L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano Gourmet street food Italian style: traditional recipes and high quality ingredients T he widespread phenome- n o n o f s t r e e t f o o d , a common feature of many big cities worldwide, may be improperly regarded as a recent response to the eating needs of an increasingly fast-paced soci- ety. Truth be told, the century- old history of this particular c u l i n a r y t r e n d i s r o o t e d i n ancient Greece and the Roman Empire: traces of a fast food business were found, for exam- ple, during excavations at the archaeological site in Pompeii. I n t h e U . S . , a l l e g e d l y t h e first food trucks hit the roads of major urban centers on the East Coast in the late 1600s, grow- ing in popularity and thriving until the present day. From ready-to-eat, simple but tasty meals that often repre- sent the eating habits of a cer- tain culture, such as NYC sig- n a t u r e h o t d o g s o r M i d d l e Eastern falafel, the latest evolu- tion of mobile food is made of gourmet recipes and high quali- ty products, a combination that p e r f e c t l y m a t c h e s w i t h t h e b a s i c s o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y acclaimed Italian cuisine. In Italy, where most of the social life happens around a dining t a b l e , g o u r m e t s t r e e t f o o d seems to be a good compromise between a busy routine, reason- able budget, and healthy ingre- dients. So a few young entre- preneurs, as well as celebrity THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 4 SILVIA SIMONETTI chefs, have seized the moment by starting their own food truck business, turning traditional and regional dishes into grab- and-go delicacies. Roman-style roast pork, Neapolitan buffalo mozzarella, and Sicilian fried r i c e b a l l s h a v e n o w b e c o m e available in the main streets or s q u a r e s o f I t a l y a n d e v e n beyond its borders. In fact, the Italian entrepreneurial spirit and culinary reputation have driven some of our best food t r u c k s t o o t h e r c o u n t r i e s , i n c l u d i n g t h e U . S . w h e r e , among others, vintage carts of artisanal gelato are having a big success. Besides high quality food, these mobile restaurants of new g e n e r a t i o n a l s o s h o w g r e a t looks in terms of design, and both aspects will be celebrated o n t h e o c c a s i o n o f t h e n e w S t r e e t F o o d M a n i a f e s t i v a l . Organized in partnership with the French counterpart, the col- orful street fest will take place in the town of Assisi, Umbria region, on September 11-13, 2 0 1 5 a n d h o s t o v e r 2 0 f o o d t r u c k s f r o m a l l a c r o s s I t a l y , competing for the "Assisi Food Truck Award." A similar initia- t i v e i s r e p r e s e n t e d b y t h e Streeat® Foodtruck Festival, a high-turnout tour that will trav- el throughout Italy this fall, presenting the typical flatbread from Emilia-Romagna, Tuscan t r i p e , s t u f f e d o l i v e s f r o m Marche, and other low-cost yet exquisite and genuine dishes. Eventually the street food can even become a lifestyle, as Gabriele Rubini aka chef Rubio has proved in his hit TV show U n t i e B i s u n t i ( G r e a s y & G r e a s i e r ) , f o c u s i n g o n t h e respect for local cuisines and genuine ingredients. C h e f R u b i o , h o w w o u l d y o u e x p l a i n t h e s u c c e s s o f s t r e e t f o o d i n I t a l y , w h e r e taking the time to indulge in a nice meal together has always defined social relationships? Does the "gourmet" compo- nent make the difference? Actually street food can be s l o w a s w e l l , i f w e t a k e t h e time to indulge in a conversa- tion with the chef. My idea of street food is old school, rather than the latest trend in food trucks. The whole experience depends not only on our rela- tionship with food, but also on our desire to get to know the i n t e r l o c u t o r . T h e s u c c e s s o f street food in Italy is due to the economic crisis, which makes us want to save money without giving up quality, and also to the initiative of a few entrepre- neurs, who have invested in this profitable business. Good for them! But is it really possible to c o m b i n e l o w - c o s t f a s t f o o d with quality ingredients and gourmet recipes? Street food can definitely be low cost. As for fast, it only regards assembling and deliver- ing, while the preparation, the research for the right ingredi- ents, and even the relationship b e t w e e n t h e v e n d o r a n d t h e customer are very slow. Or at least this is how I see street food. What is the main feature of C h e f R u b i o ' s s t r e e t f o o d ? And why did you choose this lifestyle, instead of opening your own restaurant? When I'm invited to partici- p a t e i n s t r e e t f o o d e v e n t s , I only replicate dishes that I've tasted during my travels, some- times slightly modifying it with contaminations from world cui- sine. I don't think I've created anything; I've just witnessed thousands of intertwined tradi- tions. I'm committed to cook- ery as a whole; only absent- minded people are concerned about the latest trend, instead of looking at the big picture. If I am to embrace world food and culinary habits, I can't take care of a single restaurant. Chef Rubio

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