Going back to the beginning of the Common Era, the city of Rome has been home to an ancient cuisine that was greatly influenced by the Jews who lived there. The very first Roman Jews were brought to that city as slaves after the fall of the Temple in Jerusalem.

And it is well-acknowledged by food historians that much that is excellent in Italian cooking can be traced back directly to these Jewish slaves. In this national cuisine, when one comes across a recipe which uses no trafe, it is a safe guess that the dish derives from those earliest Jews.

Author Edda Servi Machlin has written a beautiful book on this topic, The Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews. In a thin volume, Ms. Machlin explains that on her mother's side of the family, she can trace her ancestry back for nearly 2000 years, to those same hardy slaves. Her father's family are "newcomers" to Italy, arriving just about 500 years ago, around the time of the Inquisition. This book is a fascinating effort which could have been achieved only by someone who is a superb cook as well as a scholar. Clearly, Ms. Machlin is both.

Ms. Machlin was raised in Pitigliano, in Tuscany, perhaps the most Jewish town in Italy. During the Inquisition, Pitigliano was the first town north of the reach of the torturers, so it became the nearest stop on the Jewish journey up through Spain and Italy. Before Hitler completely destroyed the Jewish community of Pitigliano--not all the people perished, but none of the survivors would return--Pitigliano was the center of Jewish culture and learning for all of Italy. About 10% of the population before 1935 was Jewish, a more extraordinary number than may appear, since Jews make up only 1/10 of 1% of Italy's population. Pitigliano boasted Jewish schools, newspapers, libraries and theaters. It was the home of Jewish publishers, architects, doctors and teachers.

Though this book is jammed with marvelous recipes, all kosher, more significantly, the publication is a touching history of this lost community. Tellingly, Ms. Machlin has subtitled her effort as "Traditional Recipes and Menus and A Memoir of A Vanished Way of Life." That says it all.

These recipes may surprise many Jewish cooks who know little about Italian culture, since rarely do tomatoes, or even garlic, appear. Tuscany is in the northern part of Italy, near Florence. Ms. Machlin's cuisine is typical of this region, relying on lemons, almonds, pine nuts, anchovies and raisins, the principal flavorings preferred by local chefs. Only in Southern Italy does one sample the tastes most associated with pizza, like garlic, tomatoes, melted mozzarella cheese, and oregano.

Ms. Machlin reveals that many other ingredients which the rest of the world consider to be Italian were first, and for many centuries, used only by Jews. At one time in Italy, artichokes, eggplants and fennel were thought of as Jewish foods!

Perhaps the most famous of all the Roman Jewish dishes is Carciofi alla Giudia, or "Artichokes in the Jewish Style." Ms. Machlin shares instructions for the proper preparation of the Carciofi alla Giudia. These directions have been passed down in her mother's family for two millennia, and this author's explanation in itself forms a dissertation.

She also carefully offers some distinctions between Ashkenazic and Italian-Sephardic notions of kashruth and chametz. There are different butchering techniques used by Italian kosher markets which make for a greatly expanded variety of kosher meat cuts there. Italian Jews fancy lamb and even goat. They apply techniques of curing that most of us would not expect to be used with the animals which we are permitted to eat under the laws of kashruth. In this book, the author offers a recipe for goose that is an example of this curing.

The Italian Jews also have some different theories as to chametz. During Passover, the Servi family ate rice but not dairy. And always, the Italian Jews ate that which was fresh, seasonal, and regional.

Most importantly, in Italy, kosher food had to be of the choicest quality. This is in marked contrast to the manner in which the poor Jews of Ashkenazic descent traditionally have been forced to eat as a matter of simple economy. In Italy, Edda Servi Machlin writes, the expression used to describe the superior quality of kosher food was advice to "dress like a Turk and eat like a Jew." Based on this book, it is obvious that the Italian Jews ate very well indeed.

Anyone with a serious interest in either kosher cooking or Jewish history must add The Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews to their bookshelves.

	This pot roast dish calls for a 3 to 4 pound piece of “eye” of beef. The name of this cut varies from butcher to butcher, but it definitely is a kosher cut. Some butchers call it an “eye round,” others say that there is no kosher meat by that particular name. At a kosher butcher shop in Los Angeles, it was called a “clod” of beef; a singularly repulsive choice of title. But, in the end, it's just a handle, and a clod by any other name should taste as delicious. This cut will be rolled by the butcher into a cylinder and tied into shape with twine. A "silver tip" also can be used. Consistent with Northern Italian cooking, the recipe here uses no garlic. Those cooks who favor garlic should feel free to add a hint of it, if that is their preference. 3 large lemons, well-washed 4 teaspoons salt, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste 3 to 4 lb. eye of beef 1/2 cup oil, preferably olive oil 2 cups of stock, either beef stock OR chicken stock Grate the rind off the lemons and reserve. Squeeze the lemons for juice and set juice aside. Season the meat evenly with the salt and pepper. Use a heavy flameproof pan into which the piece of beef will fit snugly. Pour in 1/4 cup of the oil and heat gently. Add the meat to the pot and brown on all sides, turning frequently, about 10 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan and pour off the grease, both the oil and any rendered beef fat. Discard this fat. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of oil to the pan and heat gently. Add the lemon juice. Return the meat to the pan and bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times. Add the stock and cover the pan. Simmer over low heat for approximately 2-1/2 hours. (At this point in the cooking, the pan may be transferred to preheated 350 degree F. oven.) Turn the meat after the first hour. After the 2-1/2 hours, add the lemon rind and cook 15 minutes more. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Slice thinly. Serve with baked potatoes, green salad, and a choice of green. Any spring vegetable works nicely. Or sauté a green vegetable in the Italian manner, with a little olive oil and crushed garlic. Steamed spinach goes fine as well. Serves 8--12.

	Ms. Machlin recounts a fascinating story about her great-aunt, who was married to a member of the Italian Senate. Her aunt’s chef was a friend of the chef of the king, who reportedly gave him this recipe, which then was passed along in the aunt’s family. Literally, this name means “Cake of the King.” The cake has an almond base, which is a hallmark of fine Italian cooking; in Italy, marzipan is known as “frangipani,” and it is considered extremely luxurious. 2 tablespoons sweet butter or margarine 2 tablespoons very finely ground almonds 5 eggs, separated pinch of salt 1 1/4 cups sugar 2 1/2 cups blanched almonds, chopped very, very fine 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon almond extract grated rind of one well-washed lemon slivered toasted almonds, approximately 1 cup* Grease a 10--inch springform pan. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of the very finely ground almonds and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Beat the egg whites with the salt until stiff and dry. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until the mixture is lemon-colored. Gradually continue to add the chopped almonds, the two extracts, and the grated lemon rind. The mixture will have formed a very hard paste. Mix in 1/3 of the beaten egg whites to soften this paste. Fold in all of the remaining beaten egg whites and transfer to the pan. Place the cake pan in the center of the middle rack of the oven. Bake for one hour WITHOUT OPENING THE OVEN DOOR! Then open the door and leave ajar for 10 minutes. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and place upside down. When cool, turn right side up on to cake platter. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Serves 12.

*To toast nuts, spread in a single layer in a broiling pan. Broil 4 to 5 minutes, checking frequently to see that nuts have turned golden. Do not allow nuts to turn brown, as they will taste bitter. Allow all nuts to cool thoroughly before chopping.