A Hanukkah Feast in San Luis Obispo
Words by Aja Goare
Recipes by Emilie Goldstein
Photography by Sarah Kathleen
Styling by Maliysa Lou of LouLou Cheese Girl
Owner of Bramble Pie Co. and JonnyBoy’s Bagelry Emilie Goldstein shares her Hannukah memories along with traditional dishes that remind her of family and connect her with the San Luis Obispo community.
The miracle of Hanukkah, when a temple lamp is said to have burned for eight days with just a single day’s worth of oil, is a Jewish holiday that celebrates light over darkness. For Emilie Goldstein, Owner of Bramble Pie Co. and JonnyBoy’s Bagelry, memories of this eight-day holiday are anchored to the menorah her father welded by hand.
“It’s a cast bronze sculpture he made,” she says, referencing the vessel used in this photo story. “There are three in the family.”
Religion wasn’t a strict guide for her childhood, Emilie recalls, but having a Jewish father introduced certain traditional foods to her life. “You have to have latkes on Hanukkah,” she explains, detailing the dishes on this table. “My dad had always talked about this but we never ended up making it — something his grandma made for him — he always called it an onion cracker. But when I was doing research, I found it’s more like a cross between cracker and focaccia. It’s thin, crunchy, pan-style bread with caramelized onions, poppy seeds and nigella seeds.”
When her parents passed away, Emilie found herself experiencing sharing the holiday spirit in a new way: through her community and customers. “The way I celebrate is through serving at my bakery and deli. My mom’s family is Southern, so pies felt like getting back to a connection with my Southern family,” she says. “Making bagels reminds me of my dad. He was Jonathon — Jonny Boy. I don’t have any big sit-down meals for the holidays; I just try to feed the public.”
Here, Emilie shares with us her favorite Hanukkah recipes, served alongside Rúakh Wines. Just add your community. “Gathering with people and sharing experiences is a really healing experience,” she adds.
Kasha Varnishkes
Makes about 1 dozen
INGREDIENTS
- 1 pound bowtie pasta (traditionally bowtie egg noodles, but alternatively semolina pasta)
- 1 whole egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1½ cups kasha (buckwheat groats)
- 4 tablespoons schmaltz (rendered chicken fat) or olive oil, divided
- 2 large yellow onions, diced
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 1 pound mixed varieties of Mighty Cap mushrooms, sliced
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 6 cups chicken stock or mushroom stock
- Chopped fresh herbs, like parsley or chives
PREPARATION
Step 1
Cook pasta in boiling salted water. Drain and set aside. In a small bowl, beat whole egg and egg yolk until well combined. Add kasha, and stir to coat with egg mixture. Over medium heat, in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet, heat two tablespoons of schmaltz. Add egg-coated kasha. Toast mixture, stirring to break up any clumps, until lightly browned. Transfer mixture to a bowl and reserve.
Step 2
Keeping pan on heat, add remaining two tablespoons of schmaltz. Add onions, thyme, rosemary and mushrooms. Sauté over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until onions and mushrooms begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Add kasha mixture back to pan, along with salt, pepper and stock. Simmer mixture over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once kasha is tender, remove sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Add bowtie noodles to pan. Heat mixture throughout, garnish with chopped fresh herbs and serve hot.
Latkes
Makes 8–10
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and grated
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and grated
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup flour
- 1 whole egg
- Oil for frying
- Sour cream, for serving
- Applesauce, for serving
PREPARATION
Step 1
Using a tea towel or cheesecloth-lined colander, squeeze and strain excess juice from grated potatoes and onions. (Less liquid improves outcome.) In a fresh bowl, combine potato mixture and remaining ingredients. Mix well.
Step 2
Heat a large, deep skillet (cast iron preferred) with about 1 inch of oil. Test temperature by dropping a little of the latke mix into oil. If it’s ready, oil will sizzle somewhat vigorously. If it doesn’t sizzle, it’s not ready. If it browns too quickly, turn heat off for 30 seconds, then try again. Once oil is ready, fry latkes until golden brown and crispy around the edges, flipping once. Serve while hot, and enjoy with sour cream and applesauce.
