Beyond latkes: What you should be frying (or not) for Hanukkah

Latkes , latkes and more latkes. The fried potato pancakes are the quintessential centerpiece of the Hanukkah table in Ashkenazi Jewish homes. In a Hanukkah story in last Sunday’s Weekend section, Leah Koenig, author of the recently published “Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome’s Jewish Kitchen,” tells us that in the mostly Sephardic Jewish households of Rome, fried food runs deep in the culinary culture.

On those Hanukkah tables, one is more likely to find fried vegetables, or pezzetti fritti (“fried pieces”), and mele fritte, batter-coated apple rings that are ethereally crisp and light outside and custardy-sweet within. Whatever fried foods are gracing your holiday table, you will need something to serve alongside, to cut the oil and refresh the palate.

Go for a big salad, such as Adeena Sussman’s Early Winter Salad, which features one of my all-time favorite fruits, the persimmon.

Andy Baraghani’s Fennel Salad With Spicy Green Olives And Crushed Pistachios feeds any passion for briny, spicy and crunchy in one fell swoop.

And if you have to please the carnivores at your table, try my Best Brisket Ever. It is a classic preparation, and it takes well to variations. Toss in some different hearty vegetables such as turnips, parsnips or sunchokes. Enhance it with apricots and prunes and some ras el hanout — that wonderfully heady Moroccan spice mix. Or sub out some of the beef broth for pomegranate molasses and add a sprig or two of rosemary for a tangy twist.

For dessert, there are alternatives to sufganiyot (yeasted, fried jelly doughnuts), such as these Bumuelos in Red Wine Sauce (sweet dough balls similar to Argentinian buñuelos), and stay tuned next week: We are rolling out a slew of Italian cookie recipes from members of L.A.’s Garibaldina Society.

Mele Fritte

For these sweet, crunchy fritters (mele fritte), apple rings are lightly coated with a creamy batter, then fried until crisp and golden outside and tender within.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 55 minutes.

(Rebecca Peloquin / For The Times)

Pezzetti Fritti

Battered deep-fried vegetables (pezzetti fritti) including zucchini, mushrooms, fennel and green beans are served hot and crisp with lemon wedges alongside. Feel free to experiment with other vegetables such as winter squash, onions and eggplant.
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Cook time: 1 hour.

(Rebecca Peloquin / For The Times)

Best Brisket Ever

Delicious brisket does not require fancy ingredients, a lot of work or special equipment. Follow these best practices to help your Hanukkah (or Passover or Shabbat) brisket be the best it can be.
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Cook time: 4 hours, largely unattended, plus overnight chilling.

(Dania Maxwell / Los Angeles Times)

Early Winter Salad

Colorful persimmon slices and pomegranate seeds add sweetness and texture to this hearty green salad. Briny feta and a mustard vinaigrette boost the sweetness of the fruit and add tang.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 20 minutes.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Fennel Salad With Spicy Green Olives And Crushed Pistachios

Spiced fatty green olives add richness to a briny, crisp shaved fennel salad. Easy, quick to prepare and oh, so delicious!
Get the Recipe.
Cook time: 30 minutes

(Graydon Herriot)

Bumuelos in Red Wine Sauce

These little round balls of choux-like pastry fried in oil prepared by Jews of Greece and Turkey are much easier to make than sufganiyot. Serve them with a red wine syrup; prepare the syrup in advance, but make the batter at the last minute. Then enjoy the party.
Get the recipe.
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes.

(Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)