Official Review: Street Food of Sicily by Alfonso Gagliano

EvaDar · Post by **EvaDar** » 22 Dec 2019, 02:00

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Street Food of Sicily" by Alfonso Gagliano.]

4 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

Sights, sounds, and smells have taken over your senses. Vivid colors line the stone streets where vendors display their aromatic culinary delights. The essence of eggplant caponata, saffron rice, and sausage pastries permeate the historical street food scene of Sicily. In his beautiful book, Street Food of Sicily, author Alfonso Gagliano relates his personal experience of the Sicilian street market tradition, which he calls, "a crucible: quasi-magical and entrancing to the senses.”

Gagliano offers a comprehensive cultural and historical overview of the Sicilian tradition of preparing, selling, and sharing food in street markets. Greek, Roman, Arabic, Spanish, and Jewish culinary practices all influenced the recipes and ingredients of the Sicilian street food scene.

The pages are chock full of photos and descriptions of street food dishes, their ingredients, and their history. The Middle Eastern-inspired panelle, a thin layer of fried chick pea batter, sounded delicious. I am inspired to try my hand at making sfincionello for my Sicilian best friend. Created by a Palermo nun, this dish consists of a spongy crust with Sicilian ciocavallo cheese, topped with onions, tomato sauce, and sardines. After a drizzle of aromatic olive oil, it’s baked a bit like a pizza. Yum.

I would be remiss not to mention that Sicilians are devoted to the efficient use of the whole animal for culinary purposes—and I mean the whole animal. Sea urchin eggs, pig’s head, cow’s lips, ears, and sexual organs are incorporated into the local delicacies. Offal, which is often described in the United States using its homophone—awful—appears with regularity in Sicilian street dishes. Offal refers to animal internal organs, prepared as food. The author’s descriptions left me doubtful that a single part of the animal is discarded, except perhaps feathers, teeth, and fur.

I enjoyed Gagliano’s book. His writing does justice to the fully sensate nature of the Sicilian markets. His beautiful imagery brings to life the colors, the bustling market sounds, and the cultural ambiance that accompany the food experience. It’s customary to eat street food with one’s fingers while strolling and taking in the surroundings. Gagliano clearly has a special appreciation for this tradition. “Touching our food directly, with bare hands and with a spontaneous spirit, is one of the most sensual acts in the world, like dipping your finger in ice cream.”

Adding to the armchair street food experience are the beautiful photos of the food, the people, and the street scenes. They communicate the visual palette vividly and with every bit as much color as was described. The photos are often presented with a portion in black and white, which I actually enjoyed. It served to emphasize the vibrant hues even more strongly.

Gagliano’s voice is engaging and friendly, and his writing is lean and accessible. The book appears to be professionally edited. I found a few minor errors, but the text is very clean, overall.

One minor disappointment is that the author has absolutely no internet presence, other than this book. I was curious about his background, wondered if he is a chef, a food critic, a writer, or simply a foodie. I found no biography or reference to him at all.

I gladly award Street Food of Sicily 4 out of 4 stars for its presentation, strong writing, and reverent exploration of Sicilian cuisine. This book was really fun to read. Gagliano’s words bring the Sicilian street food scene to life with satisfying richness and animation. I recommend the book to anyone who enjoys unique food, Mediterranean travel, or rich cultural exploration. Next time you visit a street fair, try it Sicilian style. Find the most exotic dish available, “eat with your hands, then suck the broth right off the plate.”

******
Street Food of Sicily
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon