Chanukah began tonight and to celebrate we made a semi-traditional dish: beignets! Now, I know what you’re thinking. “Ari, what on earth is Jewish about beignets? They’re French!” But wait, wait - it all comes together.
Chanukah Beignets
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Chanukah (חנוכה) - also known as the “Festival of Lights” - is an eight day Jewish holiday that commemorates a battle for freedom fought over two thousand years ago, in the year 167 BCE. In that year the Syrian emperor Antiochus made the observance of Judaism a capital offense. In response, a Jew named Mattathias, along with his five sons, began a revolt that eventually defeated Antiochus’ troops and regained control of the Temple in Jerusalem. While under Syrian control the Temple had been defiled in numerous ways, so before the Jews could began using it again as a place for worship it needed to be purified in an eight-day ritual. But according to Jewish legend only one container of uncontaminated holy oil - enough for one day - could be found in the Temple. This is where the miracle occurred: they began the ritual and that small quantity of oil burned for the full eight days. (source)
In remembrance of this event Chanukah is celebrated for eight days. On the first night, one candle is lit, one the second, two, and so on until the last night, when eight candles are lit. Candles are placed on a chanukkiyah, a menorah with nine branches. The ninth branch is called the shamash, and the candle in this slot is always lit first, then used to light all the other candles.
Traditionally Chanukah is not a very important holiday and is far less significant than, for instance, Rosh Hashanah or Passover. But it has become a much celebrated holiday because of its proximity to Christmas. Jewish parents living in a Western society have transformed it into a fun-filled occasion during which children are given gifts on each of the eight days. As Rabbi Joseph Telushkin explains it: By making Chanukah into something special “many parents hope that their children will not feel they are missing out on the Christmas trees and gifts brought by Santa Claus.” A popular children’s game on Chanukah is spinning the dreidal, a four-sided cylindrical figure with the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hay and shin printed on its side. These letters stand for “Nes Gadol Haya Sham,” which means “A great miracle happened there (in Israel).” Driedels used by children living in Israel say “Nes Gadol Haya Po,” which means “A great miracle happened here.”
Now, what does all this have to do with beignets? The connection lies in the oil. Two examples of traditional Chanukah food are potato latkes and soufganiot (doughnuts) - both dishes that are fried in oil in order to commemorate the miracle of the oil that took place 2,000 years ago. But even though these are the most widely recognized chanukah foods, really you can celebrate the holiday with any kind of fried food.
That being the case, I chose beignets, which are deep fried pastries. They originated in France but are also immensely popular in New Orleans, which was founded in 1718 by the French Mississippi Company. My husband and I honeymooned in New Orleans, and during our week long stay developed a wonderful nightly ritual. Around 10:00 pm, we’d take a stroll down to the famous Cafe Du Mond, where we would each indulge in aromatic cups of hot coffee and sugar dusted beignets. I loved sitting there, eating good food with my husband and watching the people go by.
These beignets are very easy to make and I was thrilled when my husband, after tasting one, described them as “better than the ones we ate in New Orleans.” (They really are that good, though of course you can’t beat the atmosphere of Cafe Du Mond!) A yeasted dough is lightly fried in vegetable oil then dusted with confectioners sugar, or confectioners sugar mixed with a bit of cinnamon. Even though they are fried these beignets are not at all greasy. Why? Well, it’s a matter of physics, aka proper frying technique. The heat of the oil causes the water inside the dough to vaporize. When this happens the water vapor pushes outward, preventing oil from getting inside the beignet. As long as there is still water in the dough, creating vapor and pushing out, not much oil will get into the pastry. The greasiness we so often associate with fried food is actually the result of overcooking (where the dish is left in the oil after all the water has evaporated). But if you do it right, you’ll be left with a crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior. Dust the beignet with sugar and you’ve just created piece of edible heaven.
While we are on the topic of oil, I want to thank Jeff from ‘C is for Cooking’ for sharing a fantastic promotion with me. Last week a new artisan olive oil company called ‘Alejandro & Martin’ decided to promote their products by giving food bloggers cases of their olive oil. Thanks to Jeff I was lucky enough to get one! I’ve only used the oils a few times so far, but I’m already impressed by their quality. Packaged in attractive bottles, they come in four varieties: green & grassy, olivey & peppery, fragrant & fruity and mild & delicate. Tonight we’re making a pasta dish that uses olive oil & red wine as sauce bases - I’m willing to bet that Alejando & Martin’s oils are going to make the finished product even more delicious than it’s been before. So thanks Jeff! And thanks Alejandro & Martin! I’ll be posting the pasta recipe in the next few days along with more detailed information about the olive oil.
