This year, Hanukkah is not the 'Christmas Dilemma'
Published 4:12 pm, Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Every year, Jewish parents deal with what is known as the "Christmas Dilemma." That is, how to manage the whole Santa Claus and gifts thing by explaining the joys of celebrating Hanukkah, which usually comes at about the same time.
But this year is different.
In 2013, for the first time, and maybe the last -- or at least the last for thousands of years (calculated to be the year 79811) -- Hanukkah is not near Christmas. It falls on the same day as Thanksgiving: Nov. 28.
Sort of. It's a bit confusing because "days" in the Jewish calendar start the night before, so Hanukkah actually begins the night before Thanksgiving Day. And it won't take thousands of years for the first night of Hanukkah to fall on the actual day we celebrate Thanksgiving (that will happen in 2070).
Some will also tell you that this isn't really the first time this has happened if you consider that before 1942 Thanksgiving was the last Thursday of November, after which President Roosevelt changed the date to the fourth Thursday. With Thanksgiving the last Thursday, as it once was, then this holiday overlap did occur once before, in 1888.
This is all very amusing, but when it comes to the actual celebration, it doesn't matter much. Hanukkah is not a religious holiday involving synagogue services. It is a celebration of a military victory, commemorating a miracle that took place more than 2,000 years ago when the Jewish people secured their religious freedom. After the Maccabee soldiers defeated the Greek army they went to rededicate the Temple and they found a cruse of oil that was enough for only one day, but miraculously, it burned on for eight. Since that time, Jewish families celebrate by lighting a menorah each of the eight nights of the holiday and eating oil-drenched fried food.
This year some will be lighting a menurkey (a menorah shaped like a turkey) to celebrate what is being called "Thanksgivukkah."
The only real dilemma is what to eat when such holidays overlap? Thanksgiving dinner typically is turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and/or mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce. Hanukkah is famous for its latkes, mainly fried potato pancakes, but that brings to mind the further dilemma: If you love your latkes with sour cream, one of the traditional accompaniments, you can't serve that with turkey because kosher, observant Jews do not mix meat and dairy in the same meal. But if you eat those same latkes with applesauce, the other classic side dip, it's OK to include them in the Thanksgiving dinner. (Potato latkes with cranberry sauce and/or turkey gravy are sensational too, so there's that to think about.)
All these issues might suggest that if you celebrate Hanukkah the day of Thanksgiving you could substitute potato pancakes for the mashed potatoes this year. But if you celebrate Hanukkah when it actually begins, the night before Thanksgiving, you can devour the latkes with sour cream and then have your usual Thanksgiving dinner the next day.
That's quite a bit of work and cooking.
Consider this, if you'll be celebrating Hanukkah the night before Thanksgiving Day, avoid frying latkes two days in a row and serve a dairy meal the first night of Hanukkah. Dairy, particularly dishes based on cheese, is also traditional on this holiday. Make it even easier on yourself with a dish that you can prepare ahead and pop into the oven just before you need it: lasagna, macaroni and cheese, pizza, eggplant Parmesan, huevos rancheros.
On Thanksgiving Day, with the meat meal serve sweet potato latkes; killing two birds with one stone so to speak. For dessert, instead of the Thanksgiving pie, consider another Hanukkah specialty, doughnuts. Doughnuts can be messy because they're usually fried. They are also time consuming if you make the classic yeast-raised kind. But baking powder doughnuts made in muffin tins are as easy as ... Thanksgiving pie. Easier, actually.
Lasagna with Mushrooms and Spinach
Makes 8 servings
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk, low-fat or whole
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh spinach, washed thoroughly and dried
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 pound portobello mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 pound ricotta cheese
6 large plum tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 9- by 13-inch casserole dish. Cook the noodles al dente and set them aside. Place the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the flour and cook over low-medium heat, stirring constantly, for two to three minutes. Gradually pour in the milk and stir with a whisk until a thick sauce has formed. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the spinach and cook for one to two minutes or until wilted. Remove from the heat and let cool. Squeeze as much liquid as possible from the spinach. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the saute pan and add the onion and mushrooms. Cook for three to four minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. Place one-third of the noodles in the prepared pan. Spoon one-third of the white sauce over the noodles. Cover the sauce with the spinach. Place half the remaining noodles over the spinach. Top the noodles with the ricotta cheese. Scatter the tomatoes on top. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the basil. Mix the onion-mushroom mixture with half the remaining sauce and spread this over the tomatoes. Top with the remaining noodles, cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese has melted, bubbly and beginning to brown.
Sweet Potato Pancakes with Cranberries
Makes about 20
3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and finely shredded
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
Vegetable oil for frying
Shred the potatoes in a food processor. Squeeze the shreds to remove as much liquid as possible. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Chop the cranberries into small pieces. Add to the potatoes and toss to distribute the ingredients. Stir in the flour, orange peel, salt, ginger, cinnamon and baking powder and toss to distribute the ingredients evenly. Add the eggs and blend them in thoroughly. Heat about 1/8 inch vegetable oil in a saute pan. Form portions of the mixture into pancakes about three inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Fry the pancakes in batches over medium-high heat for two to three minutes per side or until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels.
Hanukkah Muffin Tin Doughnuts
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 10 muffin tin cups. Place the sugar and egg in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for one to two minutes or until light, thick and smooth. Add the coconut milk, vegetable oil and vanilla and blend in thoroughly. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat at medium speed for a minute or until well blended. Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for five minutes. While the doughnuts are baking, mix the confectioners' sugar and cinnamon together. After the doughnuts are baked, but still warm, sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon sugar.
Ronnie Fein is a cookbook author, food writer and cooking teacher in Stamford. Her latest book is Hip Kosher. Visit her food blog, Kitchen Vignettes, at www.ronniefein.com and follow on Twitter at @RonnieVFein.