L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano R o m a n c u i - s i n e i s a s i c o n i c a s t h e c i t y i t w a s b o r n i n , w i t h m a n y o f i t s m o s t t y p i c a l d i s h e s h a v i n g b e c o m e integral part of our national f o o d t r a d i t i o n , f r o m c a r b o n a r a t o p a s t a a l l a g r i c i a , a l l t h e w a y t o d e l i c i o u s l y c h e e s y s u p p l ì and decadent carciofi alla giudia, artichokes fried in plenty of extra virgin olive oil, twice. The name itself of t h i s d e l i c a c y b e t r a y s i t s origins and it's only one of t h e m a n y s i g n s o f h o w d e e p l y J e w i s h c u l t u r e m a r k e d t h e l i f e i n o u r capital, kitchen included. W h i l e J e w i s h c o m m u n i t i e s h a v e b e e n t h r i v i n g f r o m N o r t h t o South for centuries, the one in Rome is one of the most ancient: its history is, as it o f t e n a n d p a i n f u l l y h a p p e n e d f o r t h e J e w i s h p e o p l e , c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t i m e s o f s e g r e g a t i o n a n d persecution, but also by a continuous and enriching cultural presence that links t h e p r e s e n t d a y t o 2 0 0 y e a r s b e f o r e C h r i s t w a s born. With such a past in c o m m o n , i t c o m e s a s n o surprise that Judaism and Rome became so close to o n e a n o t h e r , a c l o s e n e s s that is very well represented b y J u d e o - R o m a n c u i s i n e , o f w h i c h o u r carciofi alla giudia are only one of many examples. A p e r f e c t e x a m p l e o f fusion cuisine -- a concept far from being modern, as m u c h a s w e l i k e t o f a n c y ourselves as its creators -- Judeo-Roman food brings together culinary influences r o o t e d i n r e l i g i o n , s p i r i t u a l i t y , h i s t o r y a n d g e o g r a p h y . T h e J e w i s h c o m m u n i t y i n R o m e i s millenary, and its food is probably the best place to discover the way Romans of the past used to eat; but the J u d e o - R o m a n t a b l e i s n ' t only a precious screen filled with long lost food habits baccalà (dried and salted cod) can all be traced back to the hiberic peninsula. S o m e b e l i e v e t h a t t h e popular use of offal, the so- c a l l e d q u i n t o q u a r t o , i n Roman cuisine is also the r e s u l t o f J e w i s h c u l i n a r y h a b i t s . A c c o r d i n g t o L a Cucina Italiana, historical sources present traditional J e w i s h r e c i p e s f o r o f f a l cooked with chickpeas or flavored with sage, garlic or v i n e g a r a n d c i n n a m o n . While these are no longer common, you only need to take a look at two famous Roman dishes, pajata and t r i p p a , t o s e e h o w m u c h these ingredients are still used in traditional cuisine. W h e n , i n 1 6 6 1 , s p e c i a l laws called leggi suntuarie i m p o s e d t o t h e J e w i s h community in Rome not to consume expensive foods, most fish became forbidden, with the only exception of oily fish like anchovies and sardines: this is, according t o f o o d h i s t o r i a n s , t h e m o m e n t w h e n a n o t h e r s t a p l e o f J e w i s h - R o m a n cuisine, a l i c i o t t i c o n l ' i n d i v i a ( a n c h o v i e s w i t h e n d i v e ) w a s c r e a t e d . T o make it, layers of fish and seasoned endive are stacked o n e u p o n t h e o t h e r t h e n baked. L a s t b u t n o t l e a s t , dessert, of course. There are s o m e p o p u l a r R o m a n d e s s e r t s t h a t a r e s o reminiscent of the Middle East you'd almost think to be in Jerusalem when you t a s t e t h e m : w e h a v e t h e pizza dolce ebraica or, more c o r r e c t l y , p i z z a d o l c e d i B e r i d d e , a s o r t o f l a r g e cookie with candied fruit, pine nuts and almonds; the nocchiata, sweet balls made with egg and nuts -- usually a l m o n d s , h a z e l n u t s o r walnuts -- then fried with honey; and the tortolicchio, a cake made for Purim with honey, sugared anise seeds and almonds. In fact, it seems that one o f t h e b e s t k e p t c u l i n a r y secrets in Rome is a Jewish bakery, Forno Boccione, in Via del Portico d'Ottavia, n o t f a r f r o m L a r g o Argentina, the place we all know for its archeological landmarks and cats. Owned by the Limentani family and recipes, it is also deeply i n f l u e n c e d b y r e l i g i o u s precepts. But the turning point for the Jewish community in Rome came in 1492, when t h e J e w s o f S p a i n f o u n d refuge in our capital after b e i n g e x p e l l e d f r o m t h e country. Rome welcomed with joy and tolerance its new residents, until 1555 when Pope Paul IV created the ghetto, the second oldest in the world after that in Venice, where all Jews of the capital and its surrounding territories were forced to move to. It is at the sephardite and Spanish roots of the Judeo-Roman community in the 15th century we must look to learn more about the flavors, textures and scents of their food. The exclusive use of olive oil, which was quite a luxury at the time in t h e c a p i t a l , i n m a n y t r a d i t i o n a l d i s h e s l i k e artichokes alla giudia and deep fried zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella and a n c h o v i e s , b u t a l s o t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n o f t y p i c a l l y Spanish ingredients, such as since it opened more than 9 0 y e a r s a g o , t h i s s m a l l bakery is the perfect stop to try some traditional Jewish cakes and desserts in Rome. As a recipe, we propose the pizza dolce di Beridde, which is a traditional baked d e l i c a c y , t y p i c a l o f t h e Roman Jewish community. Its name probably comes f r o m t h e d i a l e c t a l expression Berit Milah or B r i t M i l a h , w h i c h m e a n s alliance, in reference to the r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n Yahweh and the people of Israel. Ingredients -- 1 ¼ cup of flour -- ½ cup of white sugar - - ¼ c u p a n d 1 t b s p o f extra virgin olive oil -- a pinch of salt -- 1 ⅓ tbsp of pine nuts -- ½ cup and 2 tbsp of raisins -- ½ cup and 2 tbsp of mixed candied fruits -- ½ cup and 2 tbsp of almonds Warm up the olive oil in a small saucepan: mind, it just needs to be lukewarm, not hot! Set aside. In a large bowl add the flour, the warm olive oil and mix with your hands. Then add also the sugar and the salt and keep on mixing with your hands. Add the nuts, the dried fruit and mix again until you get a smooth ball of dough, s i m i l a r i n c o n s i s t e n c y t o shortcrust pastry. At this stage, place the dough on a large baking tray lined with parchment paper and mould it in the shape of a rectangle of about 4 in in length and ¾ in in height. With a sharp knife, mark the pizza's surface to divide it in smaller rectangles, but without cutting the dough through. B a k e i n a n a l r e a d y h o t oven at 425F for about 20 minutes, until the surface of the pizza is golden. Let it c o o l a n d c u t i n p i e c e s following the knife incisions y o u m a d e b e f o r e b a k i n g . The final result is a sweet, a r o m a t i c c a k e , w i t h a crunchy crust and a moist inner part. FRANCESCA BEZZONE A slice of Pizza di Beridde, a traditional cake from the Jewish culinary tradition of Rome (Photo: Edoardo Da Costa) LA BUONA TAVOLA RECIPES COOKING TIPS SEASONAL DISHES When flavor and history go hand in hand: Rome's Jewish culinary tradition

• Cover