The festival of Chanukah dates back to the Second Temple in the Second century B.C.E., when the temple was recaptured from the polytheistic Hellenistic Seleucid Empire and rededicated to Jewish worship.
Many traditions have been inspired by “the miracle of the oil” that came to be associated with the holiday, particularly with foods. Latkes (pancakes) and sufganiot (jelly doughnuts) fried in oil have become a mainstay of “traditional” Chanukah celebrations.
In a short time, my wife, son, and I will be traveling to Florida to visit family. Coincidently we will be there for the first night of Chanukah and decided to begin a new family tradition of hosting a Chanukah celebration. It will be son Jaron’s second Chanukah and the first time he will be a part of the celebration (he was only two months old last year at this time).
While we all love our traditional favorites, I look forward to creating a menu with a new and varying selection. It will be my first time in close to 10 years that I will be cooking for my wife’s family. While some would feel pressure, I am looking forward to the challenge.
My menu will consist of old favorites, like potato latkes, brisket, and sufganiot, but I will also be making some new favorites, like cauliflower latkes, zucchini latkes, carrot soup, and a wonderful homemade applesauce.
The mix of the traditional with the contemporary brings me back to my dad’s kitchen where he always attempted to think outside of the box. It may be a traditional celebration but he always wanted to bring in the contemporary flair.
As we prepare to celebrate this joyous holiday, we need to remember those less fortunate. Now is a wonderful time to donate to the Jewish Community Food Pantry, which serves our less fortunate here in Milwaukee.
I look forward to teaching Jaron about gemilut chasadim (deeds of kindness) and hope that you bring this into your celebration as well.
1 head fresh cauliflower, washed and cut into florets
In a large soup pot, bring a few inches of water to a boil. Add cauliflower florets. Cover. Turn heat down to low. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until the florets are soft enough to be easily mashed.
Drain the cauliflower in a colander. Mash lightly with a fork, leaving some texture rather than creating a mash. Let the cauliflower cool.
Place cauliflower in a mixing bowl and add beaten eggs. Add enough flour to create a pancake-like batter. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
On medium-high heat, heat a few tablespoons of oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot, drop batter by the tablespoon into pan. Flatten the pancakes a bit so they are not too thick to cook well in the middle.
Fry approximately three minutes on each side, until browned on both sides and firm in the middle. Remove from frying pan onto paper towels to drain excess oil and cool.
Repeat, starting with hot oil and then dropping batter, until all the batter is used. Makes two dozen latkes.
1 cup carrots, peeled and diced
¼ cup heavy cream (or substitute plain soy milk)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan. Sweat the carrots, onion and ginger with the oil. Add potatoes and broth, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender. Strain liquid into a separate container. Put vegetables into a blender along with the dill, and pour in just enough of the liquid to cover the vegetables. Puree in stages if necessary. Discard excess broth. Return vegetable puree to pan.
Stir heavy cream (or soy milk) into the pan with the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Heat, but do not boil, and serve immediately.
Chef Jonah Levenberg is director of food services at the Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish Community Center.
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