A Mexican-Jewish Thanksgivukkah

For the first time since 1888, Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah fall on the same day, November 28. Would-be revelers who miss the fun can celebrate it next time it occurs, assuming they’re around in another 70,000-plus years!

Chefs Robert Treviño and Eric Greenspan can’t wait. Treviño, a Food Network veteran who has graced the pages of The New York Times, Gourmet and Bon Appétit, heads many of Puerto Rico’s most lauded restaurants, including his flagship Budatai (Latin-Asian), Bar Gitano (Spanish), El Barril (a local watering hole), Casa Lola (cocina criolla, a Puerto Rican meld of Spanish and other influences), plus an upcoming branch of Rosa Mexicano.

Greenspan is currently refiguring The Foundry (Condé Nast Traveler’s ‘Best New Restaurant in America’ 2007), which he opened at the onset of the economic downturn. Against all odds, it was a smash because of Greenspan’s efforts behind the scenes. “It made me flexible and malleable,” he says. “I had to come up with out-of-box concepts.” And he did, applying his high-end background (Le Cordon Bleu, chefs Ferran Adria, Alain Ducasse, et al) to “making food for my most important diners — people who really love food.”

Along the way he devised his now-iconic pancake lasagna and won the 2008 Grilled Cheese Invitational, which led to the upcoming Greenspan’s Grilled Cheese restaurant. The lasagna and the award-winning Wilshire Grilled Cheese are both on the menu at The Roof, a poolside restaurant at Kimpton’s boutique Wilshire Hotel. In keeping with Kimpton’s practice of offering outstanding dining experiences, the food rivals the panoramic view.

Robert “The Knish” Treviño and Eric “El Toro” Greenspan met as contestants on TV’s “Next Iron Chef America.” Their bromance began when Roberto said, “Let me see your arms” and Eric rolled up his sleeves, exposing a ragged procession of fresh cuts and burns. “That’s how you know a real chef,” says Roberto, to whom Eric is “like a brother.”  The admiration goes both ways. “There’s so much ego and deceit in this business,” says Eric, “but Roberto is a true, honest guy. The enormous trust and respect we have for each other is why we can work together so closely even though we are thousands of miles apart.”

Their first chance to put that comaraderie into play came during Miami’s South Beach Food and Wine Festival. “We wanted to cook together,” says Roberto, and we thought Miami’s mix of Jewish and Latin cultures made it the perfect place to start.” So they pulled together the concept, a venue and sponsors and El Ñosh was born. “The concept may be outrageous,” says, Eric, “but we take our cooking seriously.” 

Next, the pop up turns into a food truck…

Now, with Mobi Munch, a company that oils the wheels for would-be food trucks, they are bringing their Latin-Jewish El Ñosh truck to Los Angeles. The menu: yucca latkes with mango crema; smoked salmon and cream cheese quesadillas; whitefish tortas with lime crema on a challah (egg bread) roll; pastrami and dill pickle croquetas with mustard sauce; falafel taco with guacamole tahini; guava cream cheese blintz (a thin eggy pancake); churros with poppy seed served with prune and melted gelt (a chocolate coin) dip.  

“Our goal,” says Eric, “is to open brick and mortar locations here and in Miami, Las Vegas and New York.” The more complicated menu, similar to what they’ve served at their sold out popup dinners, will include appetizers such as arroz con pollo knish; yucca latkes, crema agria, and mango jam; smoked whitefish and corn arepas with chipotle yogurt; and matzoh ball “albondiga” soup; entrees such as beef brisket with horseradish pozole, beets and radish kasha congrí with romesco, calabaza, cotija cheese and zatar; and desserts like matzoh brei (cooked crackers) tres leches with papaya syrup; prune and black sesame stuffed churros with egg cream shooter; and guava and cream cheese blintzes.

The connection is not as far-fetched as it may seem. There are small Jewish communities throughout Latin America. Recently, when leaders of Latin American and Caribbean Jewish Institutions held a meeting, people came from 22 countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay and Venezuela. For these Latin Jews, family recipes may include chicken sofrito, almond-orange flan, or a Cuban Reuben sandwich.

During their Miami run, the pair accompanied their offerings with klezmer (Jewish folk) music and Latin lounge renditions by El Shaman. In line with a Latin-Jewish connection that extends to music, they might have chosen “Bagels and Bongos,” “Mazel Tov, Mis Amigos,” “Timba Talmud” or something from Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. 

Next, what’s happening across the U.S…

Thanksgivukkah Around the Country

A Thanksgivukkah Festival will take place on Nov. 29 in Los Angeles at the downtown Pico Union Project. The Latino-Korean-Jewish celebration will offer turkey-shaped piñatas filled with Hanukkah gelt (chocolate coins) and latkes. The Kosher Palate food truck will sell fried sweet-potato latkes, turkey latkes, and apple fritters. 

Thanksgivukkah has stirred the imaginations of people like Dan Messinger, owner of Bibi’s Bakery and Café in Los Angeles’ “kosher corridor.” Instead of the usual jelly filled sufganiyot (Hanukkah fried doughnuts) Guatemalan head baker, Gilberto Escobar, is filling freshly cooked donuts with pumpkin Bavarian custard. His neighbor, Alain Cohen of Got Kosher? has added deep fried turkey to his holiday menu, along with braised brisket, latkes, and sufganiot. Dog Haus, in Pasadena, created a Thanksgivukkah dog and, nationwide, chefs are offering pumpkin seed challah and sunchoke latkes.

Boston’s Zucker Bakery is calling their holiday doughnuts stuff-ganiyot and loading them with creations such as turkey and cranberry, pumpkin, and sweet potato with marshmallow. Nine-year-old Asher Weintraub created a menurkey, a turkey-shaped menorah (holiday candle holder). 

Did Treviño and Greenspan inspire you to celebrate Thanksgivukkah? Here’s their recipe for Yucca Latkes!

Yucca Latkes with Mango Jam and Lime Crema 

• 1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled
• 1 red onion, peeled
• 2 large yucca roots, peeled
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups grapeseed oil
• 2 mangos, peeled and diced
• 1 ounce champagne vinegar
• 2 ounces agave syrup
• 2 ounces sour cream

Get the full recipe.