The magic of Chrismukkah

If you are part of an interfaith family, you may have been celebrating Chrismukkah for years and not have even known it.

Here are some clues:

You have both a Christmas tree and a menorah in your living room.

You find yourself saying to your children, “Aren’t you excited that baubie (that’s a Jewish grandmother) is coming to visit for Christmas?”

You fry up traditional potato latkes to serve with your Christmas turkey.

Chrismukkah is a made-up holiday that combines Christmas and Hanukkah. But it will likely be a very real celebration in many interfaith homes, particularly this year, since the eight-day observance of Hanukkah happens to begin on Christmas night.

Ron Gompertz, the man behind Chrismukkah, had been observing these mish-mashed holiday traditions for years before ever giving it a name.

Gompertz, who now lives in Bozeman, was raised in a Jewish family in New York. He is married to a Christian woman, the daughter of a minister. And the couple now have a two-year-old daughter.

“We were starting to think of a hybrid holiday with our hybrid daughter,” Gompertz says. “We had kind of jokingly called it ‘Hannumas’ or ‘Chrisnukkah.’ “

Right around that same time the Fox television show “The O.C.” aired an episode in which one of the characters dreams up a Chrismukkah celebration for his family.

So, businessman Gompertz and his artist wife, Michelle, decided to launch Chrismukkah.com and sell a line of holiday greeting cards commemorating both traditions (picture a card with candy canes instead of candles in the menorah or carolers singing “Deck the halls with lots of tchochkes, fa la la la la la la l’chaim”).

And this year, they’ve published the “Chrismukkah Cookbook,” featuring dozens of or recipes linking the two holidays. There’s Gefilte Goose and Matzo Pizza and a beautiful “gingerbread” house made out of matzo crackers. And there are “happy hour” recipes for drinks like the “Yule Plotz” and the “He’Brew.”

Gompertz writes in the book that he had a three-part rule when creating the recipes:

They all had to taste good, they had to fuse elements from different cultures, and they “shouldn’t offend our grandparents.”

“This book really tries to focus on the fun, lighthearted … concept of merging of the secular aspects of Christmas and Hanukkah,” he says. “It’s an aura. It’s a mood. It’s a metaphor for diversity and getting along … We thought that Chrismukkah was a good way to bring people together and celebrate what we all have in common.”

And that’s just what Spokane’s Laura Snitzer, who is Jewish, and her husband Tony Lentz, a Methodist, have been doing with their two children each holiday season.

The children are teenagers now, and they have a Christmas tree in their home along with a menorah.

“We decided we had to honor both traditions,” Snitzer says.

So, they put presents under the tree but they also light candles and say Hebrew blessings each night of Hanukkah.

And they’ve tried to instill in their children the message that the holidays are a time to think about others. As a family, they’ve volunteered with the Salvation Army and Union Gospel Mission.

“The more mixing we do, the merrier,” she says. “The more people learn about other religions, the better off we’ll all be. There’s no one way that’s the right way.”

When it comes time to eat, they observe both traditions as well. They make the traditional potato pancakes (latkes) for Hanukkah, along with rugelach, a filled pastry, and challah bread. And then for Christmas, they’ll often prepare a turkey with fixings or other festive meal.

Since the holidays coincide this year, Snitzer suspects the family will have a big Christmas dinner and then prepare Hanukkah foods later during the holiday.

Gompertz is quick to point out that his book touches on the cultural, secular aspects of Hanukkah and Christmas and does not delve into big religious issues.

“Food is the great unifier,” he says. “We’re a melting-pot country. This whole country is built in the premise of immigrants coming here.”

Starting with some of his family’s favorite foods, Gompertz worked with Kathy Stark, a culinary instructor and food writer, to develop the recipes. Stark and her husband run Starky’s Authentic, a Jewish deli in Bozeman.

The cookbook was self-published this year, but Gompertz says he’s had interest from big publishers and will likely re-release it next year. The book, along with Chrismukkah greeting cards, is available at www.chrismukkah.com.

Here are a few recipes from Gompertz’ book to get your Chrismukkah celebration started:

Challah Sticky Bun Wreath

1 challah dough (see recipe below)

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup pecan halves

For topping:

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup honey

1 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup spiced rum

1/2 cup pecans

Mix challah dough according to recipe. Place dough in a large bowl, cover and rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, prepare the filling. Place the sugars, cinnamon and pecans in a food processor and pulse until crumbly.

After the dough has risen, turn the dough onto a large cutting board lightly dusted with flour. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle about 1/3-inch thick. Sprinkle the filling over the dough, leaving 2 inches of dough along one long side. Lightly press the filling into the dough and tightly roll the dough up jelly-roll style. Press the edges into the roll to seal. Set aside.

Grease two Bundt pans or one 9-by-13-inch pan with cooking spray. For the topping, place the brown sugar, honey, butter, rum and pecans in a small bowl and mix well. Distribute the toping in the pan(s). Cut the rolls into 1-inch thick slices and place over the topping, leaving room between each for spreading. Cover the rolls and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown and remove from the oven. Cool 10 minutes and invert onto a decorative serving platter. Serve warm.

Yield: 1 challah wreath

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.

Challah Dough

2 packages active dry yeast (4 ½ teaspoons)

1 2/3 cups warm water

1/3 cup sugar

¼ cup honey

½ cup vegetable oil

3 eggs, large

2 teaspoons salt

7 cups bread flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup raisins, optional

1 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon of water (for glaze)

Combine yeast, 2/3 cup warm water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar in a bowl, swirl to combine and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the remaining water, sugar, honey, oil, eggs, salt and 4 cups of flour. Beat the dough in an electric mixer with dough hook for 3 to 4 minutes until smooth. Add raisins, if using. Slowly add the remaining flour and beat with dough hook for 5 minutes or knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough will be slightly sticky. Do no over-flour.

Continue with instructions for sticky bun wreath, or shape the dough into a round and place into an oiled bowl until doubled. Brush loaf with egg glaze and bake in a 350-degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a rack and wrap in plastic.

The Whole Megillah (Roast Leg of Lamb)

4 garlic cloves

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup dry red wine

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

½ cup Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 (4-5 pound) boneless leg of lamb, butterflied

For the stuffing:

½ cup matzo meal

4 eggs

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons parsley

¼ cup currants

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4 cups green beans, steamed

2 red bell peppers, sliced thin

Combine garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, red wine, rosemary, mustard and pepper in a small bowl and whisk. Place lamb in a large casserole dish and pour the marinade over the top. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

In a medium bowl, add matzo meal, eggs, olive oil and parsley and whisk until smooth. Add the currants and seasonings. Chill 30 minutes to allow matzo meal to set.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Remove the lamb to a cutting board and discard marinade. Shape the filling into a log about 2-inches thick and place down the long side of the lamb. Roll the lamb tightly to encase the filling. Tie the roast with butchers’ string at 2-inch intervals. Place lamb on a rack in the roasting pan.

Roast about 1 hour until thermometer registers 145 to 150 degrees for medium rare.

Remove roast, tent with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Place roast on cutting board and cut into 2-inch thick slices. Serve hot with steamed green beans and red bell peppers. Use any leftover rosemary stems as a garnish.

Yield: 8 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: 360 calories, 17 grams fat (6 grams saturated, 43 percent fat calories), 36 grams protein, 13 grams carbohydrate, 188 milligrams cholesterol, 3 grams dietary fiber, 494 milligrams sodium.

Clarence’s Merryschewitz Mulled Wine

1 orange

1 lemon

1/2 cup sugar

4 cinnamon sticks

1/8 teaspoon allspice

5 whole cloves

6 ounces water

1 bottle Manischewitz Concord Grape or Mogen David Blackberry Kosher Wine

1 bottle Christian Brothers Cabernet Sauvignon

Zest the peels of the orange and the lemon, avoiding the bitter white pith. Cut remaining fruit into slices and set aside. Add citrus zests, sugar, cinnamon, allspice and cloves to water in a large saucepan or small stockpot. Bring to a slow boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add wine and fruit slices. Simmer on low heat for 40 minutes (do not allow to boil). Strain into a serving bowl and serve.

Yield: Varies

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate.