continued from page 45

I like about Shabbat gatherings at
our house is that you forget about the
time and just relax.”
Among the recipes included in King
Solomon’s Table are, for post-Passover,
a “Multi-Seeded Fennel-Flavored
Challah”; “Delkelekh, Cheese Danish”
pastries (great for Shavuot); and
“Libyan Saefra, King Solomon’s Cake,”
a dairy-free Sabbath cake infused with
dates, cardamom, cloves and orange
juice.
And there’s “Gondi Kashi, Rice with
Turkey, Beets, Fava Beans and Herbs,”
a recipe shared by an Iranian Jewish
woman, Violet Sassoni, who moved

to Los Angeles in 1979 — the dish had
been described to Nathan by Sassoni’s
daughter, a food blogger, as a dish
“unlike any other.” The Sassoni family
traces its links to Persia to about the
15th century, when many Jews moved
there from Spain. This spring dish
might have been made for Passover
by those who eat kitniot, or legumes,
during the holiday. When it’s perfectly
cooked, each grain of rice is separate,
capturing the flavor of the meat and
herbs.
“Noshe jan,” Nathan’s host said, as
she served the dish. “May your soul
enjoy it.” •

G H UA
N
O
H

F INE C HINESE D INING

“A wonderful adventure in fine dining” ~ Danny Raskin

continued from page 45

Apicius in the first century c.e.:
‘Estimate the amount of milk neces-
sary for this dish and sweeten it with
honey to taste; to a pint of fluid take
5 eggs; for half a pint dissolve 3 eggs
in milk and beat well to incorporate
thoroughly, strain through a colander
into an earthen dish and cook on a
slow fire. When congealed sprinkle
with pepper and serve.’
When in Rome, do as the Romans
do: Head straight to the tiny non-
descript Pasticceria Boccione (also
known as the “Burnt Bakery” or the
“Jewish bakery”) in the ghetto ebraico
(Jewish Ghetto) near the Tiber. There,
four sisters make the same slightly
burnt baked goods until they run out
each day. Whether composed of tour-
ists or locals, there is always a line
outside.
One of the popular staples is a rich
ricotta cake wrapped in a crostata
crust, called Cassola, a Christmas
must in Rome. According to Clifford
Wright, the Jews of Rome learned
to make whey cheese in Sicily and
brought the technique with them to
Rome.
I have added a delicious Italian
crostata that I learned from an Italian
Jew in place of the heavier crust that
Boccione uses. I love the hint of cinna-
mon with sour cherry jam made from
Amaro cherries — or any jam that has
a slightly sweet, slightly sour flavor
— mixed with the rich ricotta cheese.
You can also use chunks of chocolate
in place of the jam. Yield: about 12
servings.
Crust:
½ cup sugar
12 Tbsp.s (1½ sticks) unsalted butter,
at room temperature
2 large egg yolks
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Filling:
2½ cups whole milk ricotta
4 large eggs, separated
¾ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp. vanilla
½ to 1 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup fresh, frozen, or dried cherries
(defrosted and drained if using frozen)
½ cup dark chocolate broken into
small pieces or chocolate chips
½ cup sour cherry preserves

For the crust: Put the sugar, but-
ter, egg yolks, flour and salt in a
large bowl and either rub everything
together with your fingers, or quickly
pulse the ingredients in a food proces-
sor fitted with a steel blade until the
dough forms a ball. Either way, do not
overwork the dough. Cover in plastic
wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a
half hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees,
place the rack in the top third of the
oven and grease a 10-inch tart pan
with a removable bottom.
On a lightly floured surface roll out
the dough into a 13-inch diameter
quasi-circle. Fold the dough gently
and press into the pan. Trim and flat-
ten the edges with a knife. You want
this to be quite rustic. Prick with a
fork and bake for 15 minutes, then
remove from the oven and set aside.
To make the filling: Stir together the
ricotta, egg yolks, sugar, flour, lemon
zest, vanilla and cinnamon with a
spoon in a medium mixing bowl.
In the bowl of a standing mixer
with a whisk attachment, beat the egg
whites until almost stiff peaks form
and fold gently into the ricotta mix-
ture with all the cherries and/or the
chocolate.
Spread the cherry preserves over
the entire crust, then spoon on the
ricotta mixture, smoothing over the
top with the back of a spoon. Bake in
the top third of the oven for 40 to 50
minutes, or until the center is set and
golden brown; or do as the Romans
do, and let it get slightly burnt on the
top.
Note: I like mixing the chocolate
and the cherries, but if you prefer, use
just one or the other. •

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May 18 • 2017

47