Festival of Lights

Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1999 | 9:30 a.m.

No matter how you spell it -- Chanukah, Hannukah or Hanukkah (the preferred spelling), this joyful Jewish celebration commemorates the victory of the Maccabees over Antiochus of Syria 2200 years ago.

A small band of Maccabees, led by Judas Maccabeus, was fighting for religious freedom. Its temple had been taken over by the king's soldiers. The Maccabees were willing to die to regain their temple. Against all odds, the small group of rebels rousted the enemy.

After recapturing the temple the Maccabees needed to cleanse it and then to rededicate it by lighting a menorah (candelabrum). All they found was a small container of sacred oil, enough to last for just one day. Miraculously, the tiny bit of oil burned for eight days.

Thus was born the holiday known as the Festival of Lights.

On Friday Jewish families around the world will light the first of the eight candles of Hanukkah.

This festive holiday includes games, songs and the exchange of gifts on each night. Dreidels (tops) will be spun and children will receive Hanukkah gelt (money), both real and the kind of fake gelt that kids love -- coins of chocolate covered with gold foil.

Latkes (potato pancakes) are traditionally served, but it's the oil they're fried in, not the potatoes, that symbolize Hanukkah. Potatoes were not available to any Jewish cook until the Spanish conquest of Peru, about 1,700 years later, says author and food columnist Raymond Sokolov in "The Jewish-American Cookbook," published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang in 1989.

All kinds of foods fried in oil, including the Israeli deep-fried jelly doughnuts -- suf ganiyot -- are eaten during Hanukkah.

While potato latkes are most popular, pancakes can be made from other grated vegetables -- zucchini pancakes are delicious, so are the rice pancakes made by Italian Jews.

And there are "designer" pancakes. Jewish chefs across the country are lacing traditional potato pancakes with scallions, apples and carrots. Sometimes, these upscale pancakes are topped with goat cheese, says Joan Nathan the author of "Jewish Cooking in America," a companion volume to her PBS series, "Jewish Cooking in America with Joan Nathan." This delightful cookbook is filled with delicious anecdotes and recipes.

It's as much a book about Jewish life as it is a cookbook.

Crisp, golden brown potato pancakes are still my choice. Serve them with applesauce and sour cream or plain. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you make more than you think necessary. There can never be too many potato pancakes on Hanukkah!

Potato Latkes ("The Jewish American Kitchen" by Raymond Sokolov)

6 large Idaho potatoes, 8 to 9 oz each, peeled

3 medium onions, peeled

4 eggs, lightly beaten to combine whites and yolks

1/4 to 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 to 3 Tbs salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Peanut oil for frying

Grate potatoes using the largest holes on a 4-sided grater or, if using a processor, dice first and then process with the steel blade in spurts, to prevent producing a gluey puree. With each potato, grate or process half an onion.

Transfer the grated potatoes and onions to a sieve placed over a large bowl. Press out the excess moisture with a wooden spoon and transfer the vegetables to another bowl. Pour off all of the liquid from the first bowl, leaving behind the potato starch that settles at the bottom; add the starch to the grated potatoes and onions.

Beat the eggs into the potato-onion mixture. Then beat in just enough flour to make a light batter. Add salt and pepper.

Heat 1/4 inch of oil in a large heavy skillet. For each pancake, drop about 2 tablespoons of batter into the oil and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon; the flatter you make the pancakes, the crisper they will be. Some people prefer thicker pancakes with a soft interior. Fry for about 2 minutes on one side, then turn and fry for 30 seconds or so on the other side. Don't crowd the pan with too many pancakes, or else they will become soggy. Remove the finished pancakes with a spatula, drain them over the skillet, and place on paper towels. Keep the drained pancakes warm in a 200-degree oven while you fry the rest. Serve as soon as possible, with sour cream and/or applesauce. Makes about 40 3-inch to 4-inch latkes.

Zucchini Parmesan Latkes ("Jewish Cooking in America" by Joan Nathan)

2 lbs zucchini

1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled

1/2 Tbs lemon juice

1 c. chopped scallions

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 tsp chopped garlic

3/4 c. chopped parsley

1 tsp salt

1/2 Tbs pepper

2 tsp sugar

1/3 c. flour

2 medium eggs

Peanut oil for frying

1. Grate the zucchini and potatoes and toss in the lemon juice to prevent browning. Squeeze the zucchini and potatoes through towels or a sieve. It is imperative that you get almost all the moisture out of the vegetables.

2. Add the scallions, cheese, garlic, 1/2 cup of the parsley, salt and pepper, sugar, flour and eggs and toss to make sure that the ingredients are well mixed.

3. Heat a 1/2 inch of peanut oil in a pan until hot and add thin silver dollar-size pancakes, frying over high heat until golden brown and crispy. When serving, sprinkle with a little more salt and the remaining chopped parsley. Yield: 24 pancakes.

Chanukah Gelt Double Fudge Chocolate Layer Cake ("A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking" by Marcy Goldman)

2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/4 c. vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

1 1/2 c. warm, flat cola soda

1/2 c. chocolate chips, melted and cooled

2 Tbs vegetable shortening

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter or unsalted margarine

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

3-4 c. confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 c. water, cola, or half and half

Colored sprinkles

20-30 gold-colored chocolate coins

Miniature decorative plastic dreidels

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease two 9-inch layer pans and line them with parchment paper circles.

In a large mixing bowl, blend the sugar and oil. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine until the mixture is well blended. In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Fold them into the wet, and mix, drizzling in the cola as the mixture blends. If using an electric mixer, use the slow speed and mix for about 3 minutes, scraping the sides and bottom once to incorporate all the ingredients. This is a thin batter.

Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cakes spring back when lightly touched.