BOOK – Italian recipes for celebrating Rosh Hashanah
La Cucina Nella Tradizione Ebraica (Cooking in the Jewish Tradition) by Giuliana Ascoli Vitali-Norsa is possibly the most beloved Italian Jewish cookbook. Popular in many Italian Jewish households, it contains 700 recipes collected throughout Italy. Despite its simple format, this book remains relevant over time, earning a permanent spot in the Giuntina publishing catalogue.
In many ways, it represents the collective memory of Italian Jewry. Initially, the Padua-born author collected and edited the recipes for ADEI (the Association of Italian Jewish Women), of which she was an active and engaged member. Most recipes are very simple. Others are complex and sophisticated. They vary greatly across the peninsula.
Italian cooking is regionally diverse, and so is the history of Italian Jews. The book reflects this diversity, labeling recipes with the name of a city, region, or person. Some recipes come from the Ashkenazi tradition, while others are Sephardic.
To prevent the book from becoming out of print, Giuntina has included it in its catalogue since the 1990s. At first, the red cover featuring a photo of a festive Shabbat table was kept, though there had previously been other graphic designs. Then, in collaboration with Israeli graphic artist Ada Rothenberg, a more modern cover featuring a close-up of a challah was created.
As we begin the year 5786, the Italian Jewish culinary tradition remains strong. There is no better way to wish you all a sweet new year than with one of Giuliana Ascoli Vitali Norsa’s recipes.
Sfratti (Italian Rosh Hashanah recipe)
Ingredients:
500 grams of honey
1 kg of walnuts (with shells)
Orange peel
A pinch of pepper, cloves, and cinnamon
For the dough:
1/5 liter of white wine (10 tablespoons)
1/5 liter of oil (5 tablespoons)
300 grams of sugar
Flour as needed
Preparation
Shell the walnuts and chop them with some orange peel. Heat the honey with the spices. When it begins to form a thread, gradually add the walnuts and finish cooking. Meanwhile, prepare the dough. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a thin sheet. Once the honey mixture is warm (but not cold) shape it into small cylinders. Wrap the cylinders in the dough and form them into rings or serpent shapes. Bake in a moderately warm oven.
Translated by Alessia Tivan and revised by Matilde Bortolussi, students at the Advanced School for Interpreters and Translators of the University of Trieste, trainees in the newsroom of the Union of the Italian Jewish Communities – Pagine Ebraiche.