2023-12-07 13:36:27
“I grew up in an Orthodox family in California; we celebrated Hanukkah instead of Christmas,” says Adeena Sussman. Even though she is no longer religious, Jewish customs remain close to her. As a cookbook author, in recent years she has co-written Chrissy Teigen’s “Cravings” series, among other things, and she has just published her new cookbook “Shabbat” with recipes for Shabbat dinner. And when the Jewish Festival of Lights begins on December 7th, it will again be a celebration for friends and family for Sussman. “It’s warm and welcoming, it celebrates a miracle and also carries the light into the world,” she says.
Every year on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislev, Hanukkah is celebrated over eight days. It is a festival of joy because, according to tradition, the Jews celebrate the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem after the successful Maccabean revolt of the Israelites of Judea against the Seleucids in 164 BC. An eternally burning menorah was to be lit for the consecration. But the last holy oil that was left after the fighting was only enough for one day. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days, exactly the time it took to produce new consecrated oil. So this legend has become the ritual of placing a nine-armed Hanukkah lamp in the window to commemorate the miracle and lighting a light with the light servant every day at sunset. Like Christmas, however, the religious background has long since given way to the domestic celebration; You invite friends and family every evening, there are traditional Hanukkah dishes and gifts for the children, you sing and say prayers together.
Fish is traditionally on the table: here it is salmon on salad. : Image: Dan Perez/Styling: Nurit Kariv
Because Adeena Sussman grew up in an Ashkenazi family, the dishes of her childhood were influenced by Eastern European Yiddish; There were potato pancakes and fish as the main course. Since she moved to Israel in 2016, her dining habits have changed, including for the Festival of Lights: “We are in the Holy Land, where the Hanukkah miracle happened,” she says. The cuisine here is influenced by the many Sephardic and Mizrahi immigrants from the Levantine and North African regions, with local ingredients and lots of olive oil. “This is much more fitting for Hanukkah, after all, that is the scene of the miracle,” said Sussman.
Her recipes are much more influenced by Levantine ingredients and spices. For Hanukkah, everything revolves around the oil, which also plays a role in the tradition. The festival also coincides with the olive harvest season throughout the Levant. An olive oil tasting with friends is just as much a part of Hanukkah as dinners together. At this time, Sussman usually buys 40 to 50 liters of freshly pressed oil for the whole year, either from Rish LaKish or Ptora, which are produced in local moshavs.
Adeena Sussmann prepares Moroccan donuts for dessert. : Image: Dan Perez/Styling: Nurit Kariv
She doesn’t want dinners to be too formal. The table is set beautifully, but not too elaborately. Because Sussman cooks regionally, she also decorates regionally. There are textiles and ceramics by Tel Aviv designer Nurit Kariv, and of course a menorah lamp. December is also citrus season in Israel, so citrus fruits and seasonal flowers are also on the table. Because it’s all about the oil, there are dishes baked in oil. Quite classic are latkes, Eastern European potato pancakes, which Sussman refines with regional, seasonal ingredients such as beetroot and Jerusalem artichokes, as well as salads with olives or citrus fruits and nuts. Sufganiyot, Moroccan donuts with different fillings, are served for dessert. “You definitely have to eat them fresh and still warm,” she says.
“But on the last night of Hanukkah I probably had too much fried food,” she jokes. Instead of fried food, fish is served on the table, for example salmon with date syrup and pomegranate seeds, with salads and olive cake as dessert. Drinking accompaniments include Israeli wines or drinks from local distilleries.
Katrin Hummel Published/Updated: Recommendations: 7 Marco Dettweiler Published/Updated: Recommendations: 32 Majd El-Safadi Published/Updated: Recommendations: 18
“Hanukkah is a celebration for family and friends, it should remain as informal as possible,” says Adeena Sussman. Instead of cooking elaborately, stick to simple dishes that are fun to cook together. After all, it’s about bringing light into the world.
#Adeena #Sussmann #cooking #Hanukkah