A rustic but still decadent strawberry dessert for Mother’s Day? Shavuot? Just because? Yes, yes, and yes, please. Ever since seeing a photo last year of a strawberry cassata, a Sicilian-style ricotta cake, it’s been on my list to try. This year’s arrival of spring’s best strawberries motivated me to do it—to create my own recipe for this festive and […]
Pumpkin Cake (Torta di Zucca) with Orange-Mascarpone Topping
November 17, 2016 · by
Pumpkin and squash were historically favored by Italy’s Jews. You could find these fall fruits in soups, risottos, pastas, stews, fritters, and yes, even cake. I found recipes for Jewish-Italian pumpkin cakes, but decided to develop an updated version. We served samples of this during my talk in September about the culinary history of Italy’s Jews. When I started working […]
Ricotta-Mascarpone Hamantashen with Mocha Glaze
March 18, 2016 · by
No traditional Jewish-Italian hamantashen exists. But don’t worry. One thing I learned early on and I see played out every year in recipe compilations is that these triangle-shaped pastries, like kids in their Purim holiday costumes, can be just about anything. Even deliciously Italian-themed. Hundreds of years ago, that would be hard to imagine. Hamantashen, […]
Mascarpone and Kosher Rye Whiskey Whipped Cream
November 25, 2014 · by
If you’re lucky enough to be bringing dessert (my favorite assignment) to Thanksgiving or another holiday gathering this season, you’ll likely be making or buying a pumpkin pie. And that’s one pie that truly benefits from a dollop of homemade whipped cream (if dairy will be permissible). This year I put together what I think is […]
Buricche (Jewish-Italian Pastry Turnovers) with Drunken Figs and Mascarpone
March 13, 2014 · by
Although I love hamantaschen for Purim, I do think Italy’s Jews have a pretty fabulous take on the tradition of filled foods for the holiday. Their approach? Buricche, or puff pastry turnovers. As the name implies, these are related to the boreka, a turnover of Turkish origin that is now a popular throughout Israel. Cultures […]
