Celebrate different cultures, cuisine during the season
Bev Davis
December brings the perfect time to host a holiday brunch. The season of Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s Day provides an opportunity to prepare recipes from several cultures and traditions.
Potato pancakes, for example, are a popular favorite during Hanukkah. They may be topped with a variety of condiments, ranging from savory sour cream to sweet applesauce or sugar. This is one flavorful dish, however, that can stand on its own merits, said Sawsan Galal, adjunct cooking instructor at The National Institute of Culinary Arts at Mountain State University in Beckley.
“Potato pancakes or latkes, as they are also known, are robust and filling. They make a great addition for a holiday brunch, or a great supper any time,” Galal said.
Stollen is a bread-like cake traditionally made in Germany, and is especially popular during the Christmas season. It is known as Weihnachts stollen or Christtollen. It is a fruitcake made with yeast, water and flour or all-purpose flour and baking powder, and usually contains dried fruit, almonds, spices and is flavored with citrus peel.
Cultural legend has it that the shape of the bread was originally designed to resemble the baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes. Ingredients and texture have changed over the centuries.
When stollen first became popular, it was devoid of butter, which was not allowed during the Advent season.
Over the centuries the cake changed from being a simple, fairly tasteless bread to a sweeter cake with richer ingredients such as marzipan, although the traditional Stollen is not as sweet as the copies made around the world, Galal said.
Hummus, growing in popularity as a dip, brings a taste of the Middle East to the brunch table.
Hummus takes its name from the Arabic word for chick peas.
The added flavor of tahini, a sesame seed paste, gives hummus a rich, savory taste.
Many cuisine-related sources carry forward a folklore that describes hummus as one of the oldest known prepared foods with a long history in the Middle East, which stretches back to antiquity.
“Hummus is especially good on pita bread which has been torn into pieces and heated in an oven or microwave until it is crisp,” Galal said. It also makes a great addition to bagel chips.
Spinach and cheese strata brings the European flavors of Spain to the table.
Ingredients are layered forming strata, and the dish often calls for Gruyere cheese, although Swiss and Parmigiano-Reggiano make a flavorful combination.
Classic potato pancakes
1 medium onion, peeled
4 large russet or Idaho potatoes, peeled
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Applesauce and/or sour cream, for serving
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Place two nonstick baking sheets in oven.
Using box grater or food processor fitted with grating disc, coarsely grated onion and place in colander. Coarsely grate potatoes, add to colander and set aside to drain.
In large mixing bowl, lightly beat eggs, then whisk in flour.
Press potatoes and onion to extract as much liquid as possible, then add to egg/flour mixture. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Using wooden spoon or hands, mix well, but do not overwork.
In heavy-bottomed, 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter until hot but not smoking. Drop four small 1/4-cup portions of potato mixture into pan and flatten with spatula to form four 3-inch pancakes.
Fry until bottoms are golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes, then turn over and fry until golden brown and crisp, an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain; season immediately with salt and pepper. Keep warm on baking sheets in oven while making remaining pancakes.
Makes about 24 pancakes.
Spinach and cheese strata
One 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion (1 large)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed (1-inch) French or Italian bread
2 cups coarsely grated Swiss cheese
2 ounces finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2-3/4 cups milk
9 large eggs
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop.
Cook onion in butter in a large heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.
Spread one-third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one-third of the spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one-third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice, ending with cheeses.
Whisk together milk, eggs, mustard and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours to allow bread to absorb the custard.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Bake strata, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Can be chilled up to one day. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Hummus
2 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with salt
One 16-19-ounce can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup well-stirred tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons water
In a food processor blend together garlic paste, chick-peas, tahini, lemon juice, oil and cumin, scraping down side, until smooth. Add water and salt and pepper to taste and pulse until just combined. Hummus may be made two days ahead and chilled. Makes about 2 cups. Serve with pita bread. Makes 8 sandwiches; serves 4.
Stollen
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter or margarine
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup dried tart cherries or other dried fruit (coarsely chopped)
1/3 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon peel
2 large eggs
Confectioners’ sugar, (Optional)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease large cookie sheet. In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. With pastry blender or using two knives scissors-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in ricotta, dried cherries, pecans, vanilla, lemon peel and eggs until moist. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk if dough does not hold together.
Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. With floured hands, gently knead dough two or three times to blend. With floured rolling pin, roll dough into 10-inch-by-8-inch oval. Fold oval lengthwise, bringing top half over so that bottom of dough extends by about 1 inch.
Place stollen on prepared cookie sheet. Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Transfer stollen to wire rack; cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar to coat just before serving if you like.
