cuscinetti

'Little cushions' usually means sausage rolls, a kids' favourite: fat and doughy, with a würstel in the middle.

The other 'little cushions' you may encounter include aubergine and cheese fritters, artichoke fritters with ham and mozzarella, almond and lemon flavoured pastries (Sicily and the south); in the Molise, cuscinetti di Teramo have chocolate inside. Cuscinetti di piccione, in Florence, are unusual fried dumplings with ground pigeon meat.

Cuscinetti di coniglio are a kind of rabbit involtini, stuffed with pancetta and grilled. Cuscinetti d'uova are slices of potato, egg, cheese and bechamel, layered and baked.

To a Roman though, a cuscinetto is a famous traditional antipasto, a little sandwich of crustless bread with mozzarella and anchovy, dipped in egg and fried.