 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
Our holiday tables
By JANET K. KEELER © St. Petersburg Times, published December 20, 2000
There is no dish or sweet that turns up every year on their holiday table, says Wells, the pastor at Lakewood United Church of Christ. "I am a "consensus cooker,' " Wells says, explaining that her husband and three children always have input in developing the menu. This year, she says, roast beef has been requested by the meat eaters. The vegetarian entree is still up in the air. "I want everyone to feel completely included," she says. "To me, there is a religious dimension to that. Jesus invited everyone to the table and no one was left out." In the next week, the food traditions that link families to their histories, cultures and faiths will be celebrated by millions around the world. Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Eid ul-Fitr, the three-day Muslim festival that heralds the end of Ramadan, all begin in the next seven days. Christmas and Kwanzaa hold their Dec. 25 and Dec. 26 dates on the Western calendar while Hanukkah and Eid ul-Fitr move each year. However, they are the same on their respective Jewish and Muslim calendars, which are based on phases of the moon. It is unusual for all four celebrations to fall in the same week. This year, Hanukkah begins at sundown Thursday and Eid ul-Fitr is Dec. 27. Because Eid ul-Fitr is so close to Christmas this year, the three young daughters of Rasheedah and Makel Haneef of St. Petersburg are planning to decorate the house, inside and out, with lights, like other homes in their neighborhood. "It's a wonderful blessing that Eid has come around the time of Christmas and the girls are very excited," Mrs. Haneef says. Muslim children in secular schools, Mrs. Haneef says, often feel left out when the bright lights and heavy commercialism of Christmas appear. "That is why Ramadan and Eid are so important. They give them a sense of family." Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and Muslims believe this is the time that Allah revealed his teachings to the prophet Mohammed. Ramadan is marked each year by special prayers and fasting from sunrise to sunset for most Muslims; pregnant woman and very young children are among the exceptions. Eid ul-Fitr, which means "the festival of breaking the fast" in Arabic, is a joyous three-day celebration of gift-giving, eating and praying. On the first day of Eid, the Haneefs will go to the mosque of the Islamic Society of Tampa Bay in Tampa to celebrate with others and eat lots and lots of sweets and Middle Eastern dishes. Like the prophet Mohammed did hundreds of years before, most Muslims break the daily fast with a date. The sugar in the date also gives the body a boost after a day of fasting, explains Mohammad Sultan, director of the Islamic Society. The predawn meal starts with a sweet. For American Muslims, Mrs. Haneef says, that can be brownies, doughnuts, cakes and pies. "Our desserts are much sweeter here than in other countries," she says, laughing. Mrs. Haneef says she will not make special meals at home but rather will join with other Muslims at the mosques in Tampa and St. Petersburg to celebrate. Besides a plethora of food, there will be games for children and vendors selling books and clothing. "On a scale of importance," Mrs. Haneef explains, "Eid is as important to Muslims as Christmas is to Christians." At sundown Thursday, Jewish families all over the United States will begin the eight-day celebration of Hanukkah. On the menu for the first night of Hanukkah might be brisket, and latkes, for sure. The oil used to fry the potato pancakes represents the small amount of oil that burned miraculously for eight days in the recaptured Temple of Israel. Doughnuts, also fried in oil, are another traditional Hanukkah food. At Annie and Donald Ennis' St. Petersburg home, latkes will be served along with cheese blintzes. Mrs. Ennis, Sisterhood president at Temple Beth-El, says she doesn't usually serve blintzes at Hanukkah but is under special orders to do so this year. For the first time in many years both her sons will be home and they "go bananas over my blintzes." "I learned to make them when I was 5 standing on a chair next to my mother," she says. "That was the the first thing I ever learned to cook." In most Jewish homes, roast chicken, roast turkey or brisket are the centerpiece of special meals, Mrs. Ennis says. This year, she is roasting a turkey, thrilled to have her family together. "For a lot of Jewish holidays, it's not the story of the holiday that is so important but the chance to bring the family together," she says. "And that always involves food. There's nothing that a Jew does that doesn't involve food. Even Yom Kippur, when we fast, is centered around not eating." Kwanzaa, the seven-day African-American celebration, is also a time for family and community gatherings. Kwanzaa was created by a California college professor in 1966 and focuses on values such as family, community and responsibility. Each day of Kwanzaa highlights a principle such as Umoja (Swahili for unity), Kujichagulia (self-determination) and Imani (faith.) Some of the dishes of Kwanzaa have ties to African cuisine and include plantains, okra, sweet potatoes and greens. More often, though, Southern soul food is on the menu as African-Americans come together to share food and fellowship. At community celebrations, food is contributed by the attendees and might be a family favorite, says Tyna Middleton, special projects manager for the city of St. Petersburg. Middleton has been involved in planning many community Kwanzaa celebrations. "At Kwanzaa we break bread together and get the opportunity to reflect," Middleton says. She adds that people learned how to celebrate at community functions and then brought those traditions into the home. That community, and that belonging, is what Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa and Eid ul-Fitr have in common. All that -- and food. "Food is a universal need," says Pastor Wells. "In a way it represents the bonding of the human community. At this time of year, we remember that the gifts we receive at our table at home, which nourish our bodies, are gifts from God's hands." Dajaj Beltoom (Garlic Chicken)
Combine garlic, salt, lemon juice, oil, water and the spices. Add the chicken, toss to coat and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place potato wedges and chicken with marinade in a baking dish. Bake about 40 minutes, then place under the broiler until the chicken and potatoes are golden in color. Source: http://about.com. Fattoush (Toasted Bread Salad)
Topping:
Combine the salad ingredients and refrigerate. Whisk together the garlic, oil, lemon juice, apple cider and spices; refrigerate. Just before serving, sprinkle with toasted pita bread and pour on the dressing. Toss. Source: http://about.com. Roast Chicken with Lemon and Fresh Herbs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse chicken; pat dry. Sprinkle chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Place herb sprigs and lemon strips inside main cavity. Rub outside with oil, then chopped herbs and grated lemon peel. Place chicken in pan. Roast chicken 45 minutes; pour wine and broth over. Cook until juices run clear when thigh is pierced, basting often with pan juices, about 30 minutes. Serve chicken with pan juices. Serves 4. Source: Bon Appetit, January 1999. Sufganiot (Hanukkah donuts)
Sift 1 cup of flour into the hot milk and beat until smooth, then allow to cool. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk, add to the flour mixture and set aside for about half an hour. Mix the egg yolks and sugar with the vanilla and rind and add to the dough. Add the remaining flour and the butter and knead. Allow to rise until double in bulk (about 45 minutes). Roll out on a floured board to a thickness of 1/2 inch and cut into rounds. Put a teaspoon of jam in the center of 1 round and cover it with another round. Press the edges together and allow to rise again in a warm place. Fry in hot oil, drain and dust with sugar. Source: "The Israeli Cookbook," Molly Lyons Bar-David. Cranberry Breakfast Cake
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour 12-cup bundt pan. Sift flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt into medium bowl. Beat 1 cup sugar and butter in large bowl until well-blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reserve 1 tablespoon dry ingredients. Mix remaining dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix dried cranberries with reserved 1 tablespoon dry ingredients in small bowl. Fold dried cranberries into batter. Transfer batter to prepared pan (batter will come only about halfway up sides of pan). Smooth top. Mix walnuts, cinnamon and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in medium bowl. Sprinkle over batter. Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Turn off oven. Open oven door slightly. Let cake stand in oven with door ajar 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack; cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil; store at room temperature.) Sift powdered sugar over cake. Serves 12. Source: Bon Appetit, December 1996. Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Nutmeg and Lemon
Cook sweet potatoes in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well. Transfer to large bowl and puree in mixer or processor in batches. Return to pot. Mix in butter, molasses, 2 teaspoons lemon peel and 11/2 teaspoons nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Stir potato mixture over medium heat to rewarm and thicken slightly. Transfer potatoes to serving bowl. Top with parsley, lemon and nutmeg. Serves 12. Source: Bon Appetit, December 1990. Sweet Potato PieTopping:
Filling:
For the topping, in a small bowl stir together the flour and brown sugar, then use your fingers to rub the margarine into the flour mixture until crumbly. Stir in the pecans and set aside. For the pie, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a shallow 2-quart casserole or an 8- by 8-inch baking dish with butter-flavored no-stick spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the egg whites, eggs, milk, brown sugar, margarine, vanilla, orange peel (if desired) and salt until well-combined, then gently stir in the sweet potatoes. Transfer the potato mixture to the prepared casserole. Sprinkle with the topping mixture, then generously coat the topping with the butter-flavored no-stick spray. Bake about 35 minutes or until heated through and golden on top. Note: To make 3 cups of mashed sweet potatoes, begin with 5 medium sweet potatoes (about 13/4 pounds). Peel and cut off any woody portions and ends, then cut the potatoes into quarters and cook them in boiling water about 30 minutes or until tender. Drain well and mash with a potato masher or beat with an electric mixer on low speed. Serves 8. Source: http://www.women.com and Rodale Press. Sizzling Beans with Peanuts
While the beans are cooking, heat a large cast-iron frying pan over medium heat until hot, about 4 minutes. Add half of the beans and half of the ginger mixture. Saute for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining beans and ginger mixture. Sprinkle with the peanuts. Serves 8. Source: http://www.women.com and Rodale Press.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111 
|
From the Times Taste section From the features wire |
