How Roman Jewish Recipes Endured at One Family’s Home in Montreal

Shared by Italo Camerino
Recipe Roots: Rome > Montreal

Growing up in the 1950s in Montreal, Italo Camerino remembers his father Enzo going to the fishmonger and asking for fish eggs that were typically discarded. He would take them home and drop them into vinegar to make an Italian delicacy or cure them and make bottarga, which brightens dishes with a smack of the sea. At home, where both of his parents cooked, there was roasted lamb for Passover, chicken and celery meatballs, fried zucchini with fresh herbs and vinegar, and pasta with tomato and tuna — all recipes from Rome’s Jewish community. “Everyone wanted to come to our house,” Italo says of his friends.

Italo’s parents, Silvana and Enzo, in Rome in 1950.

There were also dishes that the family loved, but couldn’t find the ingredients for in Montreal at the time. Those recipes were reserved for visits to Rome and the years when the family relocated there for a stretch when Italo was little. Italo’s aunt Graziella, who owned a longstanding kosher restaurant in the Roman ghetto called Da Luciano, would prepare his favorites including alicotti con indivia, or bitter greens cooked with anchovies. 

The recipes and Italo’s family have deep roots in the Eternal City’s Jewish community, which itself is more than two thousand years old, making it one of the oldest continuous Jewish communities in the world. Italo’s mother’s family, the Pontecorvo’s, trace their lineage in Rome back to the Inquisition. 

Life for both families was sharply interrupted during World War II. On October 16, 1943, when the ghetto was raided by Nazi soldiers, Enzo and his brother Luciano were tipped off by an Italian soldier, but decided to stay with their parents and were ultimately deported to Auschwitz, where several family members perished. Italo’s mother Silvana escaped the raid because her family had recently moved and when the Nazi soldiers checked records for Jewish homes, their new address wasn’t listed. She and her mother survived the war hiding in the country. 

Enzo and Italo’s daughter, Caryna, visiting Auschwitz in 2005.

Enzo and Silvana both returned to Rome after the war, but in 1957, they left for Montreal. “My father was a survivor and he didn’t like being there because it reminded him too much of what he had lost. He lost his parents, he lost his sister, he lost a lot,” Italo explains. Still, the war didn’t overshadow Italo’s childhood. His father was adventurous and optimistic. And even though he chose to leave Rome, “Italy was always best,” Italo explains.  

In Montreal, Silvana and Enzo kept their Roman Jewish recipes simmering on the stove — just as Italo does today — connecting them to Rome. 

We will celebrate the Italian Jewish community’s recipes, including several from Italo’s family, at a special dinner on February 26 in New York City at Porsena. Reservations are available here.

Carciofi Alla Guidia (Fried Artichokes)

Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 50 minutes

Ingredients
3 quarts olive oil for frying
3 lemons, divided
8 baby artichokes
½ teaspoon kosher salt 
⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation
1. Place olive oil in a 4 to 5 quart pot over medium high heat. Make sure the olive oil is deep enough to completely submerge the artichokes during frying. Heat the olive oil until it reads 300 degrees on a thermometer. 

2. Meanwhile, fill a large mixing bowl with cold water ¾ the way up the bowl. Cut 1 lemon in half, squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl with water and place the lemon halves in the water. 

3. Starting with one artichoke at a time, trim the about ¼ inch of the stem off the artichoke. Pull off the outer leaves until only pale green leaves are left on the artichoke. Using a peeler, peel the outer layer of the stem. Cut ¼ to ½ inch off the top of the artichoke, crosswise. Squeeze lemon juice on the artichokes when peeling and cutting. Place artichoke in the bowl of water. Repeat with the remaining artichokes. Let the artichokes sit in the water for 10 minutes. Transfer the artichokes out of the water. Place them stem side up over a towel to drain off water. Pat the artichokes dry with a towel. 

4. Once the oil is at 300 degrees, gently place 4 of the artichokes in the oil. Fry artichokes for about 10 to 15 minutes until fork tender. Turn the artichokes occasionally to make sure all sides get browned. Transfer the artichokes to a paper towel lined tray to drain any excess oil. Let cool for about 5 minutes. Use your fingers to gently open up the artichokes leaves at the heart and season the artichokes with salt and pepper. 

5. Place the artichokes back in the oil and fry for about 3 to 5 more minutes until deep golden brown and crispy. 

6. Serve hot with a few wedges of fresh lemon on the side.

Concia (Zucchini Salad)

Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 1 hour + marinating time

Ingredients
3 zucchinis, sliced lengthwise into ¼  inch thick pieces
Olive oil for frying
Salt and pepper
4 to 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ bunch fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Preparation 
1. Lay the zucchini slices flat onto a paper towel lined tray and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt on all the zucchini slices, both sides. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. Pat the zucchini dry from any excess liquid.

2. Place ¼  cup olive oil in a large saucepan, or enough oil to be ½  inch deep in the pan. Place over medium heat.

3. Gently place about 6 pieces of zucchini into the pan, making sure that the pieces all lay flat and do not overlap. Fry the zucchini on each side for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a baking rack or a paper towel lined tray to drain any excess oil. Continue frying the rest of the zucchini in batches. 

4. Place the fried zucchini into a mixing bowl. Add salt, pepper, garlic, basil and vinegar. Gently mix until each piece of zucchini is evenly coated. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 5 hours and up to 24 hours.

5. Serve the concia at room temperature.

Aliciotti Con Indivia (Anchovies baked with Escarole)

Makes: 4 servings
Total Time: 30 to 45 minutes

Ingredients
2 bunches escarole, rinsed and dried and roughly chopped
36 fresh anchovies or oil and vinegar marinated anchovies, skin on fillets
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
¼  teaspoon salt
⅛  teaspoon ground black pepper
⅛  teaspoon red chili flakes

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle a teaspoon of chopped garlic over the oil. Place the escarole in the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining garlic over the escarole. Place a layer of the anchovy fillets over the escarole. Open the anchovies, so the flesh is on the escarole and the skin side is up. Sprinkle salt, pepper, red chili flakes and olive oil over the anchovies. Tightly cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. Transfer into the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until the greens are tender and the anchovies have softened.

3. Transfer out of the oven and serve hot.

Chicken Meatballs with Celery

Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients
2 pounds ground chicken, dark meat
1 egg
3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 celery stalks, cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces crosswise
1 cup water

Preparation
1. In a medium sized bowl, mix the ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs and 2 teaspoons of salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. 

2. After mixing, shape the meat into palm size oval balls, about 3 inches long. 

3. Place oil in a pot on the stove at medium heat. 

4. Brown chicken meatballs on all sides, about 5 minutes each side. Transfer to a paper towel lined tray and continue cooking the rest of the chicken in batches.

5. Once all the chicken has been cooked, transfer back into the pan. Add the celery, 1 teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon pepper and 1 cup of water. Bring the water up to a boil and reduce heat to low, cooking the chicken with a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 30 minutes, until the water is reduced into about ¼ cup and the celery is cooked through. Shaking the pot every once in a while to ensure the chicken does not stick to the pot. 

6. Serve hot with rice or mashed potatoes.

Spaghetti Al Tonno

Photos by Penny De Los Santos

Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
⅛ teaspoon red chilli flakes
24 ounces tomato passata (strained tomatoes)
6 ounces Italian oil packed tuna, drained
salt and pepper to taste
16 ounce package of spaghetti
4 sprigs parsley, chopped

Preparation
1. Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan over medium low heat and sauté the garlic, chopped onions  just until the onions are soft, while stirring often for about 5 minutes. Add the chili flakes.

2. Add in the Passata bottle of strained tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir well.

3. Fill the bottle of passata three quarters full with water. Give it a good swirl and add this to the sauce.

4. Bring the sauce to a boil then lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the sauce thickens.

5. While the sauce is slowly simmering, bring a large pot of water to boil.

6. Salt the water and cook the pasta. Cook for about 5 minutes until al dente, pasta is tender but still has a bite to it.

7. Add the drained tuna to the tomato sauce and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes.

8. When ready, drain the pasta and toss with some of the tomato sauce.

9. Plate the pasta and top with more sauce and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.