Classic Italian Jewish Cooking starts with the ancient Italian adage Vesti da turco e mangia da ebreo ("Dress like a Turk and eat like a Jew"). In this definitive volume of Italian Jewish recipes, Edda Servi Machlin, a native of Pitigliano, Italy, a Tuscan village that was once home to a vibrant Jewish community, reveals the secrets of this delicate and unique culinary tradition that has flourished for more than two thousand years. Originally introduced into the region by Jewish settlers from Judea, other Middle Eastern countries, and North Africa, Italian Jewish cuisine was always more than a mere adaptation of Italian dishes to the Jewish dietary laws; it was a brilliant marriage of ancient Jewish dishes and preparation methods to the local ingredients that relied on the imaginative use of fresh herbs, fruit, and vegetables. Fifteen hundred years later, with the influx of Iberian refugees, it was enriched by some Sephardic (from Spain and Portugal) dishes. Here you'll find recipes for the quintessential Italian Jewish dishes -- from Goose "Ham," Spicy Chicken Liver Toasts, and Jewish Caponata to Sabbath Saffron Rice, Purim Ravioli, and Tagliatelle Jewish Style (Noodle Kugel); from Creamed Baccala, Red Snapper Jewish Style, and Artichokes Jewish Style to Creamed Fennel and Fried Squash Flowers; from Couscous Salad and Sourdough Challah Bread to Haman's Ears, Honey Cake, and Passover Almond Biscotti. Selected from Edda Servi Machlin's three widely admired books on Italian Jewish cuisine and filled with beautifully rendered memories from her birthplace, this rare collection of more than three hundred recipes is a powerful tribute to a rich cultural heritage and a rare gift to food lovers. With a special section on Jewish holiday menus, Classic Italian Jewish Cooking is a volume to treasure for generations.

Classic Italian Jewish Cooking
Traditional Recipes and Menus

Spicy Chicken Liver Toasts

crostini di fegatini piccanti

Serves 8 to 12

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken livers
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
8 anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon tiny capers, drained
1 tablespoon freshly chopped Italian parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
36 diagonally cut thin slices one-day-old fruste bread (page 328)
1½ cups clear chicken broth

Instructions:

Discard the skins, fat, or any discolored parts from the chicken livers. Soak in cold water and rinse until the water is free from any trace of blood. Grind or chop the uncooked livers until they become like a paste.

Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onion, and sauté 1 minute. Add the chicken livers and sauté, stirring frequently, 3 more minutes. Add the anchovies and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add the capers and parsley and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well.

Toast the bread slices until lightly browned on both sides. Dip each slice in the broth very quickly (toast should be moist but still crunchy). Spread the chicken liver mixture on each canapé and arrange on a serving plate. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

---

Roast Leg of Lamb with Potatoes

agnello in forno con patate

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 leg of lamb (6 to 7 pounds)
or ½ baby lamb, about the same weight
12 medium potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 clove garlic, slightly crushed

Instructions:

Leave the lamb at room temperature. Peel the potatoes and cut lengthwise into 4 to 6 pieces each. Place in a bowl and season with 2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, half the pepper, minced garlic, and half the rosemary leaves. Toss well and set aside.

Remove the excess fat from the lamb. Rub all its surface with the crushed garlic clove and then with the remaining tablespoon oil. Season with the remaining salt, pepper, and rosemary leaves and place at the center of a large roasting pan. Distribute the seasoned potatoes around it and bake in 550°F oven for 30 minutes. Decrease the temperature to 350°F and cook for another 45 minutes.

Keep in mind that overcooked lamb acquires an unpleasant flavor and it is better -- as it happened in my first experience quite by accident -- to have it quite done on the surface but slightly underdone on the inside.

Classic Italian Jewish Cooking
Traditional Recipes and Menus. Copyright © by Edda Machlin. Reprinted by permission of HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved. Available now wherever books are sold.

---

Excerpted from Classic Italian Jewish Cooking: Traditional Recipes and Menus by Edda Servi Machlin
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.