The Heritage of Jerusalem Artichokes

The Jerusalem artichoke is one of the timeless symbols of the Roman Jews and their ghetto. It has been associated with both for centuries.It is more than a part of their  diets, It's part of their lives  - and now that part is being challenged by rabbis.

How did this all start? Jason Horowicz who covers the goings on in The Vatican and Rome for the New York Times. delved into this controversy in the paper's Food section yesterday. Blame it on the worms and other parasites found.  These creatures are considered trayf or non-kosher. They ate through the choke's tender heart and soft inner leaves rendering the globes inedible to Jews. The head of imports for Israel's rabbinate, Yitzhak Arazi says it's not politics it's just Jewish religious law.The dictate came in the middle of Passover which upset many of the Roman Jews. where the  fried artichoke has been a staple since the 1600's. Artichoke lover, and defender .Umberto Pavoncello, owner of the restaurant Nonna Betta. cites that rabbis back then must have determined that the vegetable was impervious to pests and this deemed edible.  They couldn't change a then ancient law  that would allow them to include artichokes on a whim. Not all cities have stood strong . A Milan branch of the kosher restaurant Ba'ghetto has pulled them from their menu. To be honest what's considered kosher and treyf is up to individual communities. There is no standard universal dietary  laws as there are with Islam.One rabbi, Umberto Piperno, is hoping to patent an ultrasound bug repellent that would be like an "iron dome" for growing  artichokes.

Fried artichokes can be made by anybody. Home chefs .can take the ones from the local grocery and turn them into the crispy Roman treat. The recipe included calls for eight American globe artichokes. Home chefs will need a sharp paring knife or one called a bird's beak 's knife.This has a longer and more hooked blade than the average knife. Using either one, shave off the choke's tough outer leaves until the tender green or yellow leaves appear. The thorny top also has to be cut off, namely about an inch. It's then trimming the stem near the heart,leaving about two inches of it.Plunge the artichokes into  a bowl of lemon juice and rinds  mixed with water to prevent browning.Use olive oil for frying. An electric fryer or a deep cast iron pot can be used. As the oil is heating to about 325 degrees F, take the chokes out of the lemon water and dry them. Tap the flat part against the table to loosen the leaves and them fry. Rub in salt and pepper and then fry for fifteen minutes. They should be bronze in color and a fork can easily pierce the stem.Remove them and drain well. Take out the hearts (which can also be eaten) Leave them stem side up for a few hours and then fry again, heating the oil to 350 degrees F. Fry to crisp them again and then serve with a sprinkle of salt.

No matter what they are, Jerusalem artichokes are still a delectable , light meal. No controversy can mar their delicate flavor or crisped leaves. They are a true delight, full of taste and history.

Expo 2015 New Food Ideas

Since its'  earliest days  World Expositions have been introducing people to new foods and ideas. After all potato chips, the hot dog and the ice cream cone were introduced at  expos past. Its' not surprising that the Milan 2015 has introduced some new dishes and concepts too.


Rachel Dondadio covered it and wrote about it for The New York Times Food section yesterday, She was able to travel to this beautiful gem of a city and sample some of the foods offered. The expo itself is a strange mix of cuisine and sustainability. Vertical gardens vied with restaurants for attention and visitors. The US had one of the former with kale and other veggies sprouting at a dizzying angle and being watered with drip irrigation. With the Americans comes the James Beard American Restaurant which is located at the Seven Stars Galleria in the city. A dazzling array of chefs cook there, and the dishes are made by Mary Sue Millikin of L.A.'s Border Grill, Sarah Jenkins  of New York's famed Porchetta and Paul Qui of Qui's in Austen Texas. The food is traditional American but not the usual barbecue and hot dogs. Every Thursday there is a Thanksgiving themed meal and there is an explanation of some American foods by Libby O'Connell of the History Channel. She tells of the history of the American diet, from the colonists' love of roast beaver tails (true!, they were rich in fat and protein - and I imagine crispy- the fore runner of pork rinds) to our passion for pizza - that came from GIs who had been stationed in Naples during the Second World war.

Mostly Expo 2015 is educational. The United Nations Pavilion Zero  has  a huge wall of monitors showing the changing prices of such foodstuffs as canola, papaya, beef and potatoes. The UK has a pavilion in the shape of a hive  to give visitors a honeybee's view of the world. Not only can tourists eat ancient grains in a variety of forms like pasta and pizza they can also learn about them too. There's also music there too, from techno to hip hop.Women and food is also explored thanks to a series of lectures about diet and nutrition. Since the Expo is also about sustainability there are several exhibits catering to this. Not only are there the vertical gardens by both the US and Israel there are also programs featuring the African Milk Project and Italy's Food Repurposing Project This last is reusing extra food into dishes  at schools  and eliminating large amounts of food waste. If you can ' t     make it to the expo, then go to the website , There are tons of recipes (in Italian) from every country on Earth and feature  everything from grains to meats and fruits and veggies along with chocolate.

Milan's Expo 2015 is an interesting marriage of saving and feeding the planet. It combines old and new cuisines as well as methods for repurposing food. It is an exposition that will enlighten foodies and environmentalists alike.

Panettone - Fruitcake Done Right

Mention fruitcake to anyone and you're sure to get a wrinkled nose or gagging sounds. Let's face it. No one likes a leaden loaf fill with fruit that looks like it was picked during the Neolithic era. However leave it to the Italians to save this culinary reject and turn it into something chic and class. Panettone is the perfect holiday fruitcake. It can be served with everything from breakfast coffee to after dinner wine.

Panettone is a true Milanese invention. The name itself means "large loaf" in Italian but legend has it it was either named for the baker Toni, it or for the an assistant who helped bake it.Legend also has it that it was first served at the wedding of noted Milanse nobleman and falconer , Ughetto Atellani to for Toni's daughter Adalgisa. There's also the Christmas legend that a cook had nothing to give out for the holy day so he concocted a bread full of candied fruit and raisins. Not wanting to take credit he said his assistant Toni made it, hence pan de Toni or panettone. A few centuries later, Angelo Motta , a Milanese baker produced it fro the masses in 1919. Another baker , Gioacchino Alamagna did the same and a rivalry broke out. Motta is credited with giving the bread its' modern look, He let the dough rise to three times the normal height for bread during a period of twenty hours. (usually most bread is left to rise for only twelve. hours before baking). The average panettone is about ten inches high and almost impossible to toast in a toast in a toaster. Every slice has to be halved to have it warmed.

How to eat panettone? My one cousin in Piedmonte's Val Susa, Pat, scoops out the middle and fills it with a sweetened form of marscapone cheese. Sabayon is also used . It is then served as a fancy dessert with after dinner coffee. In the US my family an d I like it plain with butter slathered on the slices, usually for dessert. You can make French toast with any leftover panettone but go easy on the syrup afterwards. It's also a delicious base for bread pudding too.

This Christmas don't settle for the usual fruitcake. Get a panettone for yourself. It'll be the best X-mas gift ever!