Jamaican Italian

Jamaican-Italian. Is that a thing? Well, yes and no. It's actually my neighbor Tom, who is an Italian spiedie aficionado and a Jamaican Jerk chicken fan. Two different cuisines. Both delicious. Both full of flavor. Both on repeat at Tom's house, and if you're lucky enough, you're invited to share in the meal, be it Italian or Jamaican.

Protest! Okay, Tom is neither Jamaican nor Italian, so how is it that he's an expert? Truth is, he isn't, but he has a history with spiedinis (cooking them and making them professionally) and he's made Jerk chicken with his own seasoning paste many times and for many years. He's a home cook who has developed his own versions of key dishes from two different cultures and he's very happy to share his recipes for both. Over the years, Tom has simplified his cooking style and uses prepared sauces and marinades. But, the quality of the sauces is critical. Read on for the method.

Tom with chicken spiedies hot off the grill

First, the Spiedie. What is it? It's an American-Italian chicken on a stick. A kebab. A variation of the Italian spiedini, the spiedie evolved as cubed marinated lamb or pork that was grilled. Originating in the Binghamton, New York, area, sometime in the 1920s and 1930s, spiedies are now also made with chicken, which is what Tom Tallet likes to use. While you can make your own marinade, Tom relies on the traditional Lupos, a meat market and spiedie marinade business that's been family-owned since 1951. It's got Tom's seal of approval and the original flavors. "I can certainly mix my own--it's pretty easy--but when Lupo's does it so well. A no-brainer," says Tom.

The spiedies surrounded by bread, which is used to pull meat off the skewer.

Tom is like all folks from Binghamton--very proud and very passionate about spiedies. He and wife, Lisa, grew up in Binghamton with spiedies as the pride of any family backyard barbeque. "Everybody had spiedies in the summer," Lisa says. "The first hot day of the year, and my father would start marinating spiedies," she adds. Tom, in fact, is so passionate about these marinated meat cubes, that he paused his successful sales career to open The Office Bar & Grill, a restaurant which focused on spiedies. Tom says, "We served them up on an Italian roll with various toppings and sauces. The Buffalo Spiedie was popular--chicken with buffalo sauce and blue cheese crumbled on top." Another favorite was the Utica Spiedie, layered with Utica greens--a traditional mix of cooked escarole, prosciutto, breadcrumbs, cherry peppers, onions and provolone cheese. Spiedies are so popular in the Binghamton area that there's even a spiedie festival held every year. All hail the spiedie! It's the Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally. Start grilling up those spiedies now, and you can enter the contest next year!

According to Tom and Lisa, Spiedies have been popular in the Binghamton area since the 1930s, where it is said that Augie Iacovelli popularized the sandwich in his nearby Endicott restaurant. Sharkey's restaurant also contributed to the popularity, and Lupo's market continues with their marinade. Iacovelli called his marinade Zuzu, which consisted of wine vinegar, garlic, mint and lemon juice, with olive oil and more herbs added later.

Tom recommends that you cut skinless chicken into one-inch cubes. Put the chicken cubes in a plastic bag and cover generously with the marinade. Seal the bag and move it to the refrigerator to marinate for 24 hours. "At home," Tom says, "we marinate the chicken, then freeze it in the bag. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and thread onto metal skewers." He adds that a charcoal grill is ideal for maximum flavor and browning, but a gas grill works too.

Lisa recommends serving the spiedies with Utica Greens or Salt Potatoes, both New York specialties. (I've linked to online recipes.)

Lisa also recommends Tom's recipe for a refreshing Paloma to sip on while you wait for the spiedies to cook.

Muddle a few grapefruit segments in a cocktail shaker, add ice and the following.

1 ounce grapefruit juice

1 1/2 ounces (or a bit more) of good tequila

Shake vigorously. Pour into a glass over a few cubes of ice and top off with grapefruit seltzer.

Garnish with a grapefruit slice and a sprig of thyme.

STAY TUNED FOR PART TWO--The Jerk Chicken.