#levivot

[sefaradweb]

Janucá, la fiesta judía de las luces

🇪🇸 Janucá, conocida como la fiesta judía de las luces, es una de las festividades más importantes y alegres en el calendario hebreo. Cada año, los judíos celebran esta festividad desde el 26 de diciembre hasta el 2 de enero. La celebración conmemora un milagro histórico ocurrido en el año 165 a.C., cuando los judíos lograron recuperar el Templo de Jerusalén y se encontraron con solo un poco de aceite para encender la menorá, el candelabro sagrado. Este aceite, milagrosamente, ardió durante ocho días, lo que es el motivo central de la festividad. Durante los ocho días, los hogares judíos encienden las velas de la janukiá, un candelabro de nueve brazos. El shamash, la novena vela, se usa para encender las demás. A lo largo de la celebración, se comparten momentos familiares y se realizan actividades como el juego del dreidel (sevivón), y se disfrutan alimentos fritos como los levivot y sufganiyot (buñuelos). Janucá también es un momento de reflexión espiritual, donde la luz de las velas simboliza la esperanza, la resiliencia y la lucha contra la opresión. Este año, la festividad comenzará la noche del 25 de diciembre, coincidiendo con la Navidad, un recordatorio de que tanto la esperanza como la luz pueden trascender cualquier oscuridad.

Janucá, la fiesta judía de las luces

Del 26 de diciembre al 2 de enero los judíos celebran una festividad clave en su tradición

🇺🇸 Hanukkah, known as the Jewish Festival of Lights, is one of the most important and joyous holidays in the Hebrew calendar. Every year, Jews celebrate this festival from December 26 to January 2. The celebration commemorates a historical miracle that occurred in 165 BCE, when the Jews recaptured the Temple of Jerusalem and found only a small amount of oil to light the sacred menorah. This oil, miraculously, burned for eight days, which is the central theme of the holiday. Over the eight days, Jewish homes light the hanukkiah, a nine-branched candelabrum. The shamash, the ninth candle, is used to light the others. Throughout the celebration, families share moments together, play the dreidel game (sevivon), and enjoy fried foods like levivot and sufganiyot (doughnuts). Hanukkah is also a time for spiritual reflection, where the light of the candles symbolizes hope, resilience, and the fight against oppression. This year, the holiday begins on the night of December 25, coinciding with Christmas, a reminder that both hope and light can transcend any darkness.

[vegan-nom-noms]

Crispy Vegan And Gluten Free Potato Latkes

[progressivejudaism]

Applesauce or sour cream?

[mostlydeadlanguages]

Recipe: Levivot (Yeasted Dumplings)

Hello, lovely friends!  I’ve been hard at work on my dissertation in recent months, which hasn’t meant much new content.  But I have an ancient recipe for you today, based on the description in 2 Samuel 13.  In the passage, Tamar prepares “two levivot” for her brother.  While the term means potato latkes in modern Hebrew, the passage describes her boiling the dough and pouring the pot out through a colander, implying that these are boiled yeasted dumplings, akin to German Hefeklösse.  Thus, I developed a recipe that uses common ancient ingredients to make them.  They’re quite tasty!

Levivot (adapted for ancient ingredients from Hefeklösse) Makes 12 rolls

60g lukewarm water (1/4 cup) 57g date paste or well-mashed Medjool dates (1/4 cup) [1] 7g active dry yeast (1 packet) 57g fat, such as untoasted sesame oil or butter (1/4 cup) [2] 180g lukewarm water (3/4 cup) 6g salt (1 tsp) 395g whole wheat flour, ideally Einkorn (3 1/2 cups) [3]

1) Mix together the 60g water and date paste, then stir in the yeast.  Let sit in a warm place for 5 minutes, until the mixture is very frothy.

2) In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture with all the remaining ingredients.  

3) Using the kneading hook of a mixer, or your own arms, knead the dough for several minutes (at least ten if by hand).  Add more water if necessary for a supple, tender dough.  By the end of kneading, the dough should be stretchy and smooth.

4) Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until the dough is doubled in volume.

5) Punch down the dough and knead it a few times.  Divide the dough into twelve equal portions, then shape each portion into round rolls.  Space out the rolls on a large tray and let rise in a warm place for 30-45 minutes, or until very puffy.

6) Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring several inches of water to a boil.  Reduce heat to a steady simmer.

7) When the rolls have risen, use a slotted spoon to lower six of them into the water, one by one.  Cover, return to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes.  Do not remove the lid while cooking.  When done, the rolls should be firm to the touch.  Remove with a slotted spoon, and repeat with the remaining six rolls.

8) Serve warm, with butter and optional honey.

Notes:

[1] You could use more refined sugar or honey, although it’ll make the cakes more sweet.  Dates were the major source of sweetness in recipes in the ancient Near East.

[2] In Mesopotamia, sesame oil was probably the most common fat used in baking.  Animal fat (like lard or ghee) could be used as well, but was more rare.  Olive oil was commonly used for illumination, but it’s debated whether it was used for food in Israel, as it can be quite bitter; regardless, if you use it for this recipe, be sure not to use Extra Virgin oil, which will impart a strong flavor.

[3] The primary grains for bread in the ancient Near East were barley, emmer wheat, and einkorn wheat.  Einkorn wheat flour is now widely available under the Jovial brand, but regular whole wheat flour works well too.  For a prince’s meal, fine sifted wheat flour would have been used; you can replicate this by replacing some of the whole wheat flour with white flour.

[scrumptiousreads]

Happy Hanukkah!

The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah began at sundown yesterday and continues until December 28. It is also known at the Festival of Lights (just like Diwali, the Hindu observance we highlighted here back in October).

As with that holiday, food plays an important part in the festivities. During these eight days many families invite relatives and friends over to light the menorah, sing songs, play dreidel, exchange gifts, and enjoy lavish feasts.

  Although there are many delicious traditional and contemporary dishes that round out a family’s celebratory meals, levivot (or latkes - potato pancakes) and sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts) are the most popular. Today we’d like to bring you two scrumptious variations on these common Hanukkah treats.

  Veggie Levi (6-8 servings)

One way to make the traditional levitot more colourful and festive is to add grated carrot and zucchini to the batter.

4 large baking potatoes 2 large carrots 2 small zucchini 1 medium onion 2 eggs ½ cup matzah meal ½ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. white pepper oil, for frying 

1. Shred potatoes, carrots, zucchini and onion. Drain vegetables in colander 10-15 minutes, squeezing down every 5 minutes. The shredded vegetables should be dry.

2. Blend vegetables with eggs, matzah meal, salt, and pepper. 

3. Heat oil in a skillet on medium-high (approximately 2 tbsp. per cake. Use enough oil so the pancakes won't burn, but not so much that the pancakes are oily.)

4. Drop tablespoons of batter into hot oil, flattening the pancakes with the back of a spoon. (Don't make pancakes too large that they fall apart when flipped over.)

5. Adjust the heat when frying so it is just right. If you fry on too high heat, the pancakes might burn. But if you fry on too low heat, the pancakes will be mushy rather than crisp.

6. Fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown on the outside and cooked through.

7. Remove the pancakes to paper towels to drain excess oil.

You can serve on a bed of fresh greens (baby rocquette & spinach is delicious), with a side of steamed vegetables (like peas or green beans), or topped with a sauce (pesto, spicy salsa, or mango chutney are all good).

Orange Loukoumathes (about 5 dozen)

This is a sufganiyot variation enjoyed by Jewish Greeks. They’re small puffs of fried dough drizzled with a delicious orange-flavoured syrup.

2 tbsp. shortening ¾ cup sugar 4 egg yolks ½ tsp. vanilla extract 1 tbsp. orange zest 1 cup milk 3 cups all-purpose flour 4 tsp. baking powder 1½ tsp. salt oil, for frying

  1. Cream together shortening and sugar.

2. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and orange zest. Stir in milk.

3. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry mixture to liquid mixture and beat smooth.

4. Drop batter by teaspoonful into deep (2-3 inches) hot oil (dip spoon in water each time before dipping so batter will not stick).

5. Fry until golden brown.

6. Drain on absorbent paper.

For the syrup: 1½ cups water 1 cup honey 1 cup sugar 2-3 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice

1. Boil together for 5 minutes.

2. Drizzle loukoumathes while syrup is still hot (or dip loukoumathes into the hot syrup).

To serve, sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar, crushed walnuts, and cinnamon, or sesame seeds.