I am happy to again present our Jewish Holy Days & Observances dessert menu. One of my primary goals as a pastry chef, is to be relevant and engaged with the community I serve. That is why I maintain an ever-changing seasonal, holiday and special event menus. I consider it a responsibility, as well as an honor, to have my desserts served at the most important life events, ranging from the happiest to some of the saddest. I also believe that it is the responsibility of all chefs to preserve, promote and advance culture through the food they make. That is why I celebrate the cultural influences that Italians have experienced over the millennia and how it is reflected in our varied dessert cuisine.

The Jewish community in Italy dates back to the second century BCE and it is the oldest Jewish community in Europe.  Yet, despite their important influence on Italian culture and cuisine, Jewish-Italian’s culinary heritage is mostly unheralded. Many of the iconic foods and dishes associated with Italian cuisine first originated among Italy’s Jewish population. The use of eggplant, artichokes, peppers, tomatoes and fennel, for instance, once were all considered exclusively “Jewish” foods in Italy.

The Jewish community in Italy has been declining for decades in large part due to the disastrous events of the 20th century. Desserts that were once considered standard have largely been forgotten, or exist only in specialized cook books. There is however hope. Italians and Jewish people are beginning to explore and rediscover their Jewish heritage. The synagogues of Venice are being renovated and the first synagogue in Palermo, in over 500 years, recently opened. Fortunately, interest in Jewish-Italian cuisine has also been slowly growing in both Italy and Israel. Yet, the truth is that the Jewish population in Italy today is too small and unless a wider and more inclusive audience is found, the traditions of Jewish-Italian food may soon disappear.

It is estimated that in the United States there are currently 10,000 Jewish-Italian descendants. Most Jewish people here are Ashkenazim (Eastern European) or Sephardic (Spanish) and naturally observe their own culinary customs. This year’s menu however, makes accessible delicious traditional and contemporary Jewish-Italian desserts for the holidays. My goal is to spark interest in all Jewish people, as well in anyone who loves Italian culture and cuisine, in these desserts. My hope is people will try and enjoy them and ultimately adopt these wonderful desserts as a supplement to their own cuisine and help keep these endangered Jewish-Italian dessert traditions alive.

I am, by the way, happy to share my recipes with anyone who is interested. If there is sufficient interest, I am also prepared to teach a class in early 2023 on making some of these desserts at home. Finally, like the iconic Katz’s, Russ & Daughters, Cantor’s, Schwartz’s, etc., we are NOT kosher but none of the ingredients we use are prohibited.

Chef Andrea