Wine Me Dine Me: New ideas for the Hannukah table - Seacoastonline.com

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Wine Me Dine Me: New ideas for the Hannukah table - Seacoastonline.com

Wine Me Dine Me: New ideas for the Hannukah table - Seacoastonline.com

Posted: 07 Dec 2020 09:48 AM PST

By Rachel Forrest  |  Portsmouth Herald

Do we even need more new ideas for our cherished holiday meals, trendy "twists" on classics?

While I do like the comfort that comes from enjoying the same dishes at family celebrations each and every year, I also like to see variations on the theme, as long as it's not too "out there." My family in New Jersey had halibut for Thanksgiving. Come on, people!

That's especially true when it comes to dishes served at Hannukah, which begins on Thursday, Dec. 10, because each dish is symbolic. 

Whenever I'm asked over to someone's home for a Hannukah meal, I either bring my latkes or offer to make them in my hosts' kitchen to ensure they are crisp and hot on the table, or I bring sufganiyot, the fluffy, jelly-filled doughnuts dusted with powdered sugar. Last year, I brought little fried dough balls glazed with local honey as well.

For just a brief background, at the Hannukah table, latkes are served to remind Jews of the ritual oil that lasted eight days instead of just one during the re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after overthrowing the Syrian king during the Maccabean Revolt.  The latkes are cooked in oil so that explains that aspect, but what about the potato pancake element?

During the captivity of the Jews in Babylon, Judith fed the Assyrian general Holofernes very salty potato pancakes stuffed with cheese in order to get him so thirsty he'd drink too much wine and pass out, after which she chopped off his head. 

As for those sufganiyot, it's all about the oil. The doughnut made its way from Germany to Austria to Poland where Polish Jews began to eat them on Hannukah. They continued to "migrate" to Israel.

I make latkes all year long and try to keep them simple. My latest latke recipe (and they do change and evolve each year as I discover new ideas, within reason) uses matzo meal instead of flour in the batter and I loved the texture that yielded. Use russet potatoes and make extra sure to soak the shreds in cold water for about ten minutes to get the starch out and to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. This has dramatically improved latkes, but also hash browns. Consider adding other vegetables to the mix including beets, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, celeriac and zucchini.  I also like using schmaltz, the rendered chicken fat, if there are not vegetarians in the group. 

Latkes

Makes 20 latkes

Ingredients

2 large eggs

Kosher salt

pepper

2 lb. medium russet potatoes

2 medium onions

1/2 c. matzo meal

8 T. olive oil or schmaltz (rendered chicken fat)

Whisk eggs, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Grate the potatoes and onions. Add to the bowl with the eggs and combine. Stir in matzo meal.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil or schmaltz in a large skillet, preferably cast iron. Drop large spoonfuls of the mixture (about a 1/4 cup each) into the skillet and flatten. Cook until one side is brown and crisp, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook on the other side. Transfer to a paper towel. 

Continue until all batter is gone, adding more oil if necessary. 

One way to jazz up your latke game is to offer a variety of toppings. While sour cream and applesauce are traditional, here are a few other ideas: 

Horseradish or horseradish mixed with sour cream

Lemon zest

Shredded beets

Chopped apples

Goat cheese with herbs

Crème fraîche with smoked salmon

Pomegranate seeds and Greek yogurt

Crème fraîche and figs

Mix a few fresh herbs into the sour cream.

Chopped apple compote

This year, I'm making a variation on sufganiyot and making little balls of sweet dough, fried and glazed with local honey and spices. They're much easier to make and travel well. Use any local honey or one with truffle or a little heat to it. I also experiment with flavorings in the honey like orange, rose and vanilla.

Honey Gems

Makes 10 servings (100)

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup. water

1 T. sugar

1/4 t. kosher salt

1 cup. all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

Oil, for deep-frying (about 2 quarts)

1/2 cup honey of choice

1 T. orange blossom or rose water 

1/4 t. ground cardamom, cinnamon or cumin

Combine butter, water, sugar and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until butter is melted. Remove from heat and stir in flour, then return to medium heat and cook until the mixture pulls from the side of the pan, stirring constantly. It's done when you can form a ball, about 2 minutes.

Transfer mixture to bowl of electric mixer and beat on low speed using paddle attachment for 1 minute. I've also used just a whisk. Beat in eggs 1 at a time until dough is smooth. Place in a pastry bag with a large tip. 

Set wire rack over baking sheet or layer of paper towels. Heat 2 inches oil in a medium pot to 350°F.  Squeeze the pastry bag to drop inch long pieces of dough into the hot oil using a knife to cut each off. Fry until they puff up and turn a golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on rack. Repeat until dough is used up.

Combine honey, orange blossom water or other flavoring, and cardamom or other spices in a glass cup and heat. Place in a bowl and then transfer cooled, cooked balls into the bowl in batches to toss and coat. 

Ideas for giving and helping this holiday season

One in 7 people in New Hampshire don't know where their next meal will come from and it's especially difficult during the holiday season. I'll keep giving you ideas on how you can help as I find them. Here are a few to start:

The Chase Home for Children in Portsmouth, which supports at-risk youth, is not holding their Wine & Chocolate fundraiser this year. Instead, they have a virtual fundraiser going on now and hope to raise $50,000. You'll see their posters in shops and restaurants around the Seacoast. 

https://chasehome.harnessapp.com/wv2/campaign/2754

Fill a Shelf at Footprints. The food pantry in Kittery has a cool program where you can fill a shelf with all sorts of things to help locals, including personal care items often not covered by SNAP. Celina Adams is organizing a Fill a Shelf drive and you can order through Amazon using her wish list. You can also contact her on her Facebook page or contact Footprints for her info to drop things off.

Shout out to Tulsi Restaurant in Kittery which raised $3,800 for Footprints. They also posted that people who have no money for food can enjoy a free meal there.

Another shout out to Blue Latitudes in Dover which donated 617 Thanksgiving meals to the children's home and to area nursing homes. 

Rachel Forrest is a former restaurant owner, reviewer and Seacoast resident, who now lives in Austin, Texas and Belize. She can be reached at Rachel.forrest@localmediagroupinc.com.


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