Evoo? Ugh!
Another example of mangled menu Italian: evoo. When I first encountered the term at a seafood restaurant in Florida, I couldn't even begin to imagine what it might stand for. It was listed as part of the ingredients for a house salad, and I thought it was a misspelling, or maybe it was a type of exotic new fish species (there was a sushi bar there too). Instead, the waiter cryptically referred to a TV show without explicitly explaining the derivation of the term. I finally figured out it was another dumbed-down acronym invented by a celebrity chef and stood for: extra virgin olive oil (olio extravergine di oliva).
What's wrong with the original term (maybe no one knows what an extra virgin is)? Why do we need to speak like text-messaging androids?
Comments
AAHHRRGGG!! THAT celebrity chef! There is a case of Italian marketing gone terribly terribly wrong. Everyday in one televised event, she strips the elegance right off of anything Italian. Drives me mad. Especially annoying that this culture endorses bringing so many beautiful things down to the goofiest level.
i don’t think rachael ray defiles anything…i think, perhaps using abbreviations, as she does, is in the interest of brevity. if she has to say the same phrase several times during her cooking session, it’s easier to say EVOO. it’s very american to use caps like that. i could name a dozen instances i.e.: CPA, PHD, MD, PDQ, ASAP, just to name a few. we are not all expert chefs & i think RR has a place in our culture to help others make meals that are quick, easy, tasty & yes, sometimes, elegant. i hope that this is not too long but i hate to see RR “dissed” w/o jumping in to defend her. she may not be a product of the “cordon
bleu” but she’s knowledgeable & sincere. thank you for reading this,,,marianna ricci
I disagree. Sure, it might be /easier/ to say “evoo,” but do we always have to take the route of least resistance?! Are we that lazy or apathetic nowadays that we’d prefer to say: “I’d like an MP (margarita pizza)” or worse “spag bol” (this drives me absolutely crazy).
And in fact, none of the acronyms you’ve mentioned are for food. It’s flat-out goofy, as BrunaNeve pointed out, to refer to extra virgin olive oil as “evoo.”
BLT, PB&J, BinB [mushrooms], MAC&CHEE,
DP [dr pepper], MAYO, S&P, FRIES, SHAKE.
amore a tutti, marianna
As I recall from watching RR (don’t know if she still does it) everytime she said “evoo” she followed it up with “extra virgin olive oil” in case the viewers couldn’t figure it out. Don’t know how much time that saved. It became pretty annoying.
I agree, the dumbing down of Italian cuisine is atrocious.
i don’t think RR actually states that her methods of cooking are “pure italian”…rather, she ADAPTS some of the classics to fit in the skeds of those who haven’t the time nor [sometimes] the inclination to involve themselves in the original recipe’s strict rules. they may be content to have the “flavor” of the cuisine w/o the commitment to the exact regimen. for those of us who don’t mind sticking to the “letter of the recipe”, there is always marcella hazan. just as every celebrity has fans as well as detractors, so too does RR. we must remember that her premise is “a meal in 30 minutes”…therefore, it would be impossible to prepare some of the classic italian meals in that span of time. amore, marianna
I came to Italian cooking as an adult when , fifteen years ago, I moved in next door to a seventy year old woman from Veneto. She raised four sons and her husband never made more than 9 dollars an hour. This generous woman taught me all about the marriage of speed and quality. I cook almost exclusively Italian now for my family. You can spend hours and hours in the kitchen cooking Italian food or you can be in and out in under 30 minutes. Both with fantastic results that hold their integrity to quality. Unfortunately, I cannot endorse transforming cracking good Italian recipes to slang versions of themselves under the illusion of saving time.
Italian is an amazing language which should not be Americanized more than accidentally (black cat anyone? Verses gatto nero). I believe anyone who has the opportunity to share the wealth of Italy with the American public should take the time to do it with grace. Think of it as the slow food movement for linguists!
viva america! isn’t it wonderful that we can each hold differing opinions on the same topic & not be chastised for it. in spite of the splendid arguments to the contrary, in my considered opinion, rachael ray has a place in the evolving cuisine of america. my best to all who read these blogs. amore, M
can you stand 1 more post on this blog? i risk being accused of “beating a dead horse”! i found a source for a wonderful cook book of italian cuisine. i’ve been told that it’s the official guide that is given to brides, children etc. in italy. after 50 years in print, it is finally available in english. it is called “the silver spoon”[il cucchiaio d'argento] 1264 pages! i plan to order 1 tonight. it’s hard cover & only $39.95. it would be an heirloom to hand down to future generations. i’m excited to finally get a book w/ all [or most] of the famous cuisine of our beloved italia. amore e buon appetito a tutti…la vostra amica, marianna
Il Cucchiaio d’Argento, or The Silver Spoon
Does anyone know how to spell the Italian version of cracked olive salad? We are trying to do a family cookbook and we are Italians but we do not know the spelling of some words. I think it is olivascachati. Any help would be appreciated Thanks