Today at sundown, Jews begin celebrating the festival of Chanukah. The festival commemorates an ancient Jewish triumph over tyranny. More than 2,300 years ago, Antiochus, a Syrian King under the sway of Greece--the dominant imperial power of that age--conquered Judea and commanded the Jews to worship the same gods he did. The Jews, then as now feisty, stubborn and committed to their one and only "Guy in the sky", didn't take too kindly to this edict, and refused to bow down to Zeus, Hera, Athena and the other Greek dudes and deities whom Antiochus had installed in the Jewish temple. Not only that, the Jews started a big ruckus, and, under the leadership of Judah Maccabee, fought back against the tyrant. Long story short, several years later, Judah and his small band of brothers (some of whom were literally his brothers) managed to take back the temple from the Syrians, even though they were woefully outnumbered. Searching for some oil to re-ignite the temple's eternal light, they found a small jug containing enough oil to last for one day. They lit the flame, and, miracle of miracles, it burned for eight whole days.

To commemorate the miracle that occurred when the temple was re-dedicated (Chanukah means "rededication") all those years ago, Jews light a candle for eight successive nights. Using a leader candle--the "shamash"--they light one candle on the first night, two on the second, three on the third, until, by the eighth night, all the candles in the "chanukiah"--the special candle holder--are lit. While lighting the candles, they recite some blessings ("brachot"), three on the first night, two on the other nights, thanking God for his part in arranging that ancient miracle, and for allowing us to be around to celebrate it this year.

Along with the candles, Chanukah has some other appealing accoutrements, especially if you're a kid. Presents, chocolate coins (Chanukah "gelt"), spinning tops ("dreidels"), and, this being a Jewish festival, lots of calorie-laden treats that definitely have no place on the Atkins diet. The two tradional Chanukah treats are jelly donuts ("suvganiyot") and potato pancakes ("latkes"). Only one of them, latkes, are within my culinary repertoire. In honour of the holiday, I've decided to share my favorite latke recipe. It's from a book called Knishes & Know-how by Lily Abramowitz (sadly, long out of print), and it makes, bar none, the best latkes I've ever tasted. One suggestion: make them small, about the size of an Oreo cookie--they cook much faster and are easier to flip. That way you can also eat a lot and pretend it doesn't count because "they're so little". (At least, that's what I tell myself every year.) Anyway, here it is:

Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

4 large potatoes, coarsely chopped

2 eggs

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

5 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ cup oil (corn, canola, vegetable; not olive)

1. Blend onion and eggs. Leave 2 tbsp. of the mixture in the blender or food processor: add potatoes and blend.

2. Combine with remaining egg and onion mixture. Add salt and pepper, and flour; mix thoroughly.

3. Heat oil in a heavy, non-stick frypan until almost sizzling. Drop 4 or 5 large spoonfuls of the mixture into the oil about 1" apart. Brown lightly on both sides; remove from heat, blot on paper towel to remove excess oil, and keep warm. Repeat until all the pancakes are made.

4. Serve hot with sour cream or applesauce.

Serves 2 -4 (depending, of course, on your appetite).