzarella whose soft center is a combination of cream and finely chopped mozzarella curds. Traditionally made from buffalo's milk, today Burrata is made with cow's milk. Highly perishable due to its creamy center, Burrata lasts only a couple of days in the refrigerator. Pair with fresh tomatoes, crisp basil, and a generous drizzle of olive oil.
burrida This Sardinian specialty is not a soup like the similarly named burridda of Liguria, but rather a way of dressing fish from the shark and skate family. The fish is poached in an aromatic broth with onion, carrot, celery, parsley and a wedge of lemon, then served with a flavorful garlic sauce stretched with mild vinegar and thickened with crushed pine nuts or walnuts.
