People who celebrate Christmas have a few more weeks to prepare, but for those of the Jewish faith, Hanukkah is almost here. And whether the party is big or small, food must be prepared and served.

Just in time for the holiday come two books. The first is "Jewish Cooking for All Seasons" (Wiley, 2006) by kosher chef Laura Frankel, owner of Shallots restaurant in Chicago and teacher of kosher cooking classes around the country. The second is part of Susie Fishbein's "Kosher by Design" series, this one subtitled "Short on Time" (Mesorah Publications, 2006). It's got quick recipes that will make holiday entertaining more of a joy and less of a chore.

For anyone who does not know, or has forgotten, the meaning of Hanukkah, I quote from Faye Levy's "International Jewish Cookbook" (Warner Books, 1991), which is also an excellent resource:

"A little over 2,000 years ago, the Jews defeated the Syrians, who had tried to force them to give up their culture and to worship Greek gods. The Jews drove the foreign army out of Jerusalem, cleansed the Temple, and relit the light in the Temple with pure oil. Legend says that only enough ritually clean oil for one day could be found, but it miraculously lasted for eight days, until more could be prepared. For this reason, Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and is known as the Festival of Lights. The lights are only a symbol; the real celebration is religious freedom." A good reason for a celebration by any measure. And an excellent reason for a feast.

BRAISED VEAL SHANKS WITH MOROCCAN SPICES AND MANGO GREMOLATA

1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons fennel seed

1 tablespoon cumin seed

1 tablespoon coriander seed

1 whole clove

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

6 meaty veal shanks (about 1 pound each)

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

2 medium leeks, white and green parts only, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1 large bulb fennel, trimmed and chopped

6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup pitted Calamata olives

1 (14- or 15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

1 cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

2 cups chicken or veal stock or broth

For the gremolata:

grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley leaves

3 garlic cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely diced ripe mango

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

cooked couscous or bulgur

Preheat the oven to 275 F.

Grind the cinnamon stick, fennel, cumin, coriander, clove and pepper flakes in a spice grinder (or very clean coffee grinder) and mix with the flour in a shallow dish. Season the veal shanks with salt and pepper.

Heat a large Dutch oven or deep covered, ovenproof saute pan over medium heat. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. Dredge the flat sides of the veal shanks in the seasoned flour mixture. Working in batches, sear the meat on all sides until golden brown and caramelized, about 10 minutes total. Remove the veal and set aside on a platter.

Brown the leeks, and remove from the pan and set aside. Repeat with the carrots, fennel and garlic, adding more oil as necessary, until all the vegetables are browned (do not over-brown the garlic) and set aside. Add a spoonful of oil to the pan and add the tomato paste, stirring and scraping the pan until the paste is fragrant and visibly darkened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the olives, tomatoes, wine and stock (or broth) and season with salt and pepper.

Return the veal - and any juices that have accumulated - and the vegetables to the pan. Cover and transfer to the oven and cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours. If not serving immediately, cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Make the gremolata: Place lemon zest, cilantro, parsley, garlic and oil in a food processor or blender and process until the mixture resembles a coarse paste. Transfer to a small bowl, toss with the diced mango, and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, spoon a shank onto each plate and top with a spoonful of vegetables and sauce. Top with gremolata and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Recipe slightly adapted from "Jewish Cooking for All Seasons" by Laura Frankel (Wiley, 2006)

SPICY POTATO STACKS

2 large Yukon gold potatoes, unpeeled, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds, ends discarded

2 large red potatoes, unpeeled, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds, ends discarded

2 sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds, ends discarded

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons barbecue spice blend

fine sea salt

fresh rosemary sprigs

Note: Look for potatoes of similar diameter so that they line up easily when stacked. You can also slice an onion into very thin rings and prepare and bake as you do the potatoes. Then, insert a roasted onion slice between each potato slice when stacking.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet with baking parchment. Set aside.

Place all the sliced potatoes into a large mixing bowl. Pour the oil into the bowl. Toss to coat, sprinkle on the spice blend. Toss to coat well. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Season with salt.

Make layered stacks using the three kinds of potatoes. Skewer each stack with a small rosemary branch to secure. Serve hot.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Recipe from "Kosher by Design: Short on Time" by Susie Fishbein (Mesorah Publications, 2006)

FRENCH ALMOND MACAROONS

2-1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

1 cup blanched slivered almonds

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 large egg whites

pinch sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with baking parchment.

Place the sugar and almonds into the bowl of a fitted food processor and process for a full 3 minutes so that he almonds are ground to a powder. Add the flour and process for 1 minute more. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites and salt and beat on high speed with an electric mixer until the whites hold stiff peaks.

With a spatula, gently fold a third of the almond mixture into the egg whites until incorporated. Repeat with the remaining two-thirds of the almond mixture. The batter will be sticky and thick.

Spoon the batter by full tablespoons on to the prepared sheets, leaving room for the macaroons to spread as they bake.

Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies are puffed, shiny and have formed a skin on top.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and slide the parchment paper off the pan and onto a rack. Allow to cool completely before removing.

Yield: 2 dozen macaroons

Recipe from "Kosher by Design: Short on Time" by Susie Fishbein (Mesorah Publications, 2006)

Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.