Rebecchine di Gerusalemme

Versions of these anchovy-filled polenta sandwiches appear in almost every book on the cuisine of Italian Jews, but nowhere can I find a reliable story about the origin of the name. I doubt that these fritters were ever served in Jerusalem. Instead, the name Gerusalemme seems to be the Italian way to let you know that the dish originated in the Jewish community, just as the name Rebecca, or in this case the diminutive Rebecchine, indicates a Jewish origin.

While most traditional pol