Portico : Cooking and Feasting in Rome's Jewish Kitchen

A captivating tour through Rome's centuries-old Jewish community with more than 100 simple, deeply flavorful, vegetable-forward recipes.

Rome's Jewish community, the oldest in Europe, dates to the second century BCE. The city's Jewish residents endured many hardships, including 300 years of poverty inside the Roman Jewish Ghetto. Out of this strife grew resilience, a deeply knit community, and a uniquely beguiling cuisine. Today, the community thrives on Via del Portico d'Ottavia (the main road in Rome's Ghetto neighborhood)-and beyond.

A leading authority on Jewish food today, Leah Koenig celebrates la cucina Ebraica Romana, focusing on dishes ancient and new. Roman Jews' culinary genius showcases elegantly understated vegetables, saucy braised meats and stews, rustic pastas, resplendent olive oil-fried foods, and never-too-sweet desserts. Recipes includes Stracotto di Manzo (a wine-braised beef stew), Pizza Ebraica (fruit-and-nut-studded bar cookies), and the beloved Carciofi alla Giudia (Jewish-style fried artichokes).

Complete with stunning photography from Rome, Portico presents a fresh, deeply personal lens into this globally adored Italian cuisine.