Capri or not Capri..

Even though I’ve been here for over 3 years now, I still make mistakes when I’m speaking Italian. The most common one I make is mixing up feminine and masculine nouns. Something that can really get you in big trouble – take my word for it.

Another mistake I make, though less frequently,  is putting the accent on the wrong syllable. No, I’m not talking about the written accent mark (‘), but the actual stress put on the word when you’re talking. When the written accent mark is there, it helps a lot as in metà (half) – pronounced meh TA – or in meta (destination) – pronounced MEH ta.

For the most part, it’s pretty easy to figure out where the accent goes in Italian. Basically, when there’s no accent on the end of a two letter word, the first syllable is stressed – as in the example of meta. But, every once in a while you run across a word that trips you up.

You may be asking, “Where is this all leading and what does it have to do with food?”

After a heavy lunch the other day, O and I decided to make a nice, light Insalata Caprese for dinner. Insalata Caprese is so-named because it comes from the island of Capri.

Capri…. How did you read that? Did you mentally pronounce it Ca PREE or did you say CAP ree? You see, in Italian it is actually pronounced CAP ree. Although, I have to admit that Ca PREE sounds so much more exciting. Ca PREE brings to mind summer vacations, sandy beaches, fashionable tourists and sitting outside sipping espresso.

But, I’m not one of those language snobs who insists on correcting other people’s pronunciation when they are saying a foreign word, so feel free to say Ca PREE. In fact, when speaking English, I’ll join right in.

To make Insalata Caprese all you need is some good mozzarella, some nice red juicy tomatoes, oil, salt, oregano and some fresh basil leaves. It’s simple and delicious. (And no, not everyone puts oregano on it, but we like it.)

O put this salad together (I sliced the mozzarella).

Slice the tomatoes and salt them. Slice the mozzarella. Then layer the two in a platter, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with oregano, then top with a few fresh basil leaves.

Serve with some crusty Italian bread and you have a nice summer evening meal.

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