The Recipes

Traditional ingredients and use of spices create signature flavor profiles of each part of the Mediterranean world. The Italian Jewish palate is the most restrained of the Mediterranean Jewish world, almost austere in its seasoning. Because the Italians had, and still have for the most part, stellar raw materials, Italian Jewish cooks don’t rely on exotic spices and herbs to achieve full-flavored food; instead they prefer the clean flavors of an uncomplicated cuisine. They use salt, a bit of pepper, and a few grains of nutmeg. The herb of choice is parsley. The Sephardim of Spain and Portugal, who settled in the Ottoman Empire, came with a Moorish/Arabized palate. Theirs was a more vivid spice palette that included cinnamon and allspice, cumin and paprika. Mint, dill, and bay leaves joined parsley in the herb bouquet. They ate rice, spinach, and artichokes and gradually embraced the foods of the New World: tomatoes, peppers, pumpkin, squashes, vanilla, and chocolate. They brought with them nut- and bread-thickened sauces, saffron, a love of citrus, a penchant for sweet-and-sour combinations, and a sweet tooth.