mezzaluna

I was away for two and a half weeks. Physically, I am now back at home. Emotionally, I will keep wandering for a while. At some point, I will say more. For now, I'll write about everyday things.  

As a child, I was fascinated by my mother's mezzaluna (literally: half moon). She used it very rarely and I was not allowed to touch it — two facts that contributed to make it even more special to my eyes. I am not sure why I don't own one, considering that I find it not only quite useful, but also efficient and elegant. The mezzaluna in the photos is the one I used to admire from a distance.

The tagliere (cutting board) on which the mezzaluna is resting was part of my parents' first kitchen. Together with two other useful items, namely spianatoia e matterello (kneading board and rolling pin), the tagliere found a place in the new kitchen my mother chose for the apartment where we moved when I was 16. The wooden trio is still there.

The parsley (prezzemolo) I minced with the mezzaluna the day I took the photos contributed to season a simple potato salad. I think I will soon have a mezzaluna in my kitchen: after using it almost every day for two weeks, I miss it. Is there a mezzaluna in your kitchen?

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Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post: 

mezzaluna

or launch the mezzaluna  audio file [mp3].

 

Comments

[Lisa]

I like that cutting board; looks like it was meant to be pulled out from under the counter. Many of the places our family lived in when I was growing up had under-counter, pull-out cutting boards as a standard feature, but you don't see it at all these days(as far as I can tell).

I don't own a mezzaluna, but I love the idea, and the way they look, and I've always wanted to try using one. The one in your photos is beautiful.

[astrofiammante]

certo che ce l'ho e la uso pure....mi pare che le erbette siano più profumate se tagliate con la mezzaluna....ciao e ben tornata, eri qui in italia?

[Cynthia]

Ciao Simona e bentornata-

Yes I have a mezzaluna and love it, because I love herbs and the other odori.

Since you are interested in words, have you ever thought about the fact that a mezzaluna is inaccurately named because it is actually a crescent and not a half moon?

[bellini valli]

Every kitchen should have several Simona.

[Simona Carini]

Ciao Lisa. If I remember correctly, the cutting board was part of the kitchen table. I actually have two pull-out cutting boards in my kitchen and absolutely adore them. I use them all the time. Using a mezzaluna is fun so I recommend you try it.

Ciao Astro. La mezzaluna permette una tritatura fine, il che in certi piatti e' importante. Si', ero in Italia.

Ciao Cynthia. Maybe falce di luna would have been too long a name? There are other cases where mezzaluna is used to mean crescent, like in Mezzaluna Rossa (Red Crescent).

So you have more than one, Val? I have actually seen mezzelune of 3 different styles. You got me curious...

[Paz]

i like the way the mezzaluna looks. i've never seen one here before. i think it will take me time to get used to it. i would need lots of practice using it.

paz

[Ivonne]

Simona,

I too have always wanted a mezzaluna. Maybe I will buy one for myself when I go to Itlay this summer. I hope you're well! Sending you a big hug!

[lenny]

Ha un fascino e un'anima tutta sua: di grande energia è capace di trasformare abilmente la materia :)

[Merisi]

I used to have a mezzaluna but I left it behind when I moved. I prefer a chef's knife to cut herbs and the like. Does your cutting board have a concave indentation?

[Simona Carini]

Ciao Paz. You may need a bit of practice, as using a mezzaluna is different from using a knife, but I find that it is quite fun to rock the blade back and forth.

Ciao Ivonne. It sounds like a good plan. I should have looked into buying one myself.

Bellissime parole, Lenny.

Ciao Merisi. I am not very good with knives, unfortunately. No, the board in the photo does not have an indentation, but I understand what you mean: I have seen indented boards as part of what is called a mezzaluna set.

[Lori Lynn]

No, but I think I want one too.
Those are 2 good words: mezzaluna and prezzemolo!
LL

[Fruit Brochettes]

Everyone Should have This In their kitchen...

[andrea]

Un arnese pratico e sicuro utilizzabile per una infinita di ingredienti specialmente le spezie. ciao

[Simona Carini]

Hi Lori Lynn. I hope you get one. It looks like you enjoy Italian words that contain two "z". I'll think about some more to discuss in a future post.

Ciao Andrea. Hai ragione, e' certamente piu' sicuro che un coltello, dal momento che le dita sono lontane dalla lama.

[Kitchen cabinets]

A mezzaluna is a single or double curved blade knife with a handle at both ends of the composition. And sometimes used for pizza or pesto. Mezzalunas may find that with a cutting board, there is a shallow indentation as a herb chopper sell, sell.