It struck me this morning that the association of the potato with Chanukah is actually completely arbitrary–it’s the oil we fry up the latkes in that is a symbol of the holiday (commemorating the miracle that the menorah [candelabra] in the Temple stayed lit for 8 days when the amount of oil shouldn’t even have lasted one), not the potato.
So here is a recipe to help celebrate Chanukah–my mom used to make it all the time, and it can work as a side dish or as a dessert (and it does incorporate a bit of sweet potato for good measure :)).
Fried Pineapple
Ingredients:
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of black pepper
1 can pineapple rings
oil for frying
1 sweet potato
shredded coconut
Directions:
- Combine flour, BP, sugar, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.
- Dredge pineapple rings in flour mixture, shaking to remove any excess.
- Heat oil in deep saucepan and fry pineapple until crust is golden and crispy, 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Cook sweet potato and mash or blend smooth. Garnish each pineapple ring with a dollop of sweet potato in the center and sprinkle with shredded coconut. Serve immediately.
The cost:
pineapple: 1.89
sweet potato: .30
coconut: 4.99/bag
pineapple: 1.89
sweet potato: .30
coconut: 4.99/bag
Grand total: $7.18; serves 4-6