Rededication

A few times a year, I take a vacation from meat. I?m not a big meat eater to begin with, but when my body starts telling me to 86 the chicken and fish, I listen. In October my body said it was time, and I began my meat vacation.

This makes for excitement at dinner. Dan and Max always want meat, and they usually find my attempts at vegetarian cuisine not all that satisfying. Most nights I have to make two meals, which means they get fresh food, and I reheat something I?ve made the day before. I?m not complaining. I want everyone to eat what he or she likes. The one vegetarian thing we all agree on, though, is falafel.

Falafel are chickpea fritters that can be served on a platter with other veggies (my favorite way) or in a pita with tahini sauce and veggies (the way the boys prefer). It?s no wonder the guys like these: They?re fried in oil. A lot of oil. Hanukkah starts on Friday, and I think falafel are a perfect Hanukkah food.

Dan says this about most Jewish holidays: ?They tried to knock us off, we overcame them. Let?s eat.? This is especially true of Hanukkah, the eight-day festival of lights. Oil comes into the picture rather miraculously.

In 175 B.C.E. Syrian King Antiochus, who ruled over Israel (which was then called Judea), decided that the Jewish people should forget Judaism and worship the Greek gods instead. Those who defied him were killed. This continued through 168 B.C.E., when a Judean named Mattahias fought back against the Syrians, killing several soldiers. He fled into the mountains with his five sons and they formed a rebel army, which was led by Mattahias? son Judah, who was nicknamed the Hammer. (Hammer in Hebrew is HaMakkabi, and today Judah?s followers are called the Maccabees.)

Antiochus wasn?t too worried about the rebel army, but the Hammer and his crew were determined to liberate their people and fought relentlessly for three years, eventually driving the Syrians out. When Judah and his people returned to Jerusalem, they found their temple destroyed. Among the highlights: Pigs? blood covered the altar; the Torah, the Jewish holy scripture, had been torn to bits and the menorah, a candelabrum meant to burn with eternal light, was dark.

Judah and his family cleaned the temple and built a new altar, but there was no oil to light the menorah. After searching for a while, they found a small vial, enough to last a day. It would take some time to get more oil, but they lit the menorah anyway. Here?s where the miracle comes in: The oil continued to burn for eight days, until more arrived at the temple. This is why Hanukkah lasts for eight days. Pretty cool, huh?

So this is the one time of year it?s okay to eat foods fried in oil?jelly doughnuts (sufganiyot), potato pancakes (latkes) and, yes, falafel (falafel).

Hanukkah means rededication in Hebrew. Regardless of your faith, I think this is a good time of year to rededicate yourself to something. And, if you?ve never tried falafel, why not fry up some chickpeas and think of the Hammer?

Falafel
Makes 6 servings
From How to Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman

Using dried beans makes a much tastier falafel than canned, but you can use canned if you want to. Leftovers don?t reheat too well, IMHO, so the recipe can easily be cut in half if you?re not going to eat these in one sitting. MB says to use a scant teaspoon of cayenne, but I use only a pinch, so adjust it to your palate.

1¾ cups dried chickpeas
2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 small onion, quartered
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 scant teaspoon cayenne, or to taste, or mild chile powder to taste
1 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro leaves (I like parsley)
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Neutral oil, like grapeseed or canola, for frying

Accompaniments
Pita bread
Tahini sauce
Chopped lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers

1. Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with water by 3 or 4 inches?they will triple in volume as they soak. Soak for 24 hours, checking once or twice to see if you need to add more water to keep the beans submerged.

2. Drain chickpeas well, reserving about ¼ cup of the soaking liquid. Transfer chickpeas to food processor with all the remaining ingredients except the oil. Pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl as necessary. Add the soaking liquid as needed, but try to keep the mixture as dry as possible. Taste and add more cayenne, salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed.

3. Pour the oil into a deep saucepan to a depth of about 2 inches. The narrower the saucepan, the less oil you need, but the more oil you use, the more patties you can cook at the same time. Put the pan of oil over medium-high heat and heat the oil to 350°F. I don?t have a thermometer, so I know the oil is ready when a pinch of batter sizzles in the oil.

4. Scoop out heaping tablespoons of batter and shape them into balls or small patties. Fry in batches without crowding until nicely browned, turning as necessary. Cooking time will be less than 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature with whichever accompaniments you dig.