Instructions: When you think about fusion food, youre probably envisioning Asian blends, not Jewish-meets-Italian. Well, thats about to change. To the delight of anyone whos had their fill of gefilte fish and kugel - is Joyce Goldsteins cookbook

Cucina Ebraica: Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen. Goldstein, former chef/owner of Square One restaurant in San Francisco, for which she won a James Beard award, and now visiting executive chef at the CIA in St. Helena, California, has developed recipes and menus from an age-old culinary tradition that we bet you didnt even know existed. And in the spirit of the new year, she has graciously put together this high holiday menu of some of her favorites from the book.

Goldsteins dishes range from risotto to frutta, and have the added distinction of being traditional, Jewish, kosher, and home cooking - "mom food" as Goldstein calls it. "Though their history may be complex, these are simple, unpretentious dishes," she says. "Most of the recipes were born out of poverty and a skillful way with humble ingredients."

So, how did kosher find its way to the land of pasta and polenta?

"Through persecutions and emigrations," Goldstein says. "The Jews carried their culinary traditions with them and shared them with the world." They brought ingredients like tomatoes and squash and peppers to Italy, as well as styles of cooking - preparing room temperature dishes, for example, was their way around cooking on the Sabbath. In Italy these traditions were embraced and absorbed completely; something Goldstein is proud of.

"Perhaps this is the positive side of the Wandering Jew, " she considers. "Food is a strong cultural continuum, and its nice to be able to rediscover some of these dishes as Jewish." -Lisa Chernick

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