1,000 Jewish Recipes (119 page)
Read 1,000 Jewish Recipes Online
Authors: Faye Levy
This colorful fruit salad makes use of the luscious, bright orange persimmons that are plentiful in the fall. Choose carefully: If you have the pointy, Hachiya persimmon, it must be very soft and mushy, or else it will taste unpleasantly astringent. If you have the round Fuyu type, it should not be hard but it can be firm like an apple or, if you prefer, soft.
2 persimmons, peeled and sliced
2 kiwis, peeled, halved, and sliced
1 to 2 tablespoons strained fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
2 ripe pears
Put persimmons and kiwi in a serving bowl. In a small cup mix lemon juice and sugar. A short time before serving, core and slice pears; add to serving bowl. Add lemon juice mixture and toss. Taste, and add more lemon juice or sugar if you like.
Hanukkah
On the Jewish calendar, the eight-day holiday of Hanukkah is the main winter celebration and occurs in December or at the end of November. Hanukkah is celebrated with parties, songs, and games rather than prayers. It is not a biblical holiday but rather commemorates an historic event. More than two thousand years ago the Jews drove the pagan army out of Jerusalem and rekindled the eternal light in the holy temple with oil. Enough ritually pure oil for only one day could be found, but a miracle occurred: the oil lasted for eight days. The Syrian rulers had been trying to deny the Jews the right to practice Judaism, and rekindling the eternal light was an expression of a return to religious freedom.
To recall the miracle, candles are lit in a decorative Hanukkiah, a Hanukkah candelabrum, giving Hanukkah its nameâthe Festival of Lights. On the menu, oil is used to fry the two favorite holiday treatsâpotato latkes, or pancakes, and
soofganiyot
, or doughnuts without holes, often filled with red jam.
My mother taught me how to prepare potato latkes, and we enjoy making them when we are together for Hanukkah. Since we both enjoy experimenting and tasting new foods, we also make a variety of latkes from other vegetables besides potatoes. After all, the Hanukkah miracle involved oil, not potatoes, which didn't even exist in Israel at that time. The potato tradition came centuries afterwards, from eastern and central Europe. Pumpkin, spinach, corn, and cauliflower all make tasty latkes. Sweet potato latkes are definitely a hit. When my family wants a lighter holiday treat, we make low-calorie zucchini latkes and eat them with yogurt.
Potato pancakes are generally served on their own at Hanukkah parties. Sour cream and applesauce are the time-honored toppings. My relatives and I also serve low-fat sour cream or yogurt.
I like to serve an array of other toppings in addition to the customary ones, from sweet to savory to hot, including pesto, salsa, relishes, and sautéed mushrooms.
Israeli home cooks prepare two types of
soofganiyot
, the "classic" type made with yeast and a quick version with baking powder. At Hanukkah time, the yeast version is also widely available at the stores. It's sold fresh by all the bakeries as well as many supermarkets and grocery stores.
The remaining dishes served for Hanukkah are usually winter favorites. Brisket or roast chicken are often served. On Ashkenazic tables, goose and duck are old-fashioned entrees still savored by some families, sometimes with latkes as accompaniments.
= Pareve  
= Dairy  
= MeatPOTATO LATKES, PANCAKES, AND FRITTERS
This is my mother's potato latke recipe. I have already published it in a previous cookbook but since everyone is always asking for the recipe for these delicious latkes, I thought I'd offer it here as well.
A friend of mine who is a caterer said my mother's recipe saved her when she needed to prepare latkes for hundreds of people because my mother and I figured out how to avoid having to fry them at the last minute. My friend simply fried them a few days before the party and froze them. I often prepare them ahead too. I refrigerate or freeze the fried latkes on a cookie sheet. Once they are frozen, I put them in a freezer bag. I partially thaw frozen ones, and reheat them in a preheated 450°F oven for about 5 minutes. It may seem surprising, but I like them even better this way. To me it seems they come out crisper. But maybe I like them more because with make-ahead latkes, I'm able to enjoy the party!
Potato latkes have become very popular with chefs of fancy restaurants. They crown them with caviar or smoked salmon for appetizers, or they serve main course foods like veal or fish on top of a potato pancake. I like the creative appetizers but when a latke is under a substantial piece of meat coated in a sauce, it often turns out soggy and I wish it were served on the side, the old-fashioned way.
For Hanukkah, most cooks follow tradition and serve potato latkes with bowls of sour cream, sugar, and applesauce. Of course, fresh homemade
Old-Fashioned Applesauce
or
Chunky French Applesauce
is the best, or try a new variation
Apple-Apricot Sauce
.
2
1
â
2
pounds potatoes (about 8 large)âor, baking, boiling, or Yukon Gold
2 medium onions
2 large eggs
1
1
â
2
teaspoons salt
1
â
2
teaspoon ground white pepper
1
â
4
cup all-purpose flour
About
3
â
4
cup vegetable oil (for frying)
1.
Preheat oven to 250°F. Line a tray with paper towels for draining latkes and have a baking sheet ready for keeping latkes warm.
2.
Peel and grate potatoes and onions on the large holes of a grater or with a food processor fitted with a coarse grating disk, alternating onion and potato. Transfer grated onion and potato to a colander. Squeeze mixture by handfuls to remove as much liquid as possible.
3.
Put potato-onion mixture in a bowl. Add egg, salt, pepper, and flour and mix well.
4.
Heat
1
â
2
cup oil in a deep, large, heavy skillet. For each latke, drop about 2 tablespoons of potato mixture into pan. Flatten with back of a spoon so each pancake is 2
1
â
2
to 3 inches in diameter. Do not crowd them in pan. Fry over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden brown. Turn carefully with 2 slotted spatulas so oil doesn't splatter. Transfer to paper towels. Stir batter before frying each new batch. Add more oil to the pan as necessary, and heat it before adding more latkes. After frying about half the batter, put latkes on baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
5.
Pat tops of latkes with paper towels before serving. Serve hot or warm.
You'll discover that these latkes, which are baked in muffin pans, have an appealing flavor even though they use much less fat than fried latkes. Serve them with applesauce (preferably
homemade
) or, for a
milchig
meal, with fat-free or low-fat sour cream or yogurt or with
Creamy Dill Topping
Creamy Dill Topping made using the lighter versions of the dairy products. I have found it useful to try different brands, as the taste varies greatly from one to another. Some are tangier, some more creamy. If you like to get creative with your accompaniments, buy one of the new flavors of applesauce, like apple-apricot or apple-blackberry, or top the latkes with sweet and savory
Pineapple-Papaya Salsa
.
2 tablespoons plus
3
â
4
teaspoon vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
3
â
4
teaspoon dried thyme
1
1
â
4
teaspoons paprika, plus more for sprinkling
1
3
â
4
pounds baking potatoes
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1
â
2
teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1
1
â
2
cups applesauce (optional), for serving
1.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 1 tablespoon plus
3
â
4
teaspoon oil in a heavy nonstick skillet. Add onions and sauté over medium-low heat until softened, about 10 minutes; if pan becomes dry during sautéing, add
1
â
2
tablespoon water. Add thyme and 1
1
â
4
teaspoons paprika and sauté 30 seconds, stirring. Let cool.
2.
Peeled and coarsely grate potatoes on the large holes of grater or using a food processor fitted with a coarse grating disk. Transfer grated potatoes to a colander and squeeze out excess liquid. Put potatoes in a bowl. Add sautéed onions, eggs, salt, and pepper.
3.
Grease a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan, making sure to grease bases well, especially at the point where the base meets the sides. Add scant
1
â
3
cup potato mixture to each muffin tin. Smooth tops lightly. Spoon
1
â
4
teaspoon oil over each, then shake a little paprika on top. Bake about 45 minutes or until brown at edges and firm.