For Jewish families, certain questions seem to crop up every year as the Hanukkah holiday approaches:
Where did we stash those dreidels? Why didn't we dig the wax out of the menorah last year before we put it away? And isn't there something we can do to make the latkes a little different this year?
The answer to the last question is a definite "yes."
Why not skip the potatoes this time around? After all, it's not the spuds that characterize the holiday; it's the frying in oil, to commemorate the victory of Jewish revolutionaries over Syrian-Greek rulers. Legend says the temple's small vial of pure oil was enough for one night, but burned for eight nights instead. Thus, Jews light Hanukkah candles for eight nights (beginning Dec. 21 this year) and eat foods fried in oil.
So instead of making potato latkes this year, try frying up some pancakes made of parsnips and leeks, celery root and apples, cheese, zucchini and walnuts, or, for something truly unusual, spinach crusted with coconut.
These suggestions for "latkemania" come courtesy of "The Healthy Hedonist Holidays: A Year of Multicultural Vegetarian-Friendly Holiday Feasts," a book by Myra Kornfeld.
Kornfeld is a veteran chef who teaches at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Food & Health in New York City. In this volume she offers full menus for 15 festive holidays, national and religious. Most dishes are vegetarian, but there's enough meat, fish and fowl to feed the carnivores as well.
The author's aim is to produce holiday meals that satisfy without leaving diners feeling stuffed and guilty.
Hanukkah latkes have a colorful history, which is explained in Kornfeld's introduction. The original versions made by Middle Eastern Jews were cheese pancakes, in honor of the Judean heroine Judith, who saved her town from Assyrian invasion. In this apocryphal story, the beautiful widow beguiles the enemy general, Holofernes, then feeds him salty cheeses and strong wine to quench his thirst. When he falls asleep, she beheads him. Not a very appetizing story, but it explains why Sephardic Jews mark the holiday with fried cheese cakes -- ricotta in Italy, for example, or feta in Greece.
Ashkenazi Jews in Eastern Europe adapted their latke recipes, replacing cheese with potatoes because of the scarcity of dairy products during the winter months.
Kornfeld's unusual and tempting latke varieties can be made up to two weeks in advance and frozen.
To freeze, she suggests laying them in a single layer on a baking sheet until frozen, then stacking in storage bags. To defrost, lay out again on the baking sheet at room temperature for 15 minutes, then reheat for 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven.
CHEESE PANCAKES WITH ZUCCHINI AND WALNUTS
(Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
These latkes, a version of the original cheese latkes, are truly scrumptious -- light, creamy and nutty. Mine didn't hold together very well, so you might want to increase the flour for binding purposes. They make a great breakfast.
-- Sally Kalson
1/2 pound zucchini (2 small squashes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup ricotta cheese (1/2 pound)
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled (6 ounces)
1/2 cup grated onion
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil, for frying
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Grate the zucchini, using the grating blade on a food processor or the large holes on a box grater. Sprinkle with the salt, stir to combine, and let sit for 30 minutes in a strainer or colander positioned over a bowl. Then grab handfuls of the zucchini and squeeze out the water. Do this twice on each handful to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs until frothy. Stir in the ricotta cheese and beat until well combined. Stir in the feta cheese, onion, walnuts, flour, baking powder and a generous sprinkling of black pepper. Stir in the zucchini.
With a paper towel, lightly oil a large nonstick skillet or griddle and heat over a medium flame. In batches, drop 2 tablespoons of the batter on the griddle and cook until bubbles form on the tops and the bottoms are lightly brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and use your spatula to flatten them. Cook on the second side until golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Add oil between batches, using a paper towel to spread thinly. The pancakes may be kept warm by placing in a single layer on a baking sheet in the oven. Serve hot.
Makes 18 to 20 pancakes.
-- "The Healthy Hedonist Holidays: A Year of Multicultural Vegetarian-Friendly Holiday Feasts" by Myra Kornfeld
CELERY ROOT-APPLE LATKES WITH SAGE
(Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Who knew such an ugly bulb (celery root) could taste so good? The green apple and sage make the finished product both tangy and savory.
-- Sally Kalson
1 pound celery root, peeled (available at Whole Foods)
1/2 pound (1 large) Granny Smith apple, peeled
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1/2 cup minced red onion
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
6 tablespoons unbleached white flour
Extra-virgin olive or coconut oil, for frying
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Grate the celery root and apple, using the grating blade on a food processor or the large holes on a box grater. Cook in a steamer for 2 minutes, until just tender and slightly moistened. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sage, onion, salt, a sprinkling of black pepper, the egg and the flour.
Form a heaping tablespoon of batter into a patty by hand. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 12 latkes. Place them on a large plate. (I skipped this step and simply dropped each spoonful into the heated pan.)
Warm a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed or nonstick skillet until it feels hot when your hand is held 1 inch above the pan. Lay 4 or 5 latkes in the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes.
Flip to the other side, pressing down the patties with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cook until golden, another 2 minutes or so. Continue with the remaining latkes, adding more oil to the pan as necessary. Spread on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
Makes 12 pancakes.
-- "The Healthy Hedonist Holidays" by Myra Kornfeld
PARSNIP LATKES WITH LEEKS AND THYME
(Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
The parsnip's rich and buttery flavor is nicely complemented by the leek, red onion and thyme.
-- Sally Kalson
1 pound parsnips, peeled
1 cup leek, finely diced, white and light green parts only
1/2 cup minced red onion
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons unbleached white flour
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil, for frying
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Grate the parsnips, using the grating blade on a food processor or the large holes on a box grater. You should have about 6 cups. Cook in a steamer for 2 minutes, until just tender and slightly moistened. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the leek, onion, thyme, egg, flour, salt and a generous sprinkling of black pepper.
Form a heaping tablespoon of batter into a patty by hand. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 12 to 14 latkes. Place them on a large plate. (I skipped this step and simply dropped each spoonful into the heated pan.)
Warm a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed or nonstick skillet until it feels hot when your hand is held 1 inch above the pan. Lay 4 or 5 latkes in the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes.
Flip to the other side, pressing down the patties with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cook until golden, another 2 minutes or so. Continue with the remaining latkes, adding more oil to the pan between batches as necessary. Spread on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until you are ready to serve.
Makes 12 to 14 pancakes.
-- "The Healthy Hedonist Holidays" by Myra Kornfeld
COCONUT-CRUSTED SPINACH PANCAKES WITH BASIL
(Tested by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
These latkes are the most unusual of the bunch. The coconut crust makes for a crunchy outside and a nice contrast with the herbed, leafy green center. The finished product was too salty for my taste.
-- Sally Kalson
1-1/2 pounds spinach, washed, with stems removed (I bought the bags of prewashed and left the stems on -- you're chopping them anyway, so why bother?)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried, unsweetened coconut
Extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil, for frying
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.
Wilt the spinach in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently or tossing with tongs to push the uncooked leaves to the bottom. You don't have to add water to the pot because the water clinging to the leaves from washing is enough to cook them.
Cook until the leaves have wilted, shrunk and are bright green. Remove and place in a strainer. Squeeze against the strainer to remove any excess water, then place on a cutting board and chop finely.
Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the basil, cilantro, ginger, flour, egg, salt and a sprinkling of black pepper.
Mix to combine well.
Spread the coconut onto a plate. In the bowl, divide the spinach mixture into 10 portions. With a spoon, drop each portion onto the coconut. Either form into patties with your hands or lift and drop onto a large plate.
Warm a thin layer of oil over medium-high heat in a large, heavy-bottomed or nonstick skillet. When the oil is hot (test by placing your hand 1 inch above the skillet), lay 4 or 5 latkes in the oil, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook until golden, about 4 minutes. Flip and press down the patties with a spatula to flatten slightly. Cook another 2 minutes or so, until golden. Continue with remaining latkes, adding more oil to the pan between batches as necessary. Spread on baking sheet and keep warm in oven until ready to serve.
Makes 10 pancakes.
-- "The Healthy Hedonist Holidays" by Myra Kornfeld
(Sally Kalson can be reached at skalson(at)post-gazette.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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