On the occasion of SCIM 2023 - Week of Italian Cuisine in the World, La Cucina Italiana realized the volume I Racconti delle Radici, in collaboration with MAECI . Among the contributions, very interesting is the excerpt from the chapter Il cibo italiano e l'identità della città di Filadelfia, from the volume L'eredità italiana a Filadelfia (Treccani, 2023), Italian version of The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia (Philadelphia, Temple University Press 2021). The book, edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode, brings together numerous contributions that analyze the legacy of the Italian community in the development of Philadelphia.
Among them, the chapter on Italian food, written by Professor Judith Goode, examines the role played by Italian food culture in the development of the U.S. city. Here is the excerpt from the article and, below, the recipe for a typical Italian American sandwich, published in La Cucina Italiana November issue, and in the book I Racconti delle Radici, for SCIM 2023, with historical introduction by Simone Cinotto.
An iconic sandwich - excerpt
«Today, the Italian food legacy is manifested by both plebian and high-end foods. In the realm of popular foods, locally developed sandwiches serve as brands for the city representing its blue collar, gritty side of the city. Today’s foodies search for quality and taste across throughout social hierarchies from the upscale restaurant dynasties to the lowly food truck and hole-in-the wall. Philadelphia’s signature food icon, the cheesesteak is one of the hybrid creations made in South Philly for large event buffets (Chapter 18), the cheesesteak can be found at the airport, the ballpark with upscaled versions in high end places as well. Almost always identified as the Philadelphia or Philly cheesesteak, it can be found on many national menus. In 1987, I found a drive-in called Philly Cheesesteak in Bogota, Colombia begun by returning Colombian migrants who had acquired a taste and nostalgia for cheesesteaks. Ex-Philadelphians in LA have their pick of many outlets which advertise their Philly cheesesteaks. Projected by national and international tourist media, such foods are consumed by tourists as well as newcomer young professional hipsters who have gentrified South Philadelphia. The relative merits of recipes and taste of different outlets is endlessly debated through rankings and word of mouth. Eating cheesesteaks is the mandatory photo op for visiting political candidates. Other well-known local Italian sandwiches which represent the popular quick food of the working man are all Italian sandwiches such as roast pork with broccoli rabe found at the airport, ballpark and even in hip Brooklyn where a local Philadelphian began a two venue business out of his walk-up apartment. There are different stories of the origins of these particular sandwiches, but the hot sandwiches are connected to large collective celebrations produced by women or by the large deli-caterers who developed after the war. The hoagie, a ubiquitous Philadelphia brand which also lends itself to competitions for ratings as “the best” is linked to early working men’s carried lunches».
*Panino with ground beef and cheese invented by Italian Americans Pat and Harry Olivieri in the 1920s.
Sausage and peppers
In the early twentieth century, many Southern Italians migrated to the United States. The vibrant flavour of their cuisine can be found in this festival street food.
Along with fried dough balls, known as “Zeppole”, this is the most common food at Italian-American religious and civil street festivals in many cities in the United States, such as the feast of San Gennaro which is celebrated for two weeks in September in New York’s Little Italy, or for Columbus Day on 12th October. The sausages, peppers and onions are cooked on a hot oiled griddle in the stalls or on the food trucks lined up along the roadside, surrounded by fairground rides and souvenir sellers, and served on a plate or in a sandwich, called a hoagie roll. (ph Davide Maestri)
Cook Ilaria Castelli
Effort Easy
Time 1 hour
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
450g peeled tomatoes
120g Marsala or red wine
4 sausages
4 sliced bread rolls
4 garlic cloves
1 brown onion
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 red pepper
dry oregano
dried chilli pepper
extra virgin olive oil
salt
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and brown the sausages for 4-5 minutes, until they are slightly coloured; then remove them from the pan.
Finely slice the onion.
After removing their seeds, cut the peppers into strips of about 8 cm.
Place the peppers and onions in the sausage pan and let them cook for 18-20 minutes. Finally, add the salt and garlic, cook for 1 minute, pour in the wine and reduce by half.
Add the peeled tomatoes, 1 tablespoon of oregano and 1/2 teaspoon of chilli pepper (if you like a spicy flavour), mix well and add the sausages back in the pan.
Bring to the boil, lower the heat and cook for about 20 minutes.
Serve the sausages and peppers in the sliced bread rolls. They are also
good with polenta or as a pasta sauce.
Marc Vetri's restaurant, Vetri Cucina, on Spruce Street in Philadelphia.
Raised in South Philly, the chef is a star of Italian cuisine in the city.