Its those darned Maccabees fault. If Judah and his six brothers hadnt decided to go off and be heroes by fighting off the Seleucid invasion of Israel over 2,000 years ago, my skill or rather, lack of it at not eating chocolate gelt (candy coins) would never be an issue. But they did, so it did. On the bright side, this is the time of year when one is practically obligated to make latkes (fried potato pancakes), braised brisket, sufganiyot (deep-fried jelly doughnuts), and other oily and delicious foods.
Yes, Hanukkah is here, starting today for eight nights of candle-lighting, dreidel-spinning, and the aforementioned gelt.
Why is Hanukkah so tied up in deep-fried goodness? Once again, we turn to the Maccabee brothers. After successfully fighting off the invading hordes, they wanted to light the lamps in the temple to celebrate, but there was only enough oil left to burn for one day. Miraculously, the oil kept burning for eight days, hence the length of our annual Festival of Lights.
Lesser known is the story of the widow Judith, who saved her village from the same invaders by taking their leader, Holofernes, a peace offering of salty cheese, which made him very thirsty, and potent wine, which made him extremely drunk. Once he was passed out, Judith decapitated him and took his head back to her village. When the invaders found their headless leader the next day, they apparently fled in fear, thus saving the village.
So, dont be surprised if you see a fair bit of dairy on a Hanukkah table near you. Look for salty cheese turnovers, fried cheese pelmenyi (for Jews of Ukrainian background), and cheesecake for dessert. Most importantly, look for kifles (or kuffels). These crescent-shaped pastries are wrapped around cream cheese fillings and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. Make a meal out of these alone andwell, I really cant see anything wrong with that.
Note: Kosher households will have either meat or dairy on the table, not both. If you dont keep kosherhave at it!
Here are some places to find your Hanukkah treats in Vancouver.
Breka Bakery. For challah, kuffels (the cream cheese filling is studded with hazelnuts!), and sufganiyot.
Sollys Bagelry. For beautiful, lacy, deep-fried latkes (fresh or frozen), homemade apple sauce (to go with the latkes), and traditional sufganiyot, not to mention dreidels and menorah candles.
European Breads. For cheese pies, cheese pelmenyi, and challah.
Siegels Bagels. For the best chocolate-walnut or apricot rugolach (think kuffel, but bigger) in the city. SiegelsBagels.com
Omnitskys Deli. For fresh or prepared brisket or beef tongue.
Sabra Restaurant and Bakery. For matzoh ball soup and sufganiyot.
Light Up the Night: Menorah lighting outside the Vancouver Art Gallery. Includes fire performers, hot cocoa and latkes, photos with Judah the Macabee and greetings from politicians and community leaders. Begins at 6pm. Bring an unwrapped new toy to donate to BC Childrens Hospital. More details at LubavitchBC.com.
Latkes and Lattes: Join the family celebration with Chabad East Van (5750 Oak) on Dec. 1 from 10am to 12pm. There will be Dreidel games, menora lighting, Chanukah breakfast, donut decorating crafts and entertainment. $25 per family. RSVP at ChabadEastVan.com/Chanukah.
Chanukah Party at UBC: An evening of latkes, donuts, chocolate gelt, Dreidel playoffs, poker, blackjack, backgammon, prizes and auctions. Free from 6 to 8pm on Nov. 28 in room 261 of the Irving K. Barber Library. Go to ChabadUBC.com for details, including requests for free menorah kits.
Post Chanukah on Ice: Skate with friends to Jewish music, with food and face painting from 3:30 to 5:30pm Dec. 26 at Trout Lake ice rink (3350 Victoria). $10 in advance, $12 at the door; includes skate RSVP at ChabadEastVan.com/Chanukah.
