Hanukkah

An interesting side dish or meatless entrée.

These biscotti can be baked in different size pans — even free form on a baking sheet — depending on what shape you’d like them to be. We used an 11- by 4-inch pan for a square shape. A 9- by 5- by 3-inch pan yields a long, narrow rectangle. The cooking time will not be affected by the pan you use.

When I was a little girl, my Aunt Lisl always made butter cookies at Hanukkah time. We decorated them. The cookies were stored in her garage in airtight containers. Sometimes we got to take some of them home. Other times, we just nibbled on them at her house. One of the best things about cooking with relatives is that it's a great time to ask for family stories. While we baked, Aunt Lisl told wonderful tales of my father's boyhood in Germany.

Though cheese blintzes rate as an all-time favorite in my family, I don't always have the time to prepare them in the usual fashion. Therefore, I created the following casserole, which has a fantastic flavor very similar to blintzes (some say it's even better); yet it takes only a few minutes to prepare. In fact, I make it often throughout the year. It is quite different from the popular cheese blintz casseroles made with frozen commercial blintzes. For my version, a layer of cheese filling is baked between two light layers of a special blintz-type batter. The casserole is then cut into squares for serving, making it a perfect choice for a dairy buffet and great for Shavuot. Since the first edition of this book was published, this layered blintz casserole has proven to be one of its most popular recipes. The dish is served at the famous Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, New York, where it has become a favorite brunch offering under the name "Easy Cheese Blintz Puff." And the recipe has appeared in a number of books and magazines. Like some of the other "creative" recipes in this book, this one appears to be on its way to becoming a classic of "new" Jewish cooking. <a name="note"></a>Notes: The types of cheese in the filling were determined after much experimentation with various mixtures. It is the best combination to produce the desired results of separate layers. The top of this casserole is rather plain. If desired, it may be sprinkled lightly with cinnamon or cinnamon-sugar before the casserole is returned to the oven for the final baking.

Ilene Danuff of New York, New York, writes: "This recipe was created by my mother. I've substituted chocolate chips for the M&M's MINIs that she uses." Mandelbrot is a traditional Jewish cookie that resembles biscotti but is more tender. Claire Danuff sprinkles her cookies with cinnamon sugar before baking, but we prefer them plain. To try the topping, combine 1/4 cup sugar with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 2 hr

These crunchy cookies are a new version of classic Mandelbrot, which means almond bread in German. Here, recipe tester Selma Brown Morrow uses hazelnuts instead of the usual almonds. To add an elegant look, she dips the cookies into melted chocolate and seals them in holiday bags.

I, who struggled for years to achieve perfectly cooked, lively green beans love Aunt Enza's overstewed green beans, soft, almost creamy, tasting of bean, cooked far beyond crunch. Although Aunt Enza cooks the green beans in an onion and garlic-flavored tomato sauce she pointed out that leftover green beans can be subjected to the same treatment. Aunt Enza has a heavy Tuscan hand with extra virgin. I've cut down on the oil but my husband Massimo always adds a little extra at the table.

The vitamin C tablet in this recipe keeps the apple juice from turning brown.

Rugelach are classic cookies in the Jewish culinary repertoire. The surprise ingredient in this version--cottage cheese--makes for tender, rich cookies.

The sauce for these cheese-based latkes, which are great for breakfast, can be made two days ahead. Be sure to serve the pancakes (enough for four people) as soon as they are made.

A nice side would be polenta or mashed potatoes.

Replacing the cinnamon with cardamom in this easy applesauce is a great way to appreciate the taste of the bracing spice.

Roast goose with apples, a specialty of Alsace, has become a classic Hanukkah dish in Paris. This recipe comes from Didier Lewkowicz, a butcher in the old Jewish quarter of Paris. Serve a French red Bordeaux with the goose.

Even though they are most often associated with the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, potato pancakes have a year-round appeal. Here they are given a Middle Eastern twist with the addition of flour made from chick-peas - the dominant flavor in falafel - as well as chilis, herbs and spices. Pour a dry white wine. For dessert, present fruit and some halvah. Chick-pea flour is available at Middle Eastern and Indian markets.

We've learned from experience that, because goose gives off so much fat in roasting, it's necessary to use a deep (at least 2 inches) roasting pan (do not use a non-stick pan). We also recommend using a metal bulb baster — the hot goose fat may melt a plastic one.

Taiglach (little pieces of fried dough dredged in honey) are eaten for celebratory occasions like Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, Simchat Torah, Chanukah, Purim, weddings, and births. Ceciarchiata means "chickpeas" or "little bits" in Italian. This festive taiglach is similar in nature to the French croquembouche, though it's a crown, not a mountain. It is a spectacular centerpiece with its clusters of dough and nuts, and is totally addictive.

To recall the miracle of Hanukkah, dishes fried in oil are prepared during the holiday festivities. The mother of our executive editor used to dazzle her family with these cookies-each one slightly different from the next.

Israelis celebrate Hanukkah not with latkes, but with doughnuts called sufganiyot. Here's an easy version, similar to doughnut holes.

For a nice vegetarian meal, offer these latkes with a Greek salad. Stir chopped fresh mint into yogurt to have with the latkes.