Faye Levy Suggests Lighter Olive Oil Hanukkah Recipes

As Hanukkah approaches, cookbook author Faye Levy is encouraging celebrants to embrace the holiday's olive oil heritage with lighter, Mediterranean-inspired recipes that honor tradition while promoting healthier eating. In her latest suggestions, Levy highlights dishes that swap heavy frying for roasting and stews, drawing on eastern Mediterranean flavors to create festive meals without the excess calories often associated with classic potato latkes.

The Hanukkah story centers on the miracle of oil lasting eight days in the ancient Temple, a nod to olive oil's origins in the region long before potatoes arrived via European Jews after the discovery of the New World. Traditional latkes, popularized by Ashkenazi influences, typically involve deep-frying shredded potatoes, leading to high carbohydrate loads and pairings with rich sour cream. Levy, author of "1,000 Jewish Recipes" and "Feast from the Mideast," proposes alternatives that keep potatoes in the mix but prepare them more mindfully, alongside vegetable-forward options like stews and spreads.

One standout is her vegan potato latkes with leeks, which yield about 15 pancakes. These begin with boiling and mashing Yukon Gold...