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Vegan Bites:
Festive Foods
by Hope Matthews, illustrated by Joseph Stengal; from the December 2006 newsletter
As overrated and commercial as the winter holidays may appear one common element regardless of religion or culture or class is food. Celebrating and feasting often go hand-in-hand, and this time of year is no different.
Feasting is a celebration of the Earth’s abundance, a time to gather with family and friends, enjoying the delicious foods that we created and worked for together. Christmas hams, Kwanzaa stews, and Hanukkah latkes form an integral, meaningful part of the customs inherent on these holidays.
Celebrating a particular religious holiday may also differ greatly from one country to the next. Mexico’s Christmas tradition, Las Posadas, held each night between December 16th to Christmas Eve, in honor of the period when Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of lodging, is somewhat different from an American traditional Christmas. In Las Posadas friends and families share in the festivities communally, celebrating at a different house each evening. Part of their tradition includes carrying candles, adults drinking a thick punch called ponche navideno and, at the end of the journey, breaking a piñata stuffed with candy and fruit.
Latkes, or potato pancakes, are one of my favorite breakfast foods, and integral to Hanukkah tradition. Originally, the pancakes were made of cheese and latkes were eaten as a tribute to Judith, a daughter of the Hasmoneans. Judith fed cheese to Holofernes, general of Nebuchadnezzar's army and enemy of the Jews. When the cheese made him quite thirsty, he drank wine, got drunk and Judith cut off his head, leading to Jewish victory. For this reason, it was said, Jews eat cheese delicacies on Hanukkah.
Today the potato latkes are more popular than their cheese versions, and I’ve included a vegan recipe I found online.
Another religious festival recognized over several nights during the winter holiday season is Kwanzaa. Kwanzaa is observed between December 26th and January 1st by many in the world African community who gather to celebrate family, community and African culture. According to the The Official Kwanzaa Web Site, “the name Kwanzaa is derived from the phrase "matunda ya kwanza" which means "first fruits," or harvest festival, in Swahili, a Pan-African language which is the most widely spoken African language.” (http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/origins1.shtml).
Although Kwanzaa is a relatively new holiday, founded in 1966 by Dr. Maulana Karenga, it is rooted in celebrations dating from ancient Egypt and Nubia. On the last evening of Kwanzaa, the Kwanzaa Feast or Karumu is held. This celebration is filled with music, food, dancing and rituals, which are observed in a room decorated in bright green, red, and black. Dishes from Africa, the Caribbean and the Americas are savored among family and friends.
Although many folks don’t associate vegan fare with any of these holidays,
there are traditional dishes that can be suited for vegans or are already vegan
in nature. A fabulous site is http://www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com for
Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Hanukkah recipes. For more English and American style
Christmas recipes http://www.ivu.org/recipes/holiday/ offers
lots of appetizing-sounding vegan dishes. If you are looking for a site that
focuses on celebrating a vegan Hanukkah, http://www.vegparadise.com/cookingwith612.html offers
a full menu for this holiday. This link features lots of vegan soul food recipes
for Kwanzaa:
http://groups.msn.com/VegetarianSOULFOOD/soulvegetarianrecipes.msnw.
Happy feasting this holiday season!
Festive Kwanzaa Slaw
Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens
5 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup grated carrot
1 cup celery
1/2 cup green pepper
1/2 cup red or yellow pepper (or 1/4 cup of each)
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup bottled Italian dressing
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. celery seed
In a large mixing bowl combine cabbage, carrots, corn, celery, and sweet pepper; toss lightly to mix. In a small mixing bowl or glass measure stir together salad dressing, sugar, and celery seed. Add salad dressing mixture to cabbage mixture, tossing to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours. Toss again just before serving.
Bryanna’s Potato Pancakes (Latkes)
From www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com
9 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed or peeled and grated
1 large onion, peeled and grated
3/4 c. wholewheat flour
1/3 c. nutritional yeast or dairy-free soy Parmesan, optional
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 and 1/2 tsp. salt (or use seasoned salt or herbal salt)
1/4 tsp. white pepper
Mix the onion and potato together well in a large bowl. Add the other ingredients
and mix well. You can cook these on several large, heavy skillets (non-stick
or lightly-oiled) over medium-high heat, but the easiest way is to use a non-stick
electric pancake griddle- this accommodates quite a few latkes and they cook
evenly. Place 1/4-cupfuls of the potato mixture onto the preheated griddle
or skillets and flatten them into thin pancakes with a spatula. Cover them
with lids or foil (I use inverted cookie sheets over the griddle) until the
bottoms are golden-brown, then flip them over and cook, uncovered, until the
second side is golden-brown. Serve hot with applesauce and Tofu Sour Creme
(below).
Alternate Cooking Method-- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Flatten the pancakes on lightly-oiled or nonstick cookie sheets. Spray lightly with oil from a pump sprayer. Bake 15 minutes, then turn over and bake 5 or 6 minutes more.
Variations:
Bryanna’s Fat-free or Low-Fat Tofu Sour Creme
From www.bryannaclarkgrogan.com
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Silken tofu makes a smooth, rich-tasting mixture which can be used anywhere you would normally use sour cream, including cooking.
1 (12.3 oz.) box extra-firm SILKEN tofu
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. unbleached sugar
1/4 tsp. Salt
Optional: for a richer mixture, add 1-2 T. olive oil
Process in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. For a topping for fruit, sweeten the sour creme with a tablespoon or two of Grade a light maple syrup, fruit-sweetened jam or jelly, fruit juice concentrate, and/or fruit liqueur.
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