recipes:
Entertaining
Frying Feast
Celebrate Hanukkah with lots of fat
Even with eight nights of presents and pretty candles, Hanukkah has a hard time competing with Christmas in the rush of December holidays. (Why should it have to compete at all, you say? We don’t know. It just does.) But there’s a secret weapon that might help make your Hanukkah party twice as delicious as your neighbors’ Jingle Bells blowout: fat.
Hanukkah celebrates the 165 BCE rededication of the Temple of Jerusalem following Antiochus IV’s occupation of Jerusalem; when the temple was reconsecrated, there was only a one-day supply of oil left to light the temple lamps, but the measly amount somehow lasted a full eight days. To celebrate that miraculous oil, Jews are encouraged to eat greasy foods during the holiday, hence the roasted geese, the latkes, and the sufganiyot (Israeli jelly doughnuts). So for this season, we’ve created an all-fried menu to celebrate the Festival of Lights.
Frying food is pretty damned messy but also a whole lot of fun—you might decide to make everything here (all the dishes but the duck-fat latkes are pareve, and could be mixed into another meal) or to just add one or two new recipes to your holiday repertoire.
The turnips and the duck fat add great flavor.
Radicchio, Apple, and Squash Tempura
Fall flavors and different textures are nice; they’re even better when battered and fried.
Fried Chickpeas with Sage
It’s impossible to eat just one of these salty, creamy, delicious snacks.
Sole in Saor
Venetian fried fish marinated in vinegar and red wine.
Honey Fritters with Blood Oranges
Fluffy fritters tinged with citrus.
Hanukkah, and the only recipes are fried?
Come on...
I think you could call the honey fritters "sufganiyot".
I also think maybe you could add a salad or at least a veggie to have just 1 healthy food.
There are other recipes from other countries for Hanukkah that won't give you a heart attack. Perhaps Chow hound could post some that a little healthier.
you're supposed to eat greasy foods, so chow just took the opportunity to make a story about fried stuff. it's not like they are obligated to make healthful recipes. they story is about frying....if you don't want it, don't make it...or adjust the recipe to be baked or something
These days you can still celebrate holidays and keep it healthy, though we all know it is quite tough to stick to any diet during the holidays, forget the rollover points we are rolling over period :)
Hanukkah is a celebration that requires fried foods. The different foods and traditions abound by region. Just because there are only fried recipes here, you could add things and/or use only one or two of these recipes. I can easily see mixing the fried chick peas with all sorts of menus, year-around. After all, Hanukkah comes but once a year. ;-) I agree with Babs16, however, that some other, healthier recipes to round this off would be appreciated.
Um, you guys DO realize why fried foods are important for Hannukah, right? You know, the oil lasting eight days and so forth...
As stated above, there's no reason to make only the fried foods in this menu. Is it possible Chow was just trying to highlight recipes for fried foods because of the nature of the celebration? The fried foods are not about the kind of gluttonous eating associated with the holidays; it's about celebrating a specific event regarding oil through fried foods.
You guys keep analyzing, I'ma go deep fry some apples!
Last year CHOW offered fried recipes as well. Suggesting a few healthier options isn't a slight against the 8 wonderful nights or a comment on the article above.
I'll search the boards.
C'mon-- Everybody knows that Hanukah commemorates the miracle of surviving 8 nights of fried food without having a heart attack!
Seriously though, I love to serve latkes on a bed of sauteed winter greens generously seasoned with garlic and lemon; it cuts the grease and the adjatta as well as provides some sorely needed vitamins.
Chow Team, how about a killer cake or something in the noodle category to inspire us this year?