Eggplant in Italy was apparently abhorred by non-Jews until the end of the 1800s. Its Italian name, Melanzana, is said to derive from the Latin “Mela Insana” (Bad Apple) because it was believed to be poisonous and cause fevers that would make people lose their minds. But in the 20th century the purple fruit took the country by storm, and is now the star ingredient in some of the most popular and world-famous Italian dishes

.Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 medium eggplants
• 1/2 pound mozzarella (preferably fresh mozzarella preserved in its liquid)
• 1 cup diced tomatoes (canned)
• 4 slices bread soaked in milk (crust removed)
• 1 small white onion, finely minced
• 1 clove garlic (slightly crushed but whole)
• 8 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Wash the eggplants, discarding the stems, and cut them in half length-wise.Sprinkle with abundant salt and place in a colander. Place the colander in the sink or inside a large bowl and let rest for 30 minutes to one hour to drain the bitter juice. Rinse well and pat dry.
In a large skillet, heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the garlic clove and cook on medium/high heat until golden. Discard the garlic and add the onion and a couple of tablespoons of water, and cook on low heat until translucent. Add the diced tomatoes (drained of the liquid), salt and pepper, and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside.
Coarsely chop the mozzarella, and drain the bread from the milk, squeezing the liquid out.
Using a spoon (a grapefruit spoon works best!), scoop out most of the flesh, leaving a 1⁄2″-thick eggplant shell; coarsely chop about half of the scooped-out flesh and add it to the mozzarella and the bread (discard the rest). Add the diced tomatoes, basil, at least 3 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. Stuff the eggplants and place them on a baking tray brushed or sprayed with a small amount of olive oil or lined with parchment. Bake for 40 minutes and enjoy hot or warm.

(Thanks for the recipe, mom!)

• 1 lb chicken livers
• 1/2 cup gribenes (the original version is made with spleen, which is hard to come by here. pleen is in the same manner as ordinary meat, but the membrane must be removed before soaking it, and so must the spleenic vein).
• 3 or 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•  1 ½ tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
•  ½ onion, finely chopped
• ½ stick celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 a medium organic carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• ½ cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1 ½ tablespoons freshly chopped parsley to decorate
• salt and pepper

Heat oil in a skillet. Add the finely minced onion, carrot, celery. Add the (already koshered by broiling) chicken livers and giblets (or spleen). Cook for one minute, and add the wine. Allow it to evaporate and add the tomato paste, salt and pepper. Lower the heat to the minimum and cook for 25 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally and adding warm water if it starts sticking.
After 25 minutes remove from the heat, add the capers, and process in your blender or chop finely with a knife.
Adjust the salt and pepper and serve with small slices of artisanal bread (or matzah!)

Ingredients

2 pounds spinach
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more to grease the pan
scant 3 tablespoons flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1/3 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

 Directions

Wash the spinach very thoroughly, and cook in a covered pot on its own, adding only a couple of tablespoons of water to prevent it from sticking to the bottom (about 10 minutes); rinse under cold water and drain very well, then squeeze most of the water out with your hands or by squeezing them inside a cheesecloth, or pressing them against the bottom of a sieve. Place the spinach in a food processor and process until pureed.
Make a “Bechamel” sauce by combining milk, butter and flour gradually, with a whisk, in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer, stirring constantly with a whisk, until the sauce thickens (about 20 minutes). Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove the béchamel from heat (if you weren’t able to avoid lumps, you can strain it through a fine-mesh sieve).
Pre-heat your oven to 340 F; butter or grease a 1 1 ⁄2- to 2-quart baking pan and dust with flour. Whisk the eggs together, add them to the spinach; add the béchamel sauce, parmigiano cheese, salt and pepper to taste and combine very well.Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until it sets and lightly browns – about 40 minutes.
Remove from oven; allow to rest for 15 to 20 minutes, and unmold. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

– 8 cups butternut squash chunks (or pumpkin)
– 4 medium (or 3 large) eggs
– 2 cups all-purpose flour
– a big pinch of salt
– 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
– 10 fresh sage leaves
– freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
– salt and pepper
– 4 to 8 tablespoons butter (to taste)

Bake the peeled, seeded chunks of squash in the oven at 400 degrees F for 40-60 minutes or until soft.
Mash the hot squash, stir in the slightly beaten eggs, a pinch of salt, the nutmeg, and slowly add the flour – slowly and gradually, because hand just enough so that the dough holds its shape, or your gnocchi will be rock-hard! You will need between 1 1/4 cups and 2 cups of flour, depending on the natural moisture of the squash you bought. Once the dough is soft and elastic but holds shape, stop adding.
Shape into several rolls about 2/3 inch in diameter and cut into pieces. Arrange in one layer on paper towel dusted with flour.
Melt the butter in a pan,with the sage leaves.
In the meantime you will have a large pot of boiling water ready, with 1 1/2 tablespoons of coarse salt in it. When the water is boiling aggressively, add the gnocchi a few at a time and cook until they come to surface, removing them with a slotted spoon as they rise.
Place in a warm serving dish, dress with the sage butter and grated parmigiano cheese to taste.
** some regional variations of this recipe add about 1 cup of crushed amaretti cookies instead of the nutmeg.

I know that most people might not immediately associate sauerkraut with Italy – but that’s only because they have never been to the North-Eastern regions! For example, sauerkrauts are actually the main ingredient in Trieste’s signature soup, the Jota (pronounced yota, from the Latin term for soup). Trieste is the largest Italian port city on the Adriatic and was for a long time the trade crossroads between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Western Europe. It also boasts a rich and fascinating Jewish history. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Jews fleeing from German lands settled here to make a living as moneylenders, bankers, and merchants. Even women practiced money-lending in Trieste, an unusual custom at the time. More Jews arrived in the following centuries from Spain and the Ottoman Empire, and finally in the late 18th century from Corfu. Trieste in general, and Jewish Trieste in particular, was cosmopolitan and cultured, and the local dishes give us a little taste of such flair . James Joyce, who lived in Trieste for 16 years and at one point fell in love with his Jewish Triestine student Amalia Popper, would probably agree.

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound dried beans (“lamon” or “borlotti” variety, soaked overnight)
• 2 large russet potatoes
• 1/2 lb. fresh sauerkraut, or high quality canned sauerkraut (rinsed)
• 1 garlic clove, mashed
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 1 bay leaf
• a pinch of cumin powder
• (optional) some beef sausage
•  salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Soak the beans overnight, drain and cook in a large pot of water for a couple of hours until tender. Add the sausage if using.
Add the cubed potatoes (Some people cook them separate. Some people also mash 1/3 of the beans.). Heat the oil in a pan, add the garlic and cumin and cook until the garlic is golden. Add the sauerkraut and cook for 10 more minutes. Discard the garlic clove, add the bay leaf and cover with little water; bring to a simmer.
When the cubed potatoes are soft, combine the sourkrout soup with the potato and bean soup, and allow to simmer for about 45 more minutes, stirring often.
Top individual servings with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly ground pepper, lus more salt if needed (but the sourkrout tend to be salty).
*** on Parve versus Meat: I like it with a little beef or beef sausage in it, but many people I know prefer the parve version because it’s more digestible: it’s really a matter of personal preference.

Welcome the cold season with a warming, decadent dish that elevates a simple food like potatoes to new culinary heights! Potatoes were introduced to Italy only at the end of the 16th century by the Spanish, who encountered them in the Americas: the Italian climate was perfect for their cultivation, and they quickly became a star ingredient (who doesn’t love Gnocchi?). Potatoes and mushrooms are a classic pairing, and one of the reasons why I love fall 🙂

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

• 2 pounds potatoes (I use Yukon Gold)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• (optional) 1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 4 ounces fresh Italian* cheese (Montasio, Asiago, or Fontina) , chopped finely
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (if you worry about saturated fats, skip and just add 4-5 tablespoons of milk)
•  2 eggs
• 1/3 cup Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon chopped thyme
•  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°.
Place the dried mushrooms (if using) in a small bowl and cover them with boiling water. Set aside for 30 minutes.
Parboil the potatoes for 6 minutes. Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly, using a mandoline. Place them in a bowl filled with cold water until use.
In a skillet, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic clove (slightly pressed). Add the fresh mushrooms and the dried mushrooms (revived in hot water and well drained), add ¼ cup dry white wine and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until tender and the liquid has evaporated. Season with the rhyme, salt and pepper.
In a bowl, combine the cheeses and eggs with the cream until smooth, and add salt and pepper to taste.
Grease a baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Dust the bottom with some grated parmigiano cheese, then line the pan with potato slices, both the bottom and sides. Layer about half the mushrooms over the potatoes, then layer cream cheese mixture, more potatoes, mushrooms, cheese, and end with the remaining potato.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Unmold and serve hot (you can also serve in the baking pan: in this case, skip the parchment).
* If you can’t find Kosher Italian cheeses in your area, you can make this recipe with local artisanal cheeses. Choose something as natural as possible, flavorful and that melts easily.

Makes about 24 cookies

• 1  1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1  1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup  sugar
• a generous pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 6 oz unsalted butter or margarine (cold), or 2/3 cup of olive oil
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ tbsp vanilla extract
• grated zest of one lemon
• confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). Place the cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a food processor and combine together. Add the butter or margarine and pulse. Add the eggs, the vanilla extract and lemon zest, and process until fully combined. Lastly, add the raisins.
The texture should be crumbly.  Transfer the dough to a lightly floured  work surface, and knead it with your hands till smooth, then divide it into 4 pieces. Roll the pieces into cylinders (about 1” or 1 ½” diameter). Flatten the cylinders slightly. Cut diagonally at about 1 1/2 inch (4 cm) intervals. Flatten the cookies about 1/3” thick, and make diamond shapes.
Arrange the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for 15 minutes or until a light gold brown color. Allow them to cool on a rack, then dust with confectioner’s sugar.