BLOOMFIELD, CT, Dec. 15, 2011 – Whether you celebrate Hanukkah or Christmas, you know that foods make the season. With the two holidays happening simultaneously (Hanukkah is Dec. 20 to 28) Duncaster’s Executive Chef Frank Zimber offers two classics that will make anyone’s tummy happy. They include potato pancakes and glazed ham.

For most Jewish people, the smell of latkes (potato pancakes) brings up memories of Hanukkah. Fried in oil – in celebration of the sacred oil that lasted the eight days of today’s Hanukkah – they are simple and good. In Germany, they are called Kartoffelpuffer and served year-round outdoors at weekly markets and carnivals. Frank Zimber calls on his own German heritage for this recipe:

Grandmas Potato Pancakes Kartoffelpuffer

Yield 4 portions

Ingredients:

10 medium sized potatoes

1 onion

2 eggs

½ tsp salt

1 pinch pepper

1 pinch sugar

1 pinch nutmeg

1 Cup (Canola) 

Preparation

• Peel the potatoes and onion and grate both.

• Add egg and seasonings and stir immediately

• In heavy Bottom frying pan heat oil about 2 tablespoons per batch

• Using a 1/3 cup measuring spoon scoop some of the potato onion mixture

• And spread in a circle in the pan. Flatten out a bit to about a 5 inch thin cake.

• Fry about for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy around the edges.

• Serve immediately with sour cream and apple sauce.

What could be more traditional than a Christmas ham? Sometimes called the Yule ham, its roots as a part of this season go back to Germany and Scandinavia. In this recipe, Chef Zimber pays homage to all those traditions and adds a few twists of his own:

Pineapple and Brown Sugar Glazed Ham

Ingredients:

1 ham (bone in) estimate around 1 pound per person

1 ripe pineapple, peeled and thin-sliced with core removed or 1 canned pineapple

1 ½ cups brandy

4 crushed cinnamon sticks

20 cloves

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 cup soy sauce

1 stick butter

4 cups of water

Preparation

• Rub ham with a 1/3 of the sugar and spice with the cloves and the broken cinnamon stick pieces

• Bake at 350 for around 15 to 20 minute per pound

• Melt butter with the brown sugar, add the water, soy sauce and brandy and bring to a boil

• Place the pineapple slices the mixture and let it soak for 10 minutes

• Remove pineapple slices and set aside

• 10 minutes before ham is ready glace with the soy sugar mixture and until the ham gets nicely browned.

• Place pineapple slices on ham and present it on dinner table before you carve it.

Recommended sides – scalloped potatoes, carrots and green beans

Zimber, who apprenticed at two privately-owned hotels and worked in a Michelin two-star restaurant in Germany, is cooking in Duncaster’s new dining facility and winning fans throughout the community. His blend of traditional and new recipes emphasizes local ingredients and healthy, flavorful dishes. Duncaster opened the new dining and hospitality facilities this past summer, offering casual and traditional dining in a variety of settings that meet the active lifestyle of Duncaster residents and their guests. This is his first holiday season as Duncaster’s Executive Chef.

About Duncaster:

Duncaster Retirement Community is a life care retirement community for active, healthy independent seniors who want lifetime protection against the potential costs of long-term care. The Bloomfield, CT retirement community is dedicated to helping residents live life to the fullest by providing security and fulfillment. Its campus includes 190 independent residences, assisted living and a short-and long-term healthcare facility. Duncaster’s emphasis on serving the changing needs of older adults led to the opening of its updated and expanded dining and hospitality amenities that reflects contemporary styles of dining and socializing. For more information, see www.duncaster.org or call (860) 380-5005.

Media contact:

Andrea Obston aobston@aomc.com

(860) 243-1447 (office) (860) 803-1155 (cell)

(860) 653-27612 (home)

For more information and resources on this client please visit the Andrea Obston Marketing Communications Online Newsroom at www.aomcnewsroom.com