WHEN PEOPLE HEAR my
husband, David, is Italian and
Jewish, they always ask him:
“Have you ever heard of The
Garden of the Finzi-Continis?”
They are referring to the
1970 Academy Award-winning
movie about aristocratic Jews in
Ferrara during the 1930s. Fasci-
nation with the film never fades
because Americans can’t fath-
om Jews coming from the land
of romance and pasta.

Although the Italian Jewish
population has always been
scant, it dates back 2,000 years
and claims a distinctive cuisine,
particularly at Passover. Influ-
enced by Mediterranean food,
Italian Jews have developed a
rich cooking style flavored by
olive oil and herbs, vegetables,
lemons and fish galore.

“No one can believe my
father’s last name was Morpur-
go,” said David, a baby boomer
born in Manhattan. He recalls
trips with his parents and sib-
lings to the port city of Trieste,
where his father grew up.

“My father never under-
stood eating fish from a jar,”
David said.

At seders, his family enjoyed
poached carp, instead of com-
mercially prepared gefilte fish.

In Italy, regional recipes for
haroset abound, calling for any-
thing from pears to ginger, can-
died orange peel, chestnuts
or pine nuts. The Morpurgo
family recipe is a zesty compos-
ite of ingredients.

The signature dish of Italian
Jewish cuisine, fried arti-
chokes, originated in Rome
and is often served at Passover
throughout Italy.

David’s seder memories
include his Aunt Dora’s spinach
torte. While this cake is pale
green, it tastes lemony and
light. It’s so delicate, it’s hard to
believe it’s a Passover pastry.

While the Trieste synagogue
was once filled with Morpur-
gos, only one cousin remains in
town. The rest of David’s rela-
tives have passed away or live in
America and Israel.

“It’s sad,” he said. “There’s no
reason to visit Trieste anymore.”
He cherishes Passover
foods from his childhood,
because they’re a tie to the sce-
nic seaside city his family once
called home.

My husband cherishes
Passover foods from
his childhood, because
they’re a tie to the
scenic seaside city his
family once called home.

See Trieste, Page 12
Trieste waterfront: GordonBellPhotography/iStock/Thinkstock.com
10 MARCH 30, 2017
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