Deconstructing the latke: A user’s guide
Latkes, doughnuts and fritters — in Jewish homes, everyone’s frying this month, much as we have been for the last 2,000 years or so.
Latkes, doughnuts and fritters — in Jewish homes, everyone’s frying this month, much as we have been for the last 2,000 years or so.
Gone are the days when the Chanukah holiday meant an eight-day binge fest of all things fried.
Just back from Italy, I was inspired by the foods served at our favorite restaurants. My Chanukah menu this year is a travelogue of those culinary experiences.
As if we didn\’t have enough on our plates, here\’s something new to argue about. Not that Jews don\’t have a fine history of conflict: Hillel vs. Shammai, Bundists vs. Zionists, Labor vs. Likud. But now, to have to pick between sweet and savory, round and triangular, latke and hamantashen. How to choose?
Of course, Purim (hamantashen) and Chanukah(latke) are new holidays, Johnny-come-latelies that turned up after the Bible, so of course they have to fight.
At Universal Studios, all the usual characters — Spider-Man and the Rugrats — were out in force on Sunday, Nov. 24. But they weren\’t just there for photo ops with children, instead they were lighting menorahs, spinning dreidels and eating the world\’s biggest latke at the Chanukah celebration in Universal City.
\”We thought that Chanukah was one of the best Jewish holidays that lent itself to the fun family entertainment, and so we worked with a consultant and spoke with a number of rabbis from a variety of groups to create this event,\” said Brian Pope, Universal vice president of marketing services, who said he hopes that the event — attended by Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, the Dodgers\’ Shawn Green, and actor Justin Burfield from \”Malcolm in the Middle,\” — will become an annual one.