![]() And then, with a little luck, share them with you in cookbook form. I am so excited to get back there again this September (fingers crossed, ptu ptu ptu), with my cookbook researcher hat on, and the book’s amazing photographer, Kristin, with me, to capture some of the stories and dishes in person. completely distinct from any understanding of Jewish community I thought I understood previously. Walking down Portico d’Ottavia, the main drag in the Roman Jewish ghetto, I could literally feel my brain and heart expanding as I took in this ancient Jewish community that was 1. I fell fast and hard for the Rome’s Jewish community more than a decade ago. Despite being only 13-15,000 strong, depending on your source, the community has played an outsized role in Roman history, and contributed many recipes - like suppli (mozzarella-stuffed rice balls), fiori di zucca fritti (fried zucchini blossoms), and cassola (ricotta cheesecake) - to Rome’s larger repertoire of iconic dishes. Today, Rome’s Jewish community includes the descendants ancient Roman Jews who arrived in the 2nd century BCE, Sephardi Jews who immigrated in the wake of the Spanish Inquisition, and Libyan Jews who came in the late 1960s. Despite the hardships, they survived, thrived, and developed a strong, singular culture and beguiling food traditions. Jews have lived in Rome for 2,000 years and faced plenty of discrimination along the way, including more than three centuries (from 1555-1871!) locked in a cramped, impoverished, flood-prone ghetto. I am deep into the recipe testing process for my next cookbook, which will be a love letter to Rome, and specifically the city’s historic and delicious Jewish cuisine.
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