concord, n.h. | The holidays are upon us, and that means there is a lot of eating to be done.
Thankfully, the season is scheduled to create the perfect celebratory eating circuit. Start with Thanksgiving, follow it closely with Chanukah and then end with a New Year’s banquet bash.
If you’re new to Jewish cuisine, start with latkes, deliciously crunchy fried potato cakes that go so nicely with applesauce.
Or there is matzah brei, a sweet French toast-like dish in which sheets of matzah are soaked in warm water, then squeezed dry before being coated in egg, fried and served with cinnamon and sugar.
When I was a teenager my father and I would make matzah pizza as a midnight snack. Take a large sheet of matzah, spread a thick layer of tomato paste (sauces are too watery), top with cheese and bake until the cheese melts.
But perhaps my favorite Jewish food is the knish, a sort of burrito for the Chanukah set. Soft dough is baked around a variety of fillings, potatoes and mushrooms among the more traditional choices.
We usually bought our knishes at a grocer. They were good, but not great. Too bad we didn’t know how easy they can be to make, and how much better than anything you can buy.
A great source for a wide variety of veg-friendly Jewish recipes, including a number of knish options, is Steven Raichlen’s “Healthy Jewish Cooking” (Viking, 2000).
Among the many tempting options is what he calls Jewish polenta (traditionally known as mamaliga). The recipe is similar to its Italian cousin, but Raichlen stirs in cottage cheese instead of Parmesan.
For a great starter knish, try Raichlen’s Fat Grandma’s Potato Knishes, which he says are easier to form than the more traditional bread-coated variety. Preparation time is 65 minutes.
Fat Grandma’s Potato Knishes | Makes 8
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, minced (about 2 cups)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. paprika
21/2 lbs. baking potatoes (3 or 4), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
salt
3 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, basil and dill
1 egg
freshly ground black pepper
3-4 Tbs. flour or breadcrumbs
spray oil
optional crust:
1 cup unflavored breadcrumbs
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over a medium flame. Add the onion and cook about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add garlic and paprika and cook until caramelized, another 6 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the potatoes in a large pot with cold salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the pan. Cook the potatoes over a medium flame 1 to 2 minutes to evaporate any remaining liquid. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool slightly.
Mash the potatoes in the pot. Stir in the onion mixture, herbs, egg and salt and pepper, to taste. Mix in the flour or breadcrumbs. Potato mixture should be thick enough to form with your hands.
Wet your hands and form the potatoes into patties about 11/2 inches thick and 3 inches across.
To use the optional crust, combine the breadcrumbs, paprika, onion powder and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Dredge each knish through the crumbs, shaking off any excess.
Arrange the knishes on a nonstick baking sheet lightly sprayed with oil. Spray the tops and sides of the knishes with oil. Bake until golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes, turning the knishes with a spatula after 15 minutes.