Hanukkah in Morocco was very different than in America. 

When we came to America, my family celebrated Hanukkah the same way that they had for centuries in Morocco. We would light the menorah, have a special homemade dinner and devour my mother’s beloved, freshly fried rosquitas, a delicious cake-like ring donut. 

The next day I went to school and all the kids were telling each other about their Hanukkah presents. And then they asked me “What did you get last night?”

WHAT!?! What do you mean Hanukkah presents? 

Luckily, my parents caught on and bought us special PJs or fancy items of clothing. But I don’t remember ever receiving toys.

By the time I had children, you better believe I got them PJs and toys and even Pokémon! As the kids got older and more demanding, I decided that it was a ridiculous idea, and I didn’t want to make it a family tradition. My husband and I made Hanukkah all about lighting the menorah, singing, family time and delicious food. My kids learned to enjoy the family get- togethers, making memories without the expensive gifts.

My favorite thing to do is to set up a latke bar with a huge pile of potato latkes and lots of toppings, including caramelized onions, sautéed herbed mushrooms, labne, kosher caviar, smoked salmon, whitefish salad and, of course, homemade applesauce.

This year, I am inspired to go with a meat topping, along with all the vegetarian options. The most tender meat I can think of is beef cheek meat. A slow cooked roast or brisket can stand in, but cheek meat is by far my favorite. I cooked it in my Instapot pressure cooker for three hours alongside onions, leeks, a little mustard, bay leaf and, with my son Sam’s encouragement, a whole bottle of beer! The result was an incredibly tender, flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness.

I fried up the latkes, then topped them with a mound of shredded beef. 

Wow!! Yes, this is a winner. Serve them on Friday night for Hanukkah. Your family and guests will be so impressed.

Every Hanukkah, I invite my brothers, my nieces and nephews, my cousins and their children. My cousins and I will fry the latkes as well as fresh-fried Sephardic style donuts called bumuelos, rosquitas and Moroccan Sfinj (recipes on The Jewish Journal website or at SephardicSpiceGirls.com) We light the ornate and beautiful big menorah, gifted many years ago to my husband by the Sephardic Educational Center. Our grown children light their own menorahs and a few more are lit by the family. The warm glow in our home is immense and magnificent, a wonderful reminder of miracles witnessed by the Jews so many centuries ago.

—Rachel 

Braised beef cheeks have a rich, beefy taste, making them great in braises, stews or tacos. Delicious over creamy mashed potatoes, rice, egg noodles, and with roasted vegetables. 

The key to perfectly braised beef cheeks is patience. The long, slow cooking process transforms this tough cut into a tender and flavorful dish. Season the meat with salt and pepper, then sear the meat to get a nice browning. Then braise in a low, slow oven with alliums and aromatics and a liquid such as beef broth, red wine or beer. 

After several hours the meat is transformed with rich, savory flavors. Imagine the ultimate comfort meal of crispy potato latkes topped with melt-in-your-mouth beef cheeks! A true miracle!

—Sharon 

Beef cheeks

2-3 lbs beef cheek meat

Salt, to taste

2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

2 large onions, diced

2 leeks, sliced

2 bay leaf

1 12oz bottle of favorite beer

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 bunch cilantro or parsley, roughly chopped

Season both sides of beef with salt and pepper.

Warm the olive oil in a heavy bottomed skillet, then sear the beef until there is a crust on both sides.

Place the beef and all the other ingredients into a pot and slow cook for 3 hours.

Notes:

I used an instapot set to pressure cook for 2 hours.

To prepare recipe in the oven, preheat to 250°F and cook for 3-4 hours or cook in a crockpot for 6 hours, making sure to add 1/2 cup of water.

The meat should be very tender and fall off the fork.

Latkes

4 very large russet potatoes, washed and grated with skin on

1 yellow onion, grated with juice squeezed out

1/3 cup flour or matzoh meal

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Vegetable oil, for frying

3 baby carrots, for frying

In a large bowl, mix together the potatoes, onion, flour, eggs, salt and pepper.

In a large, deep skillet, warm oil over high heat. When oil is very hot, add a baby carrot. (Carrot absorbs burnt particles during the frying process. When carrot turns black, replace with a new one.)

Use an ice cream scoop or large spoon to drop the potato mixture into the hot oil, then flatten with the back of the scoop.

Reduce heat to medium and fry latkes until golden, about two minutes on each side.

Transfer the latkes to a wire rack.

Serve the hot latkes with a heaping spoonful of beef cheek meat.

Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food. Website sephardicspicegirls.com/full-recipes.