Many Lighter Traditional Foods Are on Menu for Jewish Celebration : Holidays: New, lighter versions of <i> hamantaschen</i> and other traditional recipes will be on some tables for this year’s Purim festivities.

The Jewish community will observe Purim, a festive holiday in which food and wine play important roles, beginning at sundown, Saturday.

In earlier days, women living in European Jewish communities would get together in their homes to bake hamantaschen, the three-cornered pastries that are such a delicious feature of Purim, and to prepare other menu items.

This year, I am serving new, lighter versions of hamantaschen and other traditional recipes.

The menu begins with wine or grape juice and poppy seed bread sticks. Next comes a colorful fresh vegetable salad of shredded celery root, carrots and zucchini. The dressing features the traditional poppy seeds that are identified with Purim.

The main course is thin slices of lean beef brisket baked in a tangy wine sauce garnished with plump prunes. This dish is so hearty that tiny new potatoes flavored with garlic and rosemary is all that is needed to accompany it. Even the hamantaschen get a new light look, baked with crisp filo pastry and filled with a delicious apricot-coconut mixture.

There are many California Kosher wines available in local markets; for this menu a hearty red wine accompanies the brisket of beef.

UPDATED PURIM MENU

Poppy Seed Bread Sticks

Purim Carnival Slaw With Poppy Seed Dressing

Beef Brisket Slices in Wine Sauce

New Potatoes With Garlic and Rosemary

Filo Hamantaschen With Apricot-Coconut Filling

POPPY SEED BREAD STICKS

1 package dry yeast

Dash sugar

1 cup warm water

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 to 4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 egg whites

Kosher salt

1/2 cup poppy seeds, about

Dissolve yeast and sugar in 1/2 cup warm water until foamy. Combine olive oil and remaining 1/2 cup warm water in large bowl of electric mixer. Blend in yeast mixture and 1 cup flour, beating until smooth.

Beat 2 egg whites until stiff but not dry in large mixing bowl. Fold egg whites into yeast mixture. Add remaining flour, 1 cup at time, beating well after each addition, to make soft dough.

Knead dough on well-floured board 5 minutes and place in oiled bowl. Oil top of dough. Cover with towel and let dough rise 15 minutes. Punch dough down and let rise 15 minutes longer.

For hand-rolled bread sticks, pinch off ball of dough, flatten with palm of hand to 1/2-inch thick and roll out with rolling pin. Cut into 1/4-inch wide and 10-inch-long strips with sharp knife.

Carefully transfer each stick to foil-lined oiled baking sheet, placing strips 1/4-inch apart. Keep strips straight, while bending tops slightly. Pinch edges down to stick to foil. Repeat until all dough is used.

Cover with towel and let rise in warm place until round and puffy, about 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg white and sprinkle with Kosher salt and poppy seeds as desired. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Carefully remove bread sticks to racks to cool. Makes about 6 dozen.

Note: For pasta machine bread sticks, pinch off ball of dough 2 inches in diameter and flatten with palm of hand to 1/2-inch thickness. Lightly dust with flour.

Set pasta machine rollers as far apart as possible. Guide dough between rollers and roll through. Coat with flour and feed sheet through wide noodle-cutting blades, cutting into strips about 1/4-inch wide and 10 inches long.

PURIM CARNIVAL SLAW WITH POPPY SEED DRESSING

2 medium celery roots

5 large carrots, peeled

2 large zucchini, unpeeled

Poppy Seed Dressing

Arugula leaves

Remove 1/4-inch of thick skin from celery roots with potato peeler or knife and dig out root spots with tip of peeler or sharp knife. Cut celery root in quarters.

Using processor with shredder attachment, shred celery roots, carrots and zucchini. Transfer to large bowl and toss together.

Add Poppy Seed Dressing, 1/4 cup at time, just enough to moisten. Toss to coat evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Serve on bed of arugula. Pass any leftover dressing. Makes 16 servings.

Poppy Seed Dressing

1 1/4 cups mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sugar or honey

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon poppy seeds

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Stir together mayonnaise, sugar and lemon juice in mixing bowl. Add poppy seeds and season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

BEEF BRISKET SLICES IN WINE SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 onions, thinly sliced

1 (8-pound) lean beef brisket

5 medium carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1/2 cup minced parsley

1 (28-ounce) can peeled whole tomatoes

1 to 2 cups red wine

1 head garlic, cloves separated, unpeeled

Salt, pepper

1/2 pound pitted prunes

Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add minced garlic and onions and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Transfer garlic and onions to large roasting pot and place brisket on top, fat side up. Add carrots, parsley, tomatoes, wine and unpeeled garlic cloves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Bake at 350 degrees 2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender. Add prunes last 30 minutes of baking.

Transfer beef to cutting board and slice. Return to pot and keep warm. Makes 16 servings.

NEW POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Olive oil

36 tiny new potatoes, cut in halves or quarters

6 cloves garlic, minced

6 sprigs rosemary

Salt, pepper

Generously brush non-stick baking sheet with olive oil. Arrange potatoes over oil and sprinkle with garlic and rosemary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle generously with oil.

Bake at 400 degrees about 30 minutes, or until crisp, shaking pan every 15 minutes and rotating potatoes so they brown on all sides. Makes about 16 servings.

FILO HAMANTASCHEN

1/2 pound unsalted margarine or butter

1/4 cup oil

1 (1-pound) package filo sheets

2 cups finely ground almonds

1/4 cup sugar

Apricot-Coconut Filling or prune or poppy seed fillings

Honey-Sugar Syrup

Heat margarine and oil in medium saucepan over low heat. Place damp towel on work area and cover with wax paper. Work with 1 sheet filo at time, keeping remaining filo covered with wax paper and damp towel.

Combine almonds and sugar and set aside. Cut filo sheets evenly into 2-inch strips. Work with each strip on top of large sheet wax paper placed on top of damp towel. Brush with margarine mixture and sprinkle with almond mixture.

Place 1 teaspoon filling 1-inch from short edge of each strip. Fold 1 corner over filling. Fold up filo, flag fashion, in triangle along length to make neat triangular package. Repeat with remaining filo strips and filling.

Brush baking sheets with margarine mixture. Place hamantaschen on baking sheets 1/2-inch apart. Brush with margarine mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and spoon Honey-Sugar Syrup over each triangle. Cool on racks. Makes about 6 dozen.

Honey-Sugar Syrup

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

Combine sugar, water and lemon juice in heavy saucepan over high heat. Bring to boil, stirring with wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Boil briskly 5 minutes. Stir in honey. Pour into heat-proof pitcher.

Apricot-Coconut Filling

2 cups apricot preserves

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup toasted chopped almonds or pecans

Zest of 1 lemon

Combine preserves, coconut, almonds and lemon zest in bowl and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Makes about 3 cups.

Groger by Arnold Schifrin