Gone Fishin' - For Italians

Ciao a tutti,

Friends have said about me that everywhere I go lately I'm "Fishin' for Italians." Well, true or not, I always seem to find them. What could be more appropriate than finding one at an outdoor food market, a fish vendor no less, from Chicago.

I heard stories all my life of Italians going to the marketa, (or marchetta, in Italian) to buy the fresh whatever, every morning, or as necessary. Whether in Italy, New York, Chicago or here in Los Angeles, we Italians still want our food the freshest it could be, organic (or biologico as the Italians in Italy say it) like our ancestors grew it, picked as ripe as possible and sold within hours for us to buy it and get the most flavor and nutrients out of God's great gifts.

Nothing could be more true than when we Italians have the desire to eat fish. It's gotta be fresh or we just won't eat it. So when I can make the time and get myself to one of the several outdoor markets around town I go for it.

After a while you start to get to know the vendors and they tell you what's good today and what you should buy and eat right now, etc. And this couldn't be more true with Peter who I have seen at a few markets, and his truck at a few more.

A friend pointed out that Peter was Italian. I should have guessed. Was there every any doubt? I guess I just wasn't putting two and two together. If the looks don't give it away, the accent does, or the way he treats his customers or is passionate about what he is doing. But as far as his accent is concerned, it isn't an Italian accent, its from Chicaaago!

I'm talking about Peter Siracusa, who when you ask him where he is from he'll tell you he's a "homeboy from the streets of Chicago." I guess it's the same ol' story, "you can take the boy out of Chicago, but you can't take Chicago out of the boy." And what a story it is. Once we opened up the discussion on being Italian-American and being from Chicago, forget about it, we could have talked all day.

I learned all about how his Sicilian born Father and his Barese born Mother landed in Chicago from Italy and then how he came to California from Chicago on his own along with six other Italian guys and four Irish ones. Not that he came to California with ten other guys, no, he came with six other Italian guys and four Irish ones.

First he landed in San Francisco and decided that was beautiful but not for him and then he landed in Hollywood. Not in Los Angeles, Hollywood. So what's a guy to do when in Hollywood but get involved in "pictures." That's the "movies" for those of you who don't know old Hollywoodese.

He started building sets and moving up in the business and got to work with such people as Lily Tomlin and on the "Incredible Shrinking Woman" film. But he decided that the movies weren't for him, or was it the people? At any rate, it was off to open a deli and then to working with his father selling fish, hence J and P West Coast Seafood, where the "P" is for Peter.

I wish I could elaborate on all the factors involved in this life progression. Some of the stories and the characters he met along the way are so interesting, at least to hear him tell it. Like I said, you could listen to him all afternoon. Actually, to watch the line of customers come through, you know they love him, the stories, and oh yes, the fish too. Everyone of them seemed to be a friend. And when they walked away he told me stories of each one, and all good, so he obviously really liked them and wasn't putting on an act.

I guess we Italians are good at acting on stage and screen, but in real life, it's real life! Here is him and Preness Marks, a long time customer getting her fresh Salmon fix for the days dinner.

And speaking of Italians acting, I guess Peter never got too far away from Hollywood, or at least they won't let him go. He was scouted to be on one episode of the hit cooking show, second to "Filippo and the Chef" that is, he, he, "Top Chef."

On that episode the chef was smart enough to go to Peter and get his recommendation on the best fish to win the contest. And that chef won. You can see Peter on that episode, because it seems like it is the one that they show the most often. I think it is because of Peter.

So what was good today? All of it was good otherwise he wouldn't sell it, that's what he said, and I believed him. He started telling me about the Halibut, the Red Snapper and the Sward Fish. I interrupted and asked him about the "Baccala." He said he had Cod but no Baccala. I said, you mean you have it fresh not salted and dried. He said, no he had Black Cod but not Baccala Cod.

What's the difference? Well, I was in for a lesson. I only knew of one type of Cod and that is the one that is used for Baccala. But according to the expert, Peter taught me there are eight or nine different types of Cod Fish. I never knew that.

Look at all you can learn when you ask someone if they are Italian-American! Don't you think it's time you went "Fishin' For Italians?"

Filippo

P.S. I thought this video was very apropos to today's post. It is some footage taken of some fishermen in a small fishing village in Caronia, Sicily. The opening caption in Italian translates to "...Caronia, a sliver of land between sky and sea." It's dawn and the fishermen are coming in with the morning's catch. The video goes on to feature other artisans at work but the images of the fisherman is timeless. Enjoy (In Italian)