ONLINECooking Alla Giudia: Food of Italy’s Jewish Communities

Falmouth Jewish Congregation invites everyone to a free, virtual “Jewish Book Council Author Talk” by Benedetta Jasmine Guetta on her book “Cooking alla Guidia,” about the cooking and history of Italian Jews.

You can participate in the program on Zoom and view it on Falmouth Community Television, which will carry it live on FCTV Public Channel 13 in Falmouth and livestream it on their website. Those who join on Zoom will have an opportunity to pose questions. Books are available from Eight Cousins Bookstore in Falmouth and can be ordered in person, by phone or online.

Cooking is just one aspect of the tradition and culture of Italian Jewish life that is less familiar than those of other countries. Come hear about the history and food of Italian Jews from Benedetta Jasime Guetta, an Italian food writer and photographer. Born in Milan, Ms. Guetta now lives in Santa Monica, California. In 2009 she cofounded the website Labna, the only Jewish Kosher cooking blog in Italy, specializing in Italian and Jewish cuisine. Since then, she has been spreading the word about the marvels of Italian Jewish food in Italy and abroad, teaching the recipes this rich cuisine to people in cooking schools, synagogues and community centers.

“Cooking alla Guidia” is a highly informative guide to this fascinating culinary history, as well as a book that can inspire you to add to your cooking repertoire. Did you know that, from Roman deep-fried artichokes (carciofi alla giudia) to Venetian sarde in saor (sweet-and-sour sardines), and Sicilian caponata, some of Italy’s iconic dishes are Jewish in origin? Or that Jewish presence in the land of modern Italy spans over 2,000 years? It was the Jews, for example, who taught Italians to cook eggplant, make orecchiette, and flavor dishes with raisins and pine nuts.

With a collection of kosher recipes from all regions of Italy, including plenty of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options, author Benedetta Jasmine Guetta is on a mission to tell the story of how the Jews changed Italian food, to preserve these recipes, and to share with home cooks the extraordinary dishes prepared in the Jewish communities of Italy. Highlighted throughout the book along with recipes are menus with regional Italian specialties, along with short, useful guides to the Italian cities with Jewish history.

Ms. Guetta’s work has been featured in numerous news outlets in Italy and abroad, including the Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Elle a Table, Saveur and Tablet. While she previously coauthored two cookbooks in Italian, “Cooking all Guidia” is her first English language cookbook.