Cucina Ebraica, Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen

From Cosa Bolle in Pentola, my free newsletter:
Winding down, Joyce Goldstein is not Italian, as anyone who hears her name would guess. However, she first came to Italy many years ago and fell in love with the country, and dedicate much of the two years that passed before her next visit to thinking about things Italian. When she returned to Perugia with her husband to study art and architecture the Fulbright committee placed them with an elderly Jewish family consisting of Guido Coen, his wife Clara, and Guido's two sisters; Perugia's Jewish population had shrunk so much that they had the Synagogue in their house, and the Rabbi came from Florence once a week to slaughter chickens according to the Laws on the balcony. Alas, neither Clara nor Guido's sisters were good cooks, and Joyce notes that though "the overcooking did seem familiarly Jewish, the flavors were definitely Italian."

When Joyce and her husband moved to Rome she continued her search for Jewish foods in the Capital, discovering that many of the dishes that were considered Jewish were also made by Roman Gentiles, and that many of the Jewish restaurants did not keep Kosher, employing pancetta and combining diary and meat items in the meals. But she did find Jewish roots, studied, took copious notes, and when she returned to the US moved from New York to San Francisco and began to cook, teaching Italian cooking classes and running Italian restaurants. And she has continued to study, discovering in the process that many Italian recipes and procedures have Jewish roots. With the benefit of hindsight a book was inevitable, and her Cucina Ebriaca, Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen is quite nicely done; she provides a detailed history of Italian Jewry, beginning with the Jewish traders who settled in the Peninsula long before the birth of Christ, then tracing the fates of the Jewish communities over the centuries of Christian domination, and on through to the modern times. There's also a discussion of Kosher laws and holiday meals, and then there are the recipes, which are fascinating.

Joyce was well aware that even if some of her readers were familiar with Jewish foods, the probably weren't going to be familiar with Italian Jewish foods and traditions, and she therefore explains in great detail. For example,

Riso con Brodo di Piselli, Rice in Pea Pod Broth with Peas (page 72):

Unlike the Venetian classic risi e bisi that it resembles, this Jewish version of pea risotto uses a broth made from pea pods rather than chicken or meat broth. The result is a lovely pale green risotto. In the original recipe from La Cucina nella Tradizione Ebraica, the peas and onions were sautéed, then the rice was added, and the rice and peas were cooked for nearly a half hour. Most peas are tender after 10 or 15 minutes, so if you like you can add the peas midway through the cooking time of the risotto. A shorter time over the heat will help them retain their color as well.

Serves 6

3 pounds [1.5 k] English peas

2 onions, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 cups Arborio rice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Remove the peas from their pods. Set the peas aside (you should have 3 to 3 1/2 cups) and put the pods, one of the chopped onions, the carrots, and the celery in a large saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the pea pods are very tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Working in batches, puree the vegetables, pea pods, and the cooking water in a blender. If the puree is too fiberous, pass it through a food mill or sieve. You will need 6 cups of broth for the risotto, so add additional vegetable broth or water to the puree to total this amount and so it is thin enough to be easily absorbed by the rice. Pour the broth into a saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.

Warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining chopped onion and half of the parsley and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add a ladleful (about one cup) of the simmering broth and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Reduce the heat and continue to add broth a ladleful at a time, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next, until the rice kernels are al dente at the center and creamy on the outside, about 18-20 minutes in all. Add the peas midway through the cooking (just before the last 2 additions of broth). Season with salt and pepper.

Remove from the heat and transfer to a warmed serving dish. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and a little Parmesan cheese, if using. Serve immediately.

Notes: If English peas are not in season, use snow peas or sugar snap peas for the broth. If you don't want to use frozen peas in the risotto, use sugar snap peas cut in half and blanched. Just remember that most vegetables in the Italian Jewish tradition are not al dente but are cooked all the way through.

Mira Sacerdoti's family uses less rice in this recipe and thins the dish with lots of pea broth. The result is a pea soup with rice rather than rice made with pea broth.

Lots of information in a clear, concise package. The book is about 200 pages long and has at least that many recipes, which cover all the essentials, from antipasti through rice, pasta, and soups, to greens, to fish, to poultry and other meats, and on through to desserts and sweet treats. There are recipes for every occasion, and though some will look familiar to a reader familiar with other Jewish traditions, many will not, and the same will hold true for those familiar with Italian traditions -- some things will look familiar, while others will be decidedly new. The presentation is completed by nicely done photographs of the dishes; this is a book that you could keep on a small coffee table, but it will be better off in the kitchen where it will provide inspiration.

Practical stuff:: Cucina Ebraica, Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen; By Joyce Goldstein; 1998 Chronicle Books (San Francisco); ISBN 0-8118-1969-8

Looks Good! I'd like to see the Order Form.