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Piuttosto che mangiare cibi fritti, cucino a casa.

Piuttosto che mangiare cibi fritti, cucino a casa.
Rather than eating fried foods, I cook at home.
From Lesson 262:Expressing alternatives (invece di, anziché)·Italian

Questions & Answers about Piuttosto che mangiare cibi fritti, cucino a casa.

Why is mangiare in the infinitive here when the English translation says "eating"?
In Italian, when you use phrases that express a choice or alternative like piuttosto che, invece di, or anziché, they must be followed by the infinitive form of the verb. English uses the "-ing" form ("eating"), but Italian uses the base verb (mangiare).
Can I use invece di or anziché instead of piuttosto che in this sentence?
Yes, they are grammatically interchangeable here and all take the infinitive. However, piuttosto che strongly implies a preference ("rather than" or "I prefer to"), while invece di just states a factual substitution ("instead of").
Why is the plural cibi fritti used when we usually just say "fried food" in English?
In English, "food" is usually an uncountable noun, but the Italian word cibo is often made plural (cibi) when referring to "types of food" or "meals." Because it is plural masculine, the adjective fritto (fried) must agree and become fritti.
Why is the preposition a used in a casa?
A casa is a fixed phrase that translates to "at home." If you were to say in casa, it would sound more like you are emphasizing being physically "inside the house" or "indoors" rather than just the general concept of being at home.

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