Thanksgivukkah (sp?) Recipe: Spaghetti Squash Latkes!

Ah, the latke! It hits the Jewish palate with an unfettered, pleasurable mix of memory, satisfaction, and fried wonderful-ness. Of course, the use of oil reminds us of the Hanukkah miracle. But who can argue that this culinary treasure is an icon unto itself, a ritual that engages body and soul with Jewish history and peoplehood, pressing the savory, sweet, and holy buttons all at once.

Here’s a new twist on an old favorite, appropriate for Hanukkah and Thanksgiving: Spaghetti Squash Latkes!

• 1 average spaghetti squash
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (use more if necessary for binding)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Black pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup olive oil (you can also use coconut oil for crispier results)
• Optional toppings: Sour cream, apple sauce, salsa, Sriracha, etc.

1. Cut squash in half, remove seeds, place on a baking tray, and bake at 350˚ for 30–45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
2. Remove spaghetti-like squash strands with a fork. If necessary, cut strands on a cutting board to make them more manageable.
3. Place squash strands in a bowl and mix with beaten egg, flour, salt and pepper.
4. Heat oil in a nonstick pan. Drop squash mixture into 3-inch round patties. Fry until brown and crispy.
5. Remove latkes from oil and place on a platter layered with paper towels to absorb extra oil. Serve hot! Savor the taste of Hanukkah, and remember the miracle. (Don’t forget to light the candles!)  

 בתיאבון! Beteiavon! Bon appétit!


~
Rabbi Seth Adelson

The Reinvention of Hanukkah

Hanukkah is a wonderful example of the resilience of Judaism, and the Jewish imperative to reinterpret our tradition in every generation.  A minor holiday that had been largely neglected by American Jews in the late 19th century - an article in the Yiddish daily Forverts in 1904 pointed to the giving of Christmas gifts in Jewish homes as "one of the first things that proves one is no longer a greenhorn" - Hanukkah underwent a kind of renaissance in the middle of the 20th century.  (See Jenna Weissman Joselit's article in Reform Judaism.)  Sociologist Marshall Sklare observed in the 1960s that the lighting of Hanukkah candles, a relatively unimportant mitzvah when compared to, say, kashrut or Shabbat, was the only Jewish practice whose observance was increasing from generation to generation.  To this day, lighting Hanukkah candles remains the most widely-performed Jewish activity in America.


And what is it about Hanukkah that caused its resurgent popularity?  Sklare pointed to its proximity to December 25, which allowed a somewhat obscure holiday to be redefined, more or less, as "the Jewish Christmas," allowing Jewish parents to placate their otherwise gift-less children under a kosher rubric.  (As one who grew up in a particularly non-Jewish town, with parents who did not embrace the American presents-for-Hanukkah custom, I recall distinctly the pain of December in my earlier years.)

But perhaps there is something else there.  The powerful, universal symbol of lighting lights during a dark time of year, coupled with the message of Jewish victory in the face of another conquering adversary, and further bolstered by the pleasure of a home-based Jewish activity that is not overly-burdened with extensive, complex rituals all make Hanukkah an easy sell, the low-hanging latke of the Jewish calendar.

Hanukkah is the Jewish answer to Seasonal Affective Disorder: a beacon of joy in an otherwise depressing period.  Make a berakhah or two, kindle some candles, and sing a song.  It's good for you!  Hag urim sameah - happy Festival of Lights.


~
Rabbi Seth Adelson
(Originally published in the Temple Israel Voice, 12/8/2011.)

Wednesday Morning Kavvanah, 12/29/2010 - Secular Vacations

I was in Israel during Hanukkah. It is a time when children are on vacation from school, and along with Sukkot and Pesah, it is one of the three week-long vacations that Israeli schoolchildren can count on.

One of the things that makes Judaism work better in the Jewish state than in the Diaspora is that the public calendar reflects the Jewish calendar. So the opportunity to celebrate Hanukkah or any other holiday can be suitably joyous or solemn.

But even completely secular Jews in Israel (perhaps accounting for 40% of the country) are tuned into the Jewish calendar for precisely this reason.

Just one of the reasons that I am a Zionist.