Roasted Eggplant, Tomato, Mushroom Gratin

December 2012

Light dinner Hanukkah

Let’s face it, Hanukkah is a high-calorie holiday. It’s when Jewish families feast on countless numbers of fried potato latkes and doughnuts. This is the way it has always been. As Tevye, in Fiddler on the Roof says, “it’s tradition!”

All of this fried food is to commemorate a miracle that took place over 2000 years ago. Most people, Jews and non-Jews alike, have heard the story: the Jewish people emerged victorious in their fight for religious freedom when the Maccabees defeated the Greek army. The soldiers went to rededicate the Temple and they found a cruse of oil that was meant to last only one day, but miraculously, it continued on for eight. Since that time, Jewish families celebrate by lighting a menorah each night of the holiday and eating foods cooked in oil.

Fried.

Who doesn’t love fried food!

All those crispy goodies make Hanukkah, which begins this year at sundown, Saturday December 8th, a delicious holiday. It’s a special time when we don’t forego or hold back and when we try to forget that fried foods can be unhealthy.

Naturally, well-meaning nutritionists and food writers offer words of wisdom about refraining or substituting ingredients and cooking methods. There are numerous articles and recipes on how to cook low-fat or fat-free latkes and how to bake doughnuts instead of fry them. It’s all good advice.

But there’s another way, a compromise. That is, treat yourself and your family to some authentic, hot, crunchy, irresistible latkes. Have a fresh, sugar-crusted doughnut for dessert. But keep dinner light.

Rather than serve a traditional, heavy, high-fat, high-calorie meal such as braised brisket, blintzes or fried chicken, consider a fish, light dairy or vegetarian dinner, which could be a counterweight to the rest of the food.

This is actually in keeping with another Hanukkah tradition, one that celebrates the part played by Judith, a daughter of the High Priest, in the Maccabee triumph. Holofernes, the Greek general, was smitten with Judith so she visited him and fed him so much cheese and wine that he fell asleep, whereupon Judith cut off his head. At the sight of their decapitated leader, the enemy soldiers fled.

Ever since that time, in addition to fried foods, it has become customary to eat cheese and other dairy foods during the Hanukkah holiday.

Vegetarian entrees such as Roasted Eggplant Gratin are light but filling enough as an entrée, especially with latkes on the side. This dish is made with lightly oiled and baked eggplant slices, fresh tomatoes and mushrooms. The cheese topping is hot, bubbly and crusty, the vegetables, tender.

Robust, bitter, earthy and acidic ingredients balance rich, heavy fried foods, which makes Sweet and Bitter Salad, based on endive, radicchio, watercress and citrus an ideal side dish for latkes. This salad also pairs nicely with Roasted Eggplant Gratin, a hearty fish chowder (such as Triple Fish Chowder) or Roasted Salmon with Lemon, Coriander and Rosemary (or plain, roasted Arctic char or any meaty, white fish).