Every Hanukkah in our family, we retell the story of Judith, who played a major role in the Maccabees’ victory some 2000 years ago. According to the story, Judith visited Holofernes, a general in the enemy camp; he fell in love with her and asked her to dine with him.
During the meal Judith gave him great quantities of cheese, which made him very thirsty! To quench his thirst he drank so much wine that he fell asleep and Judith cut off his head with his own sword.
Thus was she able to get word to the Maccabees about the best time to strike.
Note: there are dozens of artworks depicting the event, including this well-known painting which hangs in the Uffizi gallery.
Since that fateful victory we have been making merry every year with an 8 day Hanukkah celebration.
Our celebrations are known to include latkes!
But did you know that the first “traditional” Hanukkah ingredient was cheese!
And that’s because of Judith.
Long ago it was Cheese Latkes that Jewish cooks prepared for Hanukkah.
But so many people couldn’t afford cheese so they substituted potato. Not bad, that.
Still. I always serve something made with cheese, every Hanukkah.
This year, how about this Cheese-loaded Spinach Pie to to remember the brave, intrepid Judith?
Cheese Loaded Spinach PIE
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped red onion
6 ounces fresh spinach
1 partially baked 9-inch pie crust
3-4 ounces grated Swiss cheese
4 large eggs
2 cups half and half cream
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Heat the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, add the red onion and cook for 1-2 minutes to soften it slightly. Add the spinach and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the spinach is completely wilted. If there is liquid in the pan, continue to cook until the spinach is dry (alternatively, place in a strainer and press out the excess liquid). Place the spinach inside the partially baked pie crust. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Beat the eggs and cream together with salt and pepper to taste. Pour over the ingredients in the pie crust. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown and set.
Makes 6-8 servings