L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 8 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2021 L'Italo-Americano LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS DESIGN " W o u l d y o u l i k e f r i e s w i t h t h a t ? " may not be as mod- ern a phrase as we think. You've prob- ably seen the recent head- lines extolling the full exca- vation of a gloriously intact f a s t - f o o d j o i n t , o r t h e r - m o p o l i u m , i n P o m p e i i . Virtually undisturbed save for a little pilfering in the 17 th century, the small food shop has remained as it was, a freeze frame of everyday foodie life on that fateful day in AD 79. K n o w n a s T h e Thermopolium of Regio V, this remarkable site is o n e o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y 8 0 o t h e r s t r e e t f o o d v e n u e s u n c o v e r e d t h u s f a r i n Pompeii. Careful excavation of the remains has exposed exceptionally well-preserved paintings gracing counter walls, along with offering a peek at what the lunch menu of the common folk might've c o n t a i n e d . T w o o f t h e vibrant paintings reveal eye- catching artwork featuring fowl, another a rendition of a busy scene at the snack bar. Further analyses con- firm that the paintings do indeed represent a menu of sorts. Remnants of duck, chicken, and wine within the l a r g e c l a y d o l i a ( v e s s e l s containing hot foods) and amphorae provide evidence e n o u g h o f m a n y a p o o r soul's last meal. Situated on a busy corner intersection, the proprietor of The Regio V knew loca- t i o n m a t t e r s ; p l e n t i f u l pedestrian traffic tends to equal robust sales. And real- ly, that hasn't changed in all these many years! On most a n y u r b a n I t a l i a n s t r e e t today it's not a hard task to find a colorful cart or food stand preparing hot snacks and quick bites, the enticing a r o m a s s n a g g i n g h u n g r y passersby. Wait…street food in mod- ern Italy? The land of two hour meals, where walking or driving while eating is considered "schifoso"…dis- gusting? True, there are defi- nite guidelines for accept- a b i l i t y w h e n e a t i n g , b u t grabbing a savory snack or light lunch while out and about is fine…as long as the eating is complete before heading on your way! Italians are as proud of their street food offerings as they are of the makings of a f i v e - c o u r s e m e a l . E v e n t h o u g h s t a n d s a r e f o u n d t h r o u g h o u t I t a l y , v a r i e t y tends to be more lavish in the south where street foods are a long-standing tradi- tion. But no worries…you d o n ' t h a v e t o v e n t u r e t o Calabria or Sicily to launch your street food odyssey. T h e m a j o r i t y o f p o p u l a r o f f e r i n g s c a n b e f o u n d throughout the country no matter their region of origin. W h e w . S o w h a t ' s o n t h e menu? Arancini T h e s e g o l d e n f r i e d n u g g e t s o f r i c e w r a p p e d around savory combinations s u c h a s m e a t s a u c e , p r o - sciutto, cheese, tomatoes, and whatever else the pre- parer feels inclined to add, a r e e x t r e m e l y p o p u l a r i n Sicily but can be found in almost any quick-serve ven- dor's case across Italy. And why not? Freshly fried, the satisfying crunch and pop of heady flavor make stuffing s e v e r a l o f t h e s e i n y o u r mouth a culinary experience not long forgotten. If aranci- ni top your list of street food favorites, be sure and get to Palermo for the Festival of S a n t a L u c i a e a c h December 13 th . Number one celebration food: arancini and lots of them. Supplì S i n c e w e ' r e a l r e a d y dreaming of fried rice balls, Rome's supplì cannot be overlooked. Like a cousin to arancini, supplì also feature a deep-fried mound of rice surrounding a sumptuous filling. However, they are m o r e t h e c o n s e r v a t i v e cousin, adhering to a pre- scribed protocol rather than culinary creativity. Rice pre- simmered in a rich tomato sauce is shaped cylindrically around mozzarella…nothing else allowed…breaded, then fried to a golden hue that w o u l d r i v a l a s u n s e t . Playfully known in Rome as s u p p l ì a l t e l e f o n o , the nickname was earned for the w a y t h e g o o e y c h e e s e stretches like a phone cord (remember those?) when the s u p p l ì i s c e r e m o n i o u s l y pulled apart. A friendly smile t o t h e v e n d o r m i g h t b e rewarded with a nice splash o f t h e s i m m e r i n g t o m a t o sauce to dip those supplì in. Pizza al taglio You read that right. Pizza proper is certainly found all o v e r I t a l y i n m o s t a n y restaurant or trattoria…so w h a t ' s t h e d i f f e r e n c e between that and pizza al taglio? Besides the fact that pizza al taglio is sold from street carts or at walk-up window fronts, the actual product stands apart from our beloved circular pizza in more ways than one. Rather than a traditional thin crust, the dough is rich with yeast and allowed to rise, morph- ing into a puffy, light bed for s i m p l e t o p p i n g s . R e c t a n g u l a r i n s h a p e t o make it easier to portion, a s e r v i n g i s c u t ( h e n c e , " a l taglio") and sold by weight. Slapped onto a paper napkin and into one's hands – you may never look back. Porchetta Why no one has come up with a kiosk selling bacon on the street corner is beyond me, but a porchetta stand might be the next best thing. A generous slab of pork is well-seasoned with a mix- t u r e o f a r o m a t i c h e r b s , stuffed with prosciutto or lard or other leftovers from the pig, then rolled tight and spit-roasted into a crispy, j u i c y , f r a g r a n t d e l i g h t . Porchetta originated in cen- tral Italy; however, its popu- l a r i t y h a s s p r e a d n a t i o n - wide, as well as attaining high status as a grab and go meal. Moist, tender slices piled high between crusty slices of bread might easily qualify as the stairway to gastronomic heaven. Lampredotto Certain experiences fall i n t o t h e " y o u h a d t o b e there" category. This might apply for lampredotto, the f a m o u s s t r e e t f o o d o f Florence. A poor man's treat, the basis of this dish is the lining of the 4 th stomach of a young cow. Slow simmered in tomatoey broth, it was the R e n a i s s a n c e p e a s a n t s ' answer to unaffordable eel, lampre. These days it's still a local favorite, piled high on a b u n t o p p e d w i t h a g r e e n salsa of parsley, capers, and anchovies. Florentines can't seem to get enough of it, those brave sports. Farinata di ceci Imagine a savory, crepe- like flatbread whose popu- larity has lasted 800 years and has spun off variations throughout Europe and you h a v e f a r i n a t a d i c e c i . A regional favorite of Genoa, this chickpea, oil, and salt flatbread is said to have orig- inated by accident when a returning ship was besieged b y a s t o r m , t o p p l i n g i t s chickpea flour and oil bar- rels. The substances mingled with salt water, dried in the sun…and poof…a new snack food came into being. Truth of origin or not, baked fari- nata di ceci is enjoyed daily as a quick snack, sometimes stuffed between bread, or even as an appetizer to a full course meal. C u l t u r a l t r a d i t i o n s a r e revered in Italy and certainly tend to stick around. Treat yourself to one of the tastier k i n d s a n d g e t t h e e t o a n Italian street food vendor! Arancini or arancine? (Photo: Cristina Ionescu/Dreamstime) Italian street food: then and now PAULA REYNOLDS

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