MASCARPONE

noun (Lifestyle and Leisure) A soft, mild cream cheese from Lombardy in Italy. Etymology: A direct borrowing from the Italian name of the cheese mascarpone or mascherpone. History and Usage: Mascarpone, which is a relative of the better-known ricotta, has been written about in English since at least the thirties; for some reason it became a fashionable food in the mid and late eighties, cropping up frequently in writing for and by foodies. Tiramisþ, which means 'pick-me-up', consists of layers of espresso-soaked spongecake or ladyfingers, sprinkled with rum and slathered with sweetened mascarpone cheese. New York Times 8 Mar. 1989, section C, p. 3 Chef Leigh correctly detected a touch of horse-radish in the cream topping...but affected not to have heard of the other principal ingredient, mascarpone. The Times 17 Feb. 1990, p. 36