Hooray For Fran Manushkin!

Thanks to author Fran Manushkin. 
A delightful introduction to Hanukkah customs 
and family celebration of the Jewish Festival 
of Lights for the very young.

Each night a new candle is added to
the Menorah.
The whole family prepares and dines on
golden latkes, plays dreidel, sings Hanukkah
songs and enjoys chocolate Hanukkah gelt (coins). 

Watched by their playful tabby kitten.                       
Sharing Hanukkah fun and joy for 8 days and nights.                   
In remembrance of a miracle from 2nd century BC.   
A small amount of holy oil in the Temple burned 
for 8 days enabling the ancient Jews time to prepare 
a new supply in order to rededicate their Temple. 
My Art Director at Random House asked me
to set the celebrations in an early 20th century
city brownstone.
At that time most Jews living in eastern cities,
including some of my family, were poor hard-
working immigrants living in cramped tenements.
But that is a different story.
Simple Stickley style furniture remembered
from my Great Grandmother as well as another
Grandmother's Menorah and old family photos
helped inspire my illustrations.

Hooray For Hanukkah, Latkes!

This year Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, begins one week from tonight on December 21, 2008. 

The celebration lasts for eight days and commemorates

the rededication of the second Temple at the time of the ancient Maccabees. 

Here is my cover for Hooray for Hanukkah by Fran Manushkin, that I illustrated for Random House a few years ago. In this story the Menorah relates the holiday customs celebrated by the family as a new candle is lit each night until there are eight candles.

The publisher asked me to set the pictures in a city brownstone at the beginning of the 20th century which gave me a chance to illustrate some favorite decor and costumes.

When it came to depicting Latkes, special holiday potato pancakes, there was a humorous discrepancy between the latkes Cathy Goldsmith,  my editor, was familiar with and the latkes I drew in my sketches. My latkes looked like those I had been raised on. They were made from grated potatoes, eggs and matzoh meal which produced the delicious coarse crispy golden fried potato pancakes of my childhood. Her family latkes, on the other hand, as I recall, were made from a smoother potato mixture,  crisp on the outside but more rounded and softer inside. Our "dispute" ended in compromise and this taste-full memory.

LATKE RECIPE - (like my family makes)

(6-ish servings)

2 cups peeled and grated Idaho or Russet potatoes

1 small grated onion

3 beaten eggs

2 1/2 tablespoons of matzoh meal

 salt and pepper to taste

peanut oil

Put grated potatoes in a sieve over a bowl and push with the back of a wooden spoon to release as much moisture as you can.

Mix the potatoes, onion, eggs, matzoh meal together in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large heavy bottom frying pan over medium heat until hot.

Place 4 heaping spoonfuls of potato mixture in the hot oil and flatten each to between 1/2 and 1/4 inch thickness. Brown on one side (about 4-5 minutes)  then use a spatula to turn and brown them on the other side.

Remove when done and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with sour crean , apple sauce or yoghurt.

To good to eat not only on Hanukkah, yum!

Read what Fran Manushkin, the Author, has to say about writing the book, HOORAY FOR HANUKKAH at http://www.franmanushkin.com/hooray for hanukkak.htm