Last week we saw that a space can make the difference between a noun and a verb. This week a single letter makes the difference. The more-frequent use of marinade as a verb in the last decade has led some dictionaries to accept it as an alternative, but it is still unacceptable to many. My recommendation, for the sake of clarity and to avoid harsh judgement from language purists, is to use marinate as the verb. Marinate has been in use as a verb since the 1640s.
