During this Chanukah season, we celebrate that original one-day supply of oil which, miraculously, fueled the famous Menorah for eight days. The highlight of Chanukah obviously is kindling our own Menorahs for eight consecutive nights, in tribute to that miracle. But, in light of this holiday's festive nature, it also is nice to include a treat that specifically commemorates the story. For Jews of Ashkenazic descent, that treat is the latke, or potato pancake. Yet in Israel during Chanukah, more doughnuts are fried in the symbolic oil than are potatoes.

But there is another part of the Chanukah story that often is overlooked. Judith, a woman of valor, lured the attacking Syrian General with tidbits of salty cheese. As she intended, the cheese made the General thirsty. So, consistent with her plan, she cured his thirst with wine. This, in turn, made him sleepy. His ensuing naptime allowed the brave Macabees an opportunity to take back The Temple.

For a change of pace, and to acknowledge Judith's contribution to the Chanukah victory, add a "quiche" to one of this holiday's meals. The word quiche merely refers to a custard that is baked in a pie shell. In gourmet terminology, pies that are not sweet and therefore are not served for dessert are called "savories" by the experts. While most quiches do, indeed, include cheese, that inclusion is not a necessity. The filling simply requires beaten eggs and cream or a pareve-like cream substitute. After that, allow the imagination to roam.

Quiche is an unusually versatile addition to a chef's repertoire, elegant for a luncheon or the appetizer of a formal dinner. A quiche also is surprisingly seasonless, good as the entree of a summer brunch or for a late supper after a winter Shabbos. The crustless-and-pareve variation even would be appropriate at the beginning of a menu of a Passover Seder. As the name may indicate, a quiche (pronounced "keysheesh") is of French origin. Quiches first became popular in the United States when air travel became affordable, about thirty years ago. Many Americans returned from vacations in Europe with a heightened awareness of fine foods.

The crust itself is no big deal. Skilled bakers will want to make their own, "from-scratch" pie shells. The rest of us can use a prepared shell from the supermarket freezer case. The only trick is to pre-bake the shell before adding the fillings, to keep the crust from getting soggy during the final cooking. This technique is known as "baking blind." And dieters can make their quiches without shells altogether. Just add a generous quantity of butter or margarine to the bottom of the pie pan before adding the custard filling. Since a conventional crust uses as much butter or shortening as it does flour, even greasing the pan lavishly, with about 1/2 tablespoon of butter, cuts that fat by about 95%! After the custard firms during the heating, it can be cut into wedges for presentation.

A final note: Quiches freeze beautifully. They can be fully cooked and then frozen, or they can be prepared just to the point at which the custard is poured into the pre-baked pie shell and frozen. Finally, put the frozen quiche, without thawing, into a pre-heated 350 degree F. oven for 10--15 minutes longer than the cooking time provided in the recipe.

What can be served with quiche? The French hostess always adds a green salad. And fried potatoes. Always! So here's where the latkes should go. And it's a traditional Chanukah after all. Have a happy one.

QUICHES GALORE
Though quiches are surprisingly easy to prepare, there are a few tips which are imperative to understand before setting out for the kitchen. For the purposes of this article, all cheeses suggested are in brands which are kosher and which are produced as Chalav Yisroel. Possible substitutions are offered in case product availability is limited.

“Gruyere” cheese is the most commonly used cheese in quiche recipes. The American-style Gruyere cheese, however, is a cross between cream cheese and Swiss cheese. In its homeland, the cheese that we call “Swiss” in known as “Emmenthal.” This true Swiss Emmenthal is the most versatile of cheeses, hard and with a nut-like flavor. It can serve in the stead of an authentic Gruyere, and it actually is a preferable substitute for the American-style Gruyere blend. It also can do double-duty as “Parmesan” cheese. This similarity is less coincidental than might first appear, since the Parma area of Italy is just on the other side of the Alps from Switzerland. In the way that location influences cuisine, these regions’ dairy products are alike.

In terms of the liquid to be added, heavy cream yields the best, most luxurious result. Light cream is second best, while half-and-half is least creamy. Under no circumstances should milk be used, as it will not supply the desired texture to the custard. Pareve coffee lightener may be substituted when required.