Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival Of Lights, begins at sundown today.
In addition to lighting the ceremonial candelabra, the menorah, there are favorite holiday foods.
Our personal favorite is the potato latke, or pancake, made from grated potatoes and onion, bound with eggs and fried.
You don’t have to be Jewish to love a latke (pronounced LOT-ka—the word is Yiddish, derived from the Belarusian latka).
Enjoy this latke recipe with white potatoes or sweet potatoes (our favorite).
They’re often served with a brisket of beef, but will complement just about anything.
Happy Hanukkah!
Potato latkes with applesauce. Photo
courtesy Zabar’s.
QUESTION: Do you spell the holiday Chanukah or Hanukkah?
A look at Google today showed that in the past month, 450,000 people searched for “Hanukkah”; only 110,000 searched for “Chanukah.” And 22,000 people searched for “latke,” with another 80,000 or so searching for “latke” plus another word—“latke recipe,” “Potato Latke,” etc.
Starbucks sells Christmas Blend in both ground and Via Ready Brew (instant coffee packets)
K-cup users can enjoy Santa’s Buzz from Coffee People or Tully’s Evergreen, which is organic and Fair Trade Certified (the name refers to the sustainability—there’s no evergreen flavor)
And of course, you can make your own holiday blend by adding a touch of cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, rum extract or other favorite seasonal flavor to your ground coffee prior to brewing.
What’s a crostata, you ask? It’s Italian for a pie or tart with a rustic-style crust. Invented by some clever baker before the advent of the pie pan, the filling is placed in the center of a circle of dough. The edges of the dough are folded up and over the filling to hold it in.
It’s not as fancy as a pinched pie crust that creates a high “ruffle” around the pie; but today, this casual technique looks charming.
This week’s cooking video shows you how to make a Raspberry Chocolate Almond Crostata. It’s perfect for holiday entertaining: Try it instead of your regular favorite pie.
Want to know the difference between a crostata and a croustade? Check out our Pie and Pastry Glossary.
