Spice up Hanukkah with a kosher meal, Mexican-style

Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights, begins on Dec. 24 this year, coinciding with Christmas Eve. The holiday rooted in ancient times celebrates the story of the victory of a small group of Jews known as the Maccabees over a large army of Syrian-Greek soldiers, who, before their defeat, desecrated the Jewish temple. The only remaining uncontaminated oil in the sanctuary — expected to last only one night — miraculously lasted for eight nights.To commemorate "the miracle that happened there," Jewish families around the world light the menorah on each night of Hanukkah and eat foods fried in oil.Well, maybe you're not looking forward to an entire week of eating potato latkes, the traditional fried food consumed on the holiday. But maybe you also didn't know that there are many practicing Mexican and Mexican-American Jews with a long and rich food culture that offers a fiesta of alternatives to Middle-European Hanukkah fare.The brief history is that a large number of Jews have resided in Mexico since the 1600s, but they were persecuted by the Spanish Inquisition and could not openly worship, living as "secret Jews." Eventually independent Mexico adopted freedom of religion and between 1900 and 1950 began allowing Jewish immigrants, including many refugees, into the country from Eastern Europe (mostly Poland), Spain, Cuba and the U.S. The most recent census (2010) counted more than 67,000 practicing Jews are now living in Mexico, mostly in Mexico City.According to Richard Santos, a Texas scholar and author on the subject, there are also hundreds, possibly thousands of descendants of Spanish and Portuguese Jews living throughout South Texas. These contemporary Jews carry on their ancestors' oral traditions, culture, folklore, religious customs and, of course, foods, such as pan dulce, pan de semita, trenzas, cuernos and pan de los protestantes (Protestant's bread) that are similar to Jewish pastries eaten by Sephardic Jews today in the Mediterranean and other parts of the world.During Hanukkah in Jewish homes in Mexico and Texas you'll find delicious dairy and meat dishes on the menu such as deep-fried ricotta cheese croquettes with chipotle-honey salsa; brisket tacos with a spicy kick (see recipe below); Mexican (gefilte) fish cakes; cheese and black bean chimichangas, and yes, even potato latkes — with the addition of jalapeños and corn and served with avocado cream.Desserts might include churros, an alternative to sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), a popular Israeli Hanukkah treat; cuernito butter walnut cookies; or margarita ice cream made with fresh orange and lime juice, milk and heavy cream.