This year, the first day of Hanukkah falls on Thanksgiving. This once-in-a-lifetime holiday, that’s being called Thanksgivukkah, won’t occur again for another 70,000 some years, according to experts.
Andy Karsh, owner of Karsh’s Catering and Zen Wok Fusion in Fresno’s Tower District, developed a special menu that combines the rich culinary traditions of the two holidays. He’ll teach us how to cook these dishes during Valley Edition on Nov. 26.
Tursket (Turkey and Brisket)
His creation: “It’s kind of on the lines of a 'turducken,' but it’s a turkey stuffed with a roasted brisket. It’s pretty easy but it is very time consuming.”
Ingredients:
- Brisket rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika, and roasted with chopped carrots, celery, onion and red wine
- Mashed potatoes with roasted garlic and green onion
- Deboned turkey, rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic and paprika
Turkey Soup With Matzo Balls
What's the secret to light, floating matzo balls? “Get your water to a boil. Add your matzo balls, and then as you add the cold matzo balls to the water, it will cool the water off. Bring it back to just a simmer, and cover it, and do not open it until they are done, which can take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes. Once you open the lid, it could be over right there.”
Ingredients:
- Matzo balls: Made according to the recipe on the box
- Soup: Made from turkey carcass, carrots, celery, onion, parsnip, salt and pepper
Tzimmes (Glazed Carrots With Raisins And Onions)
He caters most of the bar and bat mitzvahs in Fresno, and cooks for events at Temple Beth Israel: “The glazed carrots – they’re one of my popular vegetables. I do these a lot, for whomever. People see it and they say, ‘wow, that sounds really good.’”
Ingredients:
- Carrots
- Onions
- Raisins
- Salt, pepper, brown sugar and dill weed (optional)
Sweet Potato Latkes (Potato Pancakes)
Cooking in oil is symbolic for Hannukah: “We’re not deep-frying, these don’t need to be floating in oil. In fact, you don’t want them to float in oil…I did find with the sweet potatoes, you want to fry on a little lower heat.”
Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes
- Matzo meal
- Egg
- Garlic (optional)
- Salt, pepper and nutmeg
