A Chef To Give Hanukkah Flavor

Joan Nathan Is A Chef On A Shoestring Made For The Holiday

(CBS)  Joan Nathan, author of award-winning cookbooks and host of the PBS series "Jewish Cooking in America with Joan Nathan," is this week's Chef on a Shoestring on The Saturday Early Show. She will be sharing recipes from her latest book, "The New American Cooking."

Here's her menu:
The Ultimate Potato Pancake
Brisket with Apples and Apricots
Gingerbread with Roasted Caramel Pears

As a child, Nathan often traveled to other countries with her father, a German businessman, and made the connection early between culture and food. With a masters degree in French literature from Harvard, she took a job as foreign press officer to Jerusalem Mayor Teddy Kollek, a leader who often combined meetings and meals. That experience inspired her first book, "The Flavor of Jerusalem."

In 1994, she published the classic "Jewish Cooking in America." A founder of New York's Ninth Avenue Food Festival, Nathan has received the Golda Award from the American Jewish Congress for her creative contributions to the quality of life in Washington, D.C.

She has written a total of nine cookbooks. Her newest, "The New American Cooking," explores the many innovators and innovations that have influenced American food in the past 40 years.

FOOD FACTS

Latkes: These potato pancakes are traditionally served at Hanukkah. But according to Nathan, every culture has its own version of the dish. Her favorite is the one she's showing on The Saturday Early Show: a paper-thin version that she first ate in France (the French call it a "crique").

Crème Fraiche: Thickened cream with a slightly tangy flavor. Nathan serves this with her potato pancakes.

Brisket: This cut of beef comes from the breast of the cow. The meat is fairly inexpensive and typically needs to be cooked for a long time to tenderize the meat. When buying brisket, be sure to choose a piece with plenty of fat on it to insure good flavor. You can cut the fat off after cooking and before serving.

RECIPES

The Ultimate Potato Pancake
Yield: 4 large pancakes and serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Crème fraiche, smoked salmon or sour cream for garnish

Method:

1. Grate the potatoes by hand or in a food processor using the grating blade with the smallest holes. Scoop up 1/4 of them with your hands and squeeze out the excess liquid and discard. Put the handfuls of grated potatoes in a mixing bowl and add the eggs, chives, and salt and pepper. Mix well, until everything is very well blended.
   
2. Heat about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 10-inch nonstick sauté pan over high heat. Place 1/4 of the potato mixture in the middle of the pan and, with a spatula and your hands, spread the pancake out as thinly as possible until it covers the surface of the pan. Be careful not to burn yourself!
   
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook the pancake until the bottom browns, and about 5 minutes.
   
4. Invert a plate that is just slightly larger than the pan over the top. Flip the pan over so that the pancake drops onto the plate, then slide the pancake back into the pan. (The brown side is now facing up.) Cook for about 4 more minutes, until the underside is browned. Flip the pancake over and onto a plate. Keep warm in a low oven as you cook the others.
   
5. Repeat these steps for the remaining pancakes, starting with 1 tablespoon of oil for each one. Serve plain or garnished with smoked salmon, crème fraiche or sour creams.

Brisket with Apricots and Apples
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients:
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
One 5-6 pound brisket
Salt and pepper to taste
2 apples, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 cup dried apricots, halved
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried plums, pitted
1-2 cups apple juice
1-2 cups canned beef or chicken broth

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Brown the onions, garlic, and ginger in the oil until the onions are golden. Then scatter the mixture in a roasting pan.
   
3. Season the brisket with salt and pepper and gently lay it on top of the onions. Add the apples, apricots, dried cranberries, dried plums, and enough apple juice and beef or chicken broth to almost cover the brisket. Cover the roasting pan with a liquid or aluminum foil and cook for 3 hours, basting occasionally.
   
4. Remove the brisket, cool, and refrigerate overnight
   
5. Just before serving, reheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the brisket is still cold, skim off any fat that has accumulated on top of the juices.

Gary Danko's Gingerbread with Roasted Caramel Pears
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients for Roasted Caramel Pears:
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
8 Bartlett pears, perfectly ripe
1/2 cup apple cider, as needed
Ingredients for Gingerbread:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup molasses
1/2 cup corn oil
1 cup boiling water
Ice cream or whipped cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan and line the sides and bottom with parchment paper.
   
2. To roast the pears, spread the brown sugar over 12 1/2-by-16 1/2-inch sturdy aluminum sheet pan with sloping sides. Peel and halve the pears. Using a melon baller, scoop out the cores and lay the pears cut side down on the brown sugar. They should fit snugly into the pan.
   
3. Bake until the pears are tender and their juices have thickened to a light caramel syrup, about 30 minutes. Check after 15 minutes. If the pan is dry, add a little apple cider to help dissolve the sugar. After 30 minutes turn the pears over and bake 5 to 10 more minutes. The result should be golden pears with a nice caramel syrup. Cool in the pan until serving time.
   
4. While the pears are baking, make the gingerbread. Sift the flour, baking soda, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and salt into a large bowl.
   
5. In a separate bowl, stir together the eggs, sugar, molasses, and oil. Stirring constantly, slowly pour in the boiling water. Pour the liquid ingredients onto the dry and stir to blend.
   
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake in the middle of the oven until a skewer comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes. Cool and remove from the pan.
   
7. Place the cake on a serving platter and strew the pears over. Serve with the warm caramel syrup and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.