June 19, 2016
Author: Lillian Topf
I remember coming home before Chanukah and my Dad was busy making potato latkes but there was always a potato “knick” that was waiting for me to eat. My dad would always grate the potatoes and onions and was always laughing! I love this memory.
December 28, 2012
Author: Tara Berger
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 pound or 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
Blackberry Jam or Nutella for filling
Vegetable oil, for frying
Preparation:
In a large saucepan, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil at 375 degrees.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the ricotta and beat until smooth. Add the flour and baking powder and beat just until blended. (if making ahead of time- take out of the fridge 10 minutes before cooking to get batter to room temp)
Using a very small ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons, slide 8 walnut-sized rounds of batter into the hot oil. Fry over moderate heat until deep golden all over and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Balls should rise to the top as they puff up. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the balls to the cookie sheet to drain. Continue frying the remaining fritters in batches of 8.
Arrange the fritters on a platter- using a small melon baller scoop our top of ball- fill with jelly or nutella place ball back in and dust well with confectioners’ sugar.
November 4, 2013
Author: Itta Werdiger Roth
For years now, Chanukka has been synonymous with doughnuts. While gentiles are stringing up their lights, saddling up reindeer, and racking up huge electricity bills, we Jews are probably more focused on our usual preoccupation: food. Yes – miracles and wonders, olive oil, lights, transcending the physical too, but mainly food – deep fried food. We’re imaging the crispy and salty latkes and the moist creamy doughnuts. Many years ago, some clever person had the great idea to connect every single Jewish holiday to different foods, and these foods have become rituals in their own right. The whole idea at it’s core is pure outreach (so I guess a Lubavitcher thought of it?): the lost Jewish soul comes back to his grandparents’ Shabbos table with one good bowl of chicken soup.
The only thing that really connects doughnuts with Chanukka is the fact that doughnuts are deep fried, which is supposed to remind us of the miracle of the oil in the Temple. Considering the recipe I’m about to give you is for baked doughnuts, not fried ones, which might seem sacrilege to some, let me just defend myself in advance; I would never choose to deep-fry something if I could make it just as good another way. Deep-frying is messy, costly and when it’s all over, the smell lingers, and someone needs a facial.
If you’re thinking that you’d be better off just buying doughnuts, then yes, you have a point. It would be so much simpler if I could just bite into a commercial doughnut and taste good quality jam or REAL custard filling, but anyone who eats discerningly knows that most of the time, food you buy just isn’t all that great. It’s one of the big reasons I bother to cook at all (unless you thought it was the calluses and burns!).
If you make your own doughnuts and fillings this year, no matter which recipe you use, let your mind wander back to the story of Chanukka, and add some personal meaning to your own recipe. Think about the heroes of the story: The Maccabim, the people that physically cleaned the desecrated Temple, and the heroine Yehudit who seduced the Syrian-Greek general Holofernes with cheese and wine before beheading him. Deep fried food? We can be more creative than that – just the same way we are probably capable of deep-frying anything, I am almost certain we are capable of attributing connection and meaning to absolutely anything.
The idea of ‘transcending the physical’ stems from the fact that the miracle of Chanukka features the number 8. To explain; a 7-day week is the norm, and the bane of our existence, but the miracle of the oil burning lasted for a full eight days. Eight is not just any random number, it is just one more than seven. 8 teachers us to try and go beyond our comfort zones and our natural state of being.
So, as this Chanukka approaches, ask yourself, “do I want another average doughnut from an average bakery, or am I going to go beyond my usual limitations and make it myself?”
Originally published in http://balaboostas.com/2012/12/baked-cinnamon-doughnuts-with-quince-cardamom-preserve/
Ingredients:
For the Doughnuts (adapted from 101 Cookbooks):
1 1/3 cups warm milk, 95 to 105 degrees (divided)
1 packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
5 cups all-purpose flour (I use a blend of whole wheat and white or whole spelt)
A pinch or two of nutmeg, freshly grated if possible
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Quince Cardamom Preserve:
3-5 quinces, peeled and chopped
3-4 apples and/or pears, chopped (no need to peel if you plan on blending).
3 tablespoons sugar
zest and juice of one lemon
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean cut lengthwise
3 cloves
4 cardamom pods.
An Optional Glaze (rather than the cinnamon and sugar):
1 cup unfiltered apple juice (“cider”)
2, 1 inch pieces ginger
1 cup powdered/icing sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Preparation
Directions: place 1/3 cup of the warm milk in the bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the yeast and set aside for five minutes or so. Be sure your milk isn’t too hot or it will kill the yeast. Stir the butter and sugar into the remaining cup of warm milk and add it to the yeast mixture. With a fork, stir in the eggs, flour, nutmeg, and salt – just until the flour is incorporated. With the dough hook attachment of your mixer beat the dough for a few minutes at medium speed. This is where you are going to need to make adjustments – if your dough is overly sticky, add flour a few tablespoons at a time. Too dry? Add more milk a bit at a time. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl and eventually become supple and smooth. Turn it out onto a floured counter-top, knead just a few times (the dough should be barely sticky), and shape into a ball.
Transfer the dough to a buttered (or oiled) bowl, cover, put in a warm place for an hour or until the dough has roughly doubled in size.
Punch down the dough and roll it out 1/2-inch thick on your floured countertop. Use an upside down small drinking glass or a 2-3 inch cookie cutter to make circles. Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise for another 45 minutes.
Bake in a 375 degree oven until the bottoms are just golden, 8 to 10 minutes – start checking around 8. While the doughnuts are baking, place the butter in a bowl and the sugar and cinnamon in another bowl, plate or ziploc bag.
Remove the doughnuts from the oven and using a pastry brush (or you can actually dip the doughnut into the bowl of butter) brush butter over each doughnut, then a quick toss in the sugar. Depending on how many you’re making, you can just throw all the doughnuts together in the ziploc bag and give it a shake. When I’m making a ton of these I spread the sugar mixture onto a baking tray and after brushing the butter, I turn the doughnuts around once to get coated.
Makes 1 1/2 – 2 dozen medium doughnuts.
For the Quince Cardamom Preserve:
Here’s how: add everything to a heavy-bottomed pot. (Don’t mess around with the numbers of the spices unless you have a really good memory! Remember, whatever you put in, must come out so this way you have 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5…). Add enough water to barely cover the fruit, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Stir often, keep reducing the liquid and be careful not to let it burn. Some people use a crock pot and cook the fruit overnight and you can do that, but you can also just let it bubble for as little as an hour. The longer you let it cook, the thicker it will be. When enough is enough, remove all the spices (1, 2, 3, 4!) and blend if you prefer a smoother consistency.
You can preserve the fruit by doing the whole mason-jar 10 minute hot water bath but don’t bother with that right now. When the fruit has cooled, just slice ⅓ of the way through the doughnut and spread the fruit with a knife. You can also inject it like I did one year, getting very sticky hands and wasting a lot of time.
An Optional Glaze
Like this: put the apple juice and the ginger into a small pot and boil. Keep reducing until less than half is left. When cooled, prepare the icing by combining the sugar and cinnamon and slowly add tablespoons of the reduced apple ginger mixture. Whisk until smooth. Place a wire cooling rack over a piece of parchment paper. When doughnuts are cool, dip tops into the glaze and let them rest on a wire rack until the glaze hardens.
March 6, 2014
Author: Daniel Friedman
My bubbie’s recipe. Delicious!
Ingredients:
1 egg
2 potatoes
¼ cup matzo meal
½ onion
1 clove garlic
2 tbsps Italian seasoning
Olive oil
Preparation:
Grate potato and onion. Smash the garlic and beat the egg. Mix everything together and add the matzo meal and Italian seasoning. Heat a little olive oil . Put a big scoop in the oil. Flip it to a golden brown. Eat !
June 20, 2012
Author: Dina Mann
My Bubbie has a Chanukah party every year. She has five daughters, 12 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren, so this is one of the few times when all of us get together and re-connect, as we usually see the whole gang only at family simchas, happy occasions. Every year Bubbie tries new things like Persian rices or Greek pies, but the lasagna is a staple that’s chocked full of veggies and sweet like my Bubbaloo!
Ingredients:
1 box of lasagna
1 container frozen spinach
1 zucchini
2 Carrots
1 large ricotta container
2 packs of shredded mozzarella
2 eggs
1 cup(s) sugar
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
2 bottles of tomato sauce
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. Chop veggies and sauté in large pan and season with salt, pepper and garlic. ( Feel free to swap out these veggies for other such as summer squash, broccoli, peppers, onion…)
3. Bring water to a boil and cook lasagna noodles until mildly cooked. I prefer a little al’ dente as the noodles continue to cook in the oven.
4. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, eggs, sugar and 1 and 1/3 bags of mozzarella. Reserve the remainder of the mozzarella.
5. When veggies are cooked add to cheese mixture.
6. Pour sauce on bottom pan, layer with noodles, add cheese/veggie layer, layer with noodles, add sauce, layer with noodles, add cheese/veggie layer and top off with reserved mozzarella.
7. Bake at 350˚ for an hour and half.
8. Enjoy!
November 20, 2013
Author: OOGIAH
I did not realize what a big deal having Thanksgiving on the first day of Chanukah was going to be. Before I even heard the word “Thanksgivukkah,” I was thinking of ways to culinarily combine the two holidays. Little did I know there would be full websites, parties and t-shirts dedicated to this historical event! The most involved and inclusive dish I came up with includes combining foods from each holiday on a stick. In the ultimate homage to the holiday that is Thanksgivukkah, I give you: The Thanksgivukkabob!
From top to bottom:
-Jelly Donut Hole: I bought these from a local gourmet donut shop, but any will do.
-Corn Bread Pancake: I meant to make cornbread, but followed the recipe for pancakes, which actually ended up being great since pancakes are eaten on Chanukah. And my kids love pancakes any day.
-Boiled Sweet Potato Cube with honey, brown sugar and cinnamon: Sweet and savory.
-Turkey Meatloaf with Cranberry Sauce: This is recipe that my mom loves to bring when a new baby arrives. It freezes well and tastes great. So it’s Bubbie’s meatloaf!
-Potato Coconut Cumin Latke: I got the idea to add coconut from What Jew Wanna Eat.
-Another Sweet Potato Cube: Another splash of color!
-Canned Green Beans with lemon juice throughout the kabob: My husband loves canned green beans, and will eat them straight out of the can, with lemon, while camping.
The kabob contents can be dipped in cranberry sauce or applesauce and enjoyed!
This one kabob includes so many everyday and holiday family favorites. It is fun to make and eat!
This fall we need a new snack mix to eat while watching football and playing dreidel! By combining equal parts of any of the snack foods below, you can create your own mix to capture the flavors of Chanukah and Thanksgiving, or Thanksgivukkah!
Ingredients:
CHANUKAH THANKSGIVING
Potato sticks Sweet potato chips
Dried apples Dried cranberries
Chocolate gelt Dried green beans
Pecans Dried strawberries
Yogurt chips Corn Nuts/Corn Chex
Cinnamon sugar Pumpkin pie spice
Preparation:
Pick equal amounts of a few ingredients from each column. Mix it up in a bowl and serve. Eat while rooting for your favorite football team, or trying to get a “Gimmel,” and enjoy!
This post was submitted by OOGIAH.
May 5, 2014
Author: Mitch Rosenthal
Ingredients:
1 skin on center-cut salmon fillet, about 1 ½ pounds
Curing mixture:
1 cup sugar
1 cup sea salt
1 T ground allspice
1 T freshly ground black pepper
1 T ground fennel
1 T ground star anise
Grated zest of one lemon, one lime and one orange
½ fennel bulb, trimmed
Dill Crème Fraiche:
½ cup crème fraiche
½ cup sour cream
1 T chopped fresh dill
1/8 t salt
Grated zest of one lemon
Latkes:
1 yellow onion
1 very large russet potato, about one pound, peeled
1 large egg
1 t salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 T all-purpose flour
¼ t baking powder
Canola oil for frying
Preparation:
Salmon:
Using a sharp knife, cut 10 to 12 evenly spaced small slits in the skin of the salmon. To make the curing mixture, in a bowl, stir together the sugar, salt, all of the spices and all of the citrus zests, mixing well. Using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly shave the fennel bulb, then add it to the bowl and mix well.
Lay a long sheet of plastic wrap on a sheet pan, and spread half of the curing mixture on the plastic wrap, forming it into a rectangle about the size of the salmon fillet. Place the salmon, skin side down, on top of the mixture. Spread the remaining curing mixture on the flesh side of the salmon, then wrap the salmon tightly in the plastic wrap. Refrigerate the salmon on the tray for 3 days, turning the salmon over once a day. When the salmon is ready, unwrap it, rinse it well, dry it well and then re-wrap it. It will keep in the refrigerator for one week.
Crème Fraiche:
In a small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients, mixing well. Refrigerate until serving.
Latkes:
Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. You will use the strainer to drain the grated onion and potato. Using medium holes on a hand grater, grate the onion and place in the strainer. Then grate the potato and add to the strainer. Be sure to grate the onion first, as the potato will oxidized and discolor quickly. Mix together the grated onion and potato in the strainer, then press down gently to remove excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl.
Add the egg, salt and a few grinds of pepper and stir to mix. When the ingredients are evenly combined, add the flour and baking powder and mix well.
Pour the oil to a depth of about ½ inch into a heavy frying pan (preferably cast iron) and heat to 325 degrees. To form each latke, drop a heaping tablespoon of the potato mixture in the hot oil and fry, turning once, for about 4 to 6 minutes, or until brown and crispy on both sides. Be careful not to crowd the latkes in the pan. When they are ready, using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel. You should have about 18 latkes. To serve, thinly slice the salmon. Place three latkes on each of six plates (or serve on a platter), spoon a dollop of the crème fraiche on each hot latke, then lay a salmon slice on top.
