Out on the Streets

The weekly market in Siena.

To me, a city's street food is the soul of its culture. It's honest, authentic, and traditional.

In Tucson, the street food is pretty amazing. While we do have the beloved-if-recently-maligned taco trucks, we also have Sonoran hot dog trucks (a hot dog, wrapped in bacon, served in a unique bun and topped with a slew of condiments), as well as street vendors of red and green chile, fry bread, wildflower honey, and elotes (grilled corn). Not to mention all the food trucks featuring cuisines from around the world, representative of the many people who have made Tucson home.

What is the street food tradition where you live? Do you eat street food when you travel? I am reminded of Anthony Bourdain's quote from Kitchen Confidential when he was asked if he feared getting sick from eating street food: “Your body is not a temple, it's an amusement park. Enjoy the ride.”

My friend Paola Bacchia, who writes Italy on My Mind, recently published a book on Italian street food. Actually, the name of her book is just that: Italian Street Food.

It features many recipes with photos that showcase the beauty of Italy's streets and foods. The book is divided not by regions, as one might expect, but is organized around ingredients or cooking method. Within each chapter are all the regional recipes you could ever desire.

Putting this book together was a true labor of love for Paola, and it really shows. When she was finished, she reached out to the culinary community to so some recipe testing.

I am truly honored that she asked me if I would consider testing a few recipes. Naturally, I said yes. One of my assignments was to make olive al'Ascolane. I made them one evening when Italian friends Annamaria and Giuseppe were coming to dinner.

I told them we were having the olives and, already familiar with them, Annamaria asked where I got them. I think she half expected me to say there was a street vendor somewhere in Tucson that made them. I was proud to say I made them.

Venetian bar food - cicchetti - a great way to stave off late afternoon hunger!

I was pleased they liked them, especially when they said they were as good as those from any street vendor in Italy.

A Venetian market.

I recently made another recipe from the book - the Polpette di Pesce Spada (swordfish meatballs). This was for a neighborhood-wide progressive tapas party; we co-hosted with Annamaria and Giuseppe at their home, where all things offered were Italian. The dish was new to us all, and a big hit. I thought you would enjoy them, too, so here is the recipe. I hope it tempts you to get Paola's enjoyable book, which is readily available online.

Campo de Fiori in Rome - our favorite vegetable vendor.

Andiamo! To the streets!

~ David

Polpette di Pesce Spada

Paola Bacchia, Italian Street Food

grapeseed or peanut oil for frying

1 pound swordfish, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/4 ounces pine nuts

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano leaves

2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves

1 3/4 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 large egg, lightly beaten

3 1/3 ounces bread crumbs

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice

1 ounce dried currants, soaked in 1/4 cup warm water for 15 minutes

Heat a splash of oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Add the swordfish, pine nuts, and ground cinnamon, and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the fish takes on some color and is just cooked through. Set aside in a medium-sized bowl to cool at room temperature.

Add the herbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg, breadcrumbs, orange zest, juice, and currants. Season with salt and pepper and mix to combine well. Roll small balls of the mixture, about 1 ounce in weight, and place on a baking tray. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in the fridge for at least 1 hour and up to 3-4 hours.

Place enough olive oil in a frying pan to cover the base. Pan-fry the meatballs, turning as required, for 2-3 minutes until pale golden on all sides.

These polpette are equally nice hot, warm, or at room temperature with a garden salad on the side.

Makes approximately 25.