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Latkes
and Beyond Mary Lukanuski |
 Photo: Brady Clark
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Lucky for us in the northern hemisphere, Hanukkah comes around just when the craving for excess carbohydrates is at its zenith. How better to survive the long winter nights during the eight-day holiday than by celebrating with family, friends, songs, festive lights, and lots and lots of oily and crunchy foods? |
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While the origin of some festival foods are enveloped in mythological and iconographic significance (the egg at Easter or Passover, for example), the latke is merely the product of geography and season. What do you expect to eat in early winter in the Ukraine - strawberries? |
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Consider the situation. It's cold and dark in December. In the middle of winter's bleakness is a holiday about the rededication of the Temple and its sacred oil lanterns after the defeat of Assyrian forces that had tried to ban and abolish all Jewish practices. Oil - already a dear commodity - is the conduit for the holiday, but what to have with it? For a poor population, flour is expensive and reserved for special occasions like making the Shabbat challah. How appropriate it is for a minority community to transform a readily available and humble staple - the potato pancake - into a festive food celebrating the end of persecution. | |
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When Eastern European Jews immigrated to the United States, latkes became a nostalgic token of the shtetl. For a population ambivalent about assimilating, the sweetness of the applesauce and smoothness of the sour cream accompanying a platter heaped with steaming potato pancakes eases the memories of grim ghetto reality and creates a mythology of a harmonious and homogeneous past. Recently, customs from Jews outside of Eastern Europe have been brought to the attention of the Ashkenazi. Households that might have previously prepared only white potato latkes or Manischewitz dehydrated mix, are attempting things like the Israeli sufganiyot (jelly donuts) or the Italian Frittelle di Chanuká. |
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What follows is a variety of Hanukkah-related recipes: vegetable latkes, sufganiyot, frittelle, and an Indian chickpea pancake. In my household, sweet potato latkes are a favorite, but we try something new every year - like adding zucchini or ginger to the applesauce. The possibilities are many, as long as you remember that everything should be fried in lots of oil. | |
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Sweet potato latkes This is a "by touch" recipe and may take a couple of batches to yield the desired consistency. (The following measurements are for one person; increase as necessary.) Preheat oven to 350° F. Place baking sheet in oven. Grate the sweet potatoes and carrots either by hand (if you like the work) or in a food processor with a medium grating disk. In a large bowl, combine all the chopped and grated ingredients with the eggs. (If using only egg whites, you may have to add more to get the desired consistency.) Add flour a little bit at a time. The batter should be a sticky mess, and when a blob of it is pressed together, it stays together. Pour a thin layer of canola oil into a heavy, large skillet and heat over a medium flame. Drop 2 tablespoons of batter at a time into the hot oil, and using the spoon squish the batter out into a 1/4-inch-thick pancake. Add more dollops to the pan, making sure to leave enough room so the pancakes don't overlap. Cook the pancakes until brown, then transfer to baking sheet. If you intend to eat the latkes immediately, just put layers of paper towels on a platter and place the hot latkes on the platter. Serve hot, with lots of sour cream and applesauce (or pear sauce). |
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Vegetable latkes
From Bon Appétit, December 1995 Carrots, parsnips, green onions, and dill make the difference in these colorful pancakes. Mix some chopped dill and green onions into sour cream to pass alongside.
8 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces Preheat oven to 325° F. Place baking sheet in oven. Using food processor fitted with medium grating disk, shred potatoes, carrots, and parsnips. Place towel on work surface. Spread vegetables over. Roll up towel; squeeze tightly to absorb moisture from vegetables. Blend flour, dill, onions, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Add vegetables; toss to coat. Mix in eggs. Heat 6 tablespoons of oil in large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, drop 2 heaping tablespoons batter per pancake into hot oil. Using spoon, spread to 4-inch rounds. Cook until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to skillet by tablespoonfuls as necessary. Serve hot. Makes about 12 |
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Sufganiyot
1 scant tablespoon (1 package) dry yeast * Use butter and milk if serving at a milk meal, and water and pareve margarine for a meat meal.
Equipment Child: Mix together the yeast, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, and the milk. Let sit to make sure it bubbles. Child: Sift the flour and mix it with the remaining sugar, salt, cinnamon, egg yolks, and the yeast mixture. Adult with child: Knead the dough until it forms a ball. Add the butter or margarine. Knead some more, until the butter is well absorbed. Cover with a towel and let rise overnight in the refrigerator. Adult: Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Child: Cut out the dough into 24 rounds with a juice glass, or any object about 2 inches in diameter. Take 1/2 teaspoon of preserves and place in center of 12 rounds. Top with the other 12. Press down at edges, sealing with egg whites. Crimping with the thumb and second finger is best. Let rise for about 30 minutes. Adult: Heat 2 inches of oil to about 375° F. Drop the doughnuts into the hot oil, about 5 at a time. Turn to brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Child: Roll the doughnuts in sugar. Makes about 12 |
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Frittelle di Chanuká
From Edda Servi Machlin's The Classic Cuisine of the Italian Jews, which banishes any thought that "Jewish" food begins and ends with brisket and kugel.
2 envelopes active dry yeast Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of warm water. Combine flour, salt, and anise seeds in a bowl. Gradually add the dissolved yeast and the olive oil, mixing until a rather soft dough is formed. Turn out onto a floured working surface. Knead for about 10 minutes, or until dough is smooth and elastic. Spread the raisins over the working surface and knead the dough over them until they have all been incorporated into the dough. Shape into a ball, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. With the palms of your hands, flatten down to about 1/2-inch thickness. Let rest, uncovered, for 15 minutes. With a sharp knife, cut into 36 diamonds. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan and fry the diamonds, a few at a time, turning, until golden on both sides. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Heat the honey in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and boil for just 3 minutes. Arrange frittelle on a serving plate and pour hot honey over them. Yields 3 dozen |
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Falouris Jane Breskin Zalben's Beni's Family Cookbook offers more opportunities for adults to share in holiday cooking with children.
2 cups chickpea flour Mix all dry ingredients together in a food processor or bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and blend in food processor with cilantro. By hand, or with one quick turn of the food processor, add onion. Use a large serving spoon to drop mixture into an inch of hot oil in a frying pan. Fry on both sides over a medium flame about 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately with chutney. Yields 18 |
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Chutney
From Bon Appétit, December 1995
7 medium cooking apples (or peaches, pears, or mangoes), cored and peeled Coarsely chop fruit. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to boil, then lower heat to simmer. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour. Cool before storing in sealed jars. Serve with latkes. Yields 3 cups |
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