The Charlotte Jewish News - December 2021 - Page 37 - BONUS CONTENT
Around the Table through the hole. Any shape will work, though. Drop the dough in the oil. Keep a close eye on the donuts and flip them when they begin to get golden. Don’t wait until they are too brown to flip, or they will easily turn too dark. When both sides are lightly golden, remove and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
dash of rum, or a bit of orange juice instead. So here is a recipe that has become a Hanukkah tradition in my French-Jewish household: Bugnes de Hannouca. This is a dairy recipe, but dairy ingredients can be substituted with nondairy equivalents. Bugnes de Hanoucca (Dairy recipe, but can be made parve) Makes about 3 dozen bugnes There are two foods that are traditionally eaten by Jews on Hanukkah (Hannouca in French): latkes and sufganyot, or jelly-filled donuts. This Hanukkah, I had the idea to make a treat that is similar to sufganyot, but is a traditionally eaten in France at Carnaval. In the St. Etienne and Lyon area, where my husband is from, they are called bugnes (something like boonye), and they are similar to beignets. Bugnes are made from a buttery brioche-like dough and fried up into small, crisp bites lightly dusted with sugar. They are delicious, and a perfect treat for Hanukkah, the holiday of fried food. I have perfumed them here with orange flower water, which I absolutely love. Fleur d’oranger, as it is called in French, has a sweet, floral fragrance that is highly appreciated in the Mediterranean region- North Africa in particular, and you can find it locally in stores that stock Middle Eastern products. If you can’t find orange flower or would rather not use it, add extra vanilla, a
4 cups of all-purpose flour 2 packets of granulated yeast 1/2 cup sugar 1 stick of butter or non-dairy alternative 4 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup heavy cream or nondairy milk 1/4 cup cold water 4 tsp orange flower water (or rum or orange juice) 2 tsp salt vegetable oil to fry powdered sugar for serving In a large bowl, place all the dry ingredients and blend. Make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. In a microwave-safe dish, melt the butter, and then add the water to cool the butter. Add this mixture to the eggs. Then follow with the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix the dough well with a wooden spoon. Once it comes together, sprinkle with flour and knead (pulling up from the bottom and folding over) for a minute or two to make a smooth dough. If the dough is too wet,
add small amounts of flour until the ball holds together and can be lightly kneaded. This dough is supposed to be fairly loose and not stiff. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for at least three hours until it gets puffy. Alternatively, the dough can be left in the refrigerator for a day or two. When ready to use, leave out at room temperature for an hour or more. When you’re ready to fry, add canola or other neutral oil to a heavy, large frying pan or pot to the depth of at least 2 inches. Heat the oil to approximately 320-330 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re not sure of the temperature, add a small piece of dough. The oil should bubble actively all around the dough and quickly bring it to the surface. Roll out sections of the dough with a floured rolling pin to about 1/4 inch in thickness, and cut in rows. Next, cut across at a diagonal to make slanted rectangles (parallelograms if I recall my grade school geometry). Traditionally a slit is cut into this rectangle and one end is pulled
Watch: The Maccabeats “Candlelight”
Larry Farber Tells His Story in New Memoire
National Survey and Chabad, to the newer models like the fast-growing world of Moishe House with its global network of homes-as-community-centers, and startups such as GatherDC, which just got a $1.5 million grant to take its work on something called “relational Judaism” national. Leaders of several Jewish organizations who reviewed the Springtide numbers said they weren’t sure how seriously they should treat the data, and expressed optimism on the outlook of engaging young Jews. David Cygielman, the CEO of Moishe House, for example, saw a glass half-full when he read that 41% percent of Jews are not flourishing in their faith lives. It meant that 59% were. “As we’re looking out into the future, and investing in this demographic, we’re not starting with a minority here, we’re starting with the majority that we want to see grow,” he said. And from Chabad’s perspec-
tive, the numbers don’t exactly reflect the interest they are seeing at colleges. “We’re seeing a surge of young Jews on campus clamoring for community, Jewish life and engagement,” said Rabbi Yossy Gordon, CEO of Chabad on Campus International. “They are looking for meaningful ways to build their own authentic Jewish identity.” But some in the Jewish world said they found Springtide’s approach refreshing and thought the findings should be seen as relevant to American Jews. Josh Feigelson, a rabbi who leads the Institute for Jewish Spirituality, says the fact that poll language about faith and spirituality is seen as out of step with Jewish culture is in fact a problem for young Jews. “For a lot of reasons the American Jewish community has shunned overt spiritual language,” Feigelson said. “We don’t talk about the presence of
God in our lives or offer words of blessing to each other in a non-self conscious way. There’s a correlation there with a feeling of estrangement that doesn’t surprise me.” A sociologist by training and consultant by profession, Tobin Belzer is one of the leading experts helping Jewish philanthropic funders decipher which youth efforts are worthwhile. Her research and evaluation of existing programs suggests young Jews aren’t hopelessly estranged. “Young adults aren’t necessarily interested in rabbis who act like a ‘sage on the stage,’” she said. “They want someone who is real and approachable and authentic, who is going to have an actual relationship with them. Also, they’re not typically looking for the one community where they can engage fully, they are looking for a smattering of different options.”
Dust with powdered sugar and serve promptly. Charlotte Rouchouze, PhD is a local French teacher, food blogger, and beaded jewelry designer. Her blog about food traditions from around the world can be found at www.thechildrenstable.com. Contact her at charlotte.rouchouze@yahoo. com.
Larry Farber, who has filled our lives with music, tells his story in “Noted Memories – How A Kid From Charlotte Had A Moment With Tony, Aretha, Bonnie, Sheryl And More.” That’s Tony Bennett, Aretha Franklin, Bonnie Raitt and Sheryl Crow, and they’re all in this lively account of Larry’s life. Larry, a Charlotte native, grew up in Temple Beth El and played in bands from an early age. You probably heard him at some point at a wedding or bar mitzvah. He was the guy on keyboards. He grew up to book
bands for a living, opened a private music club called Music With Friends (performers have included Gladys Knight and Michael Bolton) and then Middle C Jazz Club in uptown Charlotte. It’s all here in the memoir, plus 50 photos of Larry and various legends. Read about the night he convinced Aretha to take the stage after Whitney Houston died. Read, too, about his friendship with the late Jay Thomas, the radio DJ, comedian and actor who got his start in Charlotte. Larry also writes about his devotion to Temple Beth El and raising money to support Jewish causes. He recently received the Blumenthal Lifetime Achievement Award from Temple Beth El. Above all, the book, which he worked on with Charlotte writer Ken Garfield, celebrates the power of music to unite us. It's available in softcover for $25 at Park Road Books and the Discovered Traditions shop at Temple Beth El. You can order it at www.middlecjazz.com. The e-version is available online. Sales support the nonprofit Arts Plus in Charlotte.
