Chanukah lovin’ from Bubbe Beauty’s oven

This Chanukah story and recipe is adapted from “My Fat Dad,” a memoir by New York Times wellness blogger and nutritionist Dawn Lerman.

When I lived in Chicago, Jewish holidays were spent either at my Grandma Beauty’s house or my Bubbe Mary’s house, both on Chicago’s north side.

Beauty was all about being healthy, using a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables in all her dishes. Mary was all about recreating the dishes that made her feel closer to Old World traditions she left behind in Romania.

Every year at Chanukah, the whole family was invited to Bubbe Mary’s for a traditional Jewish dinner. What I loved most about holiday gatherings at Bubbe Mary’s house was seeing my first cousins, whom I adored but rarely ever saw — and listening to both grandmothers speak Yiddish. I never knew what they were saying, but something about the sound of the dialect combined with intense hand gestures and the aromas of the Jewish food left a lasting imprint.

Bubbe Mary grew up in Romania and traveled by boat to the United States when she was 13. She traveled with some of her sisters and brothers, but many family members were left behind.

Bubbe Mary used schmaltz to cook everything — from matzo balls to latkes to chicken livers. Everything was fried with schmaltz, which she kept in a glass jar above her stove. For Chanukah, she often went through a whole jar. She fried and grated so many potatoes for the latkes that her knuckles would bleed. She made sure if you were eating at her home there was plenty of food, and you would not leave without a full belly and a doggy bag.

The most memorable Chanukah at Bubbe Mary’s was when I was 8, the last one before my family moved to New York, and one of the last times I ever saw her.

When we walked in the door, Bubbe Mary had the menorah in the window ready for all the grandchildren to light. I remember a big wooden dreidel and a few plastic ones so each of the cousins could have their own dreidel to practice spinning before the championship began.

Later that night, I stood between my two grandmothers as Bubbe Mary held the shamash candle in her hand and lit the first of the eight candles, ushering in the first night of Chanukah while reciting a blessing. I watched the wick burn and the flame grow bright as I listened to the Hebrew blessings.

After we lit the candles, it was time for dinner. There must have been 10 different courses. As Bubbe Mary brought out her fresh challah bread, warm from the oven, she whispered to my dad to dunk the bread in the matzo ball soup. I remember the look of pure joy on my dad’s face as he dipped and slurped. The next course was potato latkes served with applesauce and sour cream; she made sure my dad and uncle Melvin had two helpings. Just when I thought it was not possible for there to be any more food, Bubbe Mary gleamed, telling us the main course was on its way — cabbage filled with meat and rice, sautéed chicken livers topped with onions, brisket with kasha varnishkes, and roasted tongue with peppers. My dad took my hand and smiled. “If you think this is amazing, wait until you see what is for dessert.”

After a few rounds of dreidel and Chanukah songs, the final spread was ready — homemade chocolates, mandelbrot with golden raisins, fried doughnuts with strawberry jam, and marmalade fruit slices. Showering my dad with food was how Bubbe Mary expressed her love — the more food, the more love.

That Chanukah was full of special memories, as well as insights into my dad’s lifelong battle with overeating and turning to food for comfort. Over the years, Jewish food has always had a special place in my heart, reminding me of those early years at my Bubbe’s house. Only now have I found ways to remake some of her Old World recipes to be healthier — a blend of New and Old World traditions, a blend of Grandmother Beauty and my Bubbe Mary.

THE RECIPE

Sweet Squash Latkes

Traditional latkes are made with potatoes, matzo meal and egg, and are heavily fried. My much healthier version uses yellow squash, whole-wheat bread crumbs and olive oil for sautéing.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:

2 medium yellow squash, peeled, seeded and grated

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 small onion, grated

1/3 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs or whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 1/2 to 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil or coconut oil for frying

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, toss grated squash with 1 teaspoon salt and let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze squash dry, discarding the liquid, then stir in eggs, onion, bread crumbs, baking powder, Parmesan cheese, and remaining salt and pepper and mix well. (Note: it is important to squeeze as much water as possible out of the squash. You can place the grated squash into a clean dish towel to remove excess liquid.)

2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.

3. When the pan is hot, drop heaping soup spoons of batter into the pan. You can use a spatula to flatten the latkes. Cook the latkes about 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Transfer carefully to a plate. Serve with plain yogurt or homemade applesauce.

Distributed by JNS.org