Two local entrepreneurs are hoping to buy a food truck, and Saturday, June 8, they'll introduce their signature dish in a free tasting at Mia Cucina, 345 Frazier Ave.
Husband-and-wife Benedetto and Mary Cate Scaduto have pledges of $4,130 toward a $25,000 goal to launch their new business, The Saucy Sicilian.
Their dream, according to their website, www.foodstart.com/project/thesaucysicilian, is to "bring an authentically Sicilian twist to the Italian food and street food scene in Chattanooga."
To fuel interest, they will serve up arancini (ah-rahn-chee-nee), which they call "the ultimate Sicilian street food," in a presentation on "The Art of Arancini" from noon to 2 p.m.
Arancini are crispy fried risotto balls that can be stuffed with all manner of ingredients. The classic, called The Don by the Scadutos, is stuffed with a Bolognese sauce, containing celery, onion, carrots, peas, ground beef, tomato and red wine.
Other savory varieties include the Caprese, with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella, and The Guido, made with ham and mozzarella. A sweet version of arancini is made with fresh strawberries and Nutella, rolled in powdered sugar.
Their Foodstart crowd-funding campaign, which runs through July 20, has six donation levels, ranging from $10 to $1,000. Donations come with perks, such as the chance to develop and name your own arancini flavor for a $250 investment.
According to their bio, both of the Scadutos work full-time at non-food-related businesses, do catering jobs on the side and teach Italian and cooking classes at Mia Cucina.
For more information, call the North Shore retailer at 423-265-4474.