Joan Nathan, author of ten cookbooks including her most recent, “Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France” (Alfred A. Knopf, $39.95), will be starting Hanukkah this year at a potluck dinner in the home of friends. “We’ve done these potlucks forever. Our kids are all now in their 30s,” she said in a telephone interview from her home in Washington, D.C.

By the time Hanukkah ends, she, husband Allan Gerson and their three grown children will be in India on a family vacation. “I hope we’ll celebrate the last night of Hanukkah in a Jewish home in India,” Nathan said.

Hanukkah begins at sunset on Saturday, Dec. 8. The word “Hanukkah”, also spelled “Chanukah”, comes from the Hebrew word for “dedication”. The holiday is the celebration of the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem after a Jewish victory over the Syrians in the second century B.C.

Nathan has become an anthropologist of Jewish food and culture, fueled by her love of history and culture and informed by her global travels. “Visiting France in my teens, I was introduced to foreign food. It was the cuisine that really started me on what I’m doing, writing about food,” she said. Nathan notes that France is home to the third largest Jewish community in the world.

Those who read her cookbooks come to appreciate that unlike, say Italian or Chinese cooking, Jewish cooking is not about a specific geographic location. Jewish cooking is the story of how food is altered to fit geography, a necessity as the Jews went through the diaspora. “Jewish cooking is about our connection to Mt. Sinai and what happened as we moved throughout the world. It’s fascinating,” said Nathan.

At home, whether for Shabbat or for dinner during the Hanukkah season, Nathan serves family-style, or if the group is large, she finds buffet dinners a satisfying way to entertain. “I like to offer a meat and three strong side dishes, served on big platters. I know people who have lots and lots of dishes, but I don’t want to spend that much time working,” she said.

For readers planning their Hanukkah dinners, she offered several suggestions, all of them geared to making entertaining as stress-free as possible. “There’s nothing worse than having to do all that at the last minute; we don’t all have help,” she said.

Serve what can be made ahead. She offers the example of cooked grain salads with Middle Eastern or North African influence taste better if they’re made ahead of time. “There’s nothing you have to do at the last minute.” This kind of dish also travels well so it makes a good contribution for a potluck dinner.

Plan a meal that is seasonal. For Hanukkah, that means winter fruits and vegetables. But don’t repeat a fruit or vegetable in the meal. “I happen to love apple desserts, so I might make a pear sauce to go with latkes and have apples in my dessert.”

Along with being seasonal, offer a colorful array of dishes. “Beet, carrot and roasted pepper salads give you bright reds, purples and oranges on the table. There are lots of north African recipes that work here, and it’s interesting because so many of these recipes originated in France, went to north Africa and are now coming back to France with north African immigrants.”

Include dishes that can be made ahead and frozen. “I cook my brisket a week ahead, slice it and then freeze it. You can even make your latkes ahead of time and freeze them, then just reheat in a hot oven.”

Topper: Hanukkah’s traditional roasted poultry and braised brisket call for homey, substantial side dishes. As far as holiday comfort food goes, there’s little that beats a kugel. Author Joan Nathan offers two variations on kugel and a colorful carrot side dish brightened with preserved lemon.

Kougel aux Pommes (Potato Kugel)

Hands on: 15 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Serves: 6

If you love latkes but not the work of frying, this kugel is the solution. All the classic flavors, just enough oil and no standing over a hot skillet.

6 tablespoons vegetable oil or butter, divided

2 slices sandwich bread

2 onions, diced

1 pound baking potatoes, peeled

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon oil or butter to grease a 1 1/2-quart baking dish.

Lighten moisten bread slices under running water and set aside to drain on paper towels.

In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil or butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden, almost caramelized, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

While onions are cooking, grate potatoes into a large microwave-proof bowl. Add 1 tablespoon water and cover potatoes with a round of parchment or waxed paper. Cook on high 1 minute. Carefully remove from microwave and drain off any remaining water.

In a large bowl, combine cooked potatoes and onions and add 3 tablespoons oil or butter, egg, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons parsley. Tear the reserved bread into small pieces and stir into mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish and brush with remaining tablespoon oil or butter. Bake 45 minutes or until top is golden. Remove from oven, sprinkle with remaining tablespoon parsley and serve.

Adapted from a recipe in “Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France” by Joan Nathan (Alfred A. Knopf, $39.95).

Per serving: 209 calories (percent of calories from fat, 53), 4 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 13 grams fat (2 grams saturated), 35 milligrams cholesterol, 418 milligrams sodium.

Alsatian Pear Kugel with Pear-Prune Compote

Hands on: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Serves: 6

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

2 pounds ripe pears, divided (about 5 pears)

1/2 pound onions, cut into 1-inch dice

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 slices sandwich bread

3 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided

6 tablespoons butter or pareve margarine, cut into small dice

1 1/2 cups pitted prunes

1 cup water

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush an 8- or 9-inch spring form pan with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place prepared pan on a rimmed baking sheet.

Peel and core all pears except one. Dice the peeled pears into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sauté onions over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in salt and allow to cool.

Dip bread in lukewarm water and then squeeze dry. Tear into pieces and place in large bowl. Add eggs, 1/4 cup sugar, butter or pareve margarine, cooked onions and half of the diced pears. Stir lightly but thoroughly, spread mixture in prepared pan and bake 45 minutes or until kugel is cooked through and top is golden.

While kugel is baking, make compote. In a medium saucepan, combine remaining diced pears, prunes, water, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from heat. Peel and core the remaining pear and grate it into the compote. Allow to cool to room temperature.

When kugel is done, remove from oven and set on wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Unmold from pan onto serving platter. Serve with compote.

Adapted from a recipe in “Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France” by Joan Nathan (Alfred A. Knopf, $39.95).

Per serving: 485 calories (percent of calories from fat, 44), 7 grams protein, 64 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 25 grams fat (9 grams saturated), 137 milligrams cholesterol, 467 milligrams sodium.

Carottes Confites (Candied Carrots with Preserved Lemon)

Hands on: 10 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

Serves: 8

2 pounds carrots, peeled, cut in half

3 tablespoons olive oil

Peel of 2 preserved lemons, diced (see recipe)

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup honey

Salt and pepper

In a large pot of water, cover carrots with water and bring to a boil. Cook until just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cut carrots into 1/2-inch thick rounds.

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add carrot rounds, preserved lemon, water and honey. Cook until carrots begin to caramelize, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Adapted from a recipe in “Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France” by Joan Nathan (Alfred A. Knopf, $39.95).

Per serving: 122 calories (percent of calories from fat, 36), 1 gram protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber, 5 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 96 milligrams sodium.

Citrons Confits (Preserved Lemons)

Hands on: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes plus 2 weeks curing time

Makes: 8 preserved lemons

Nathan notes that many people scrape out and discard the pulp when using preserved lemons, but she often includes the pulp in her cooking. She uses preserved lemons when she makes hummus and stuffs one into a chicken before she roasts it. She sprinkles the rind over grilled fish and dices preserved lemons into salads, rice dishes and vegetables. “Preserved lemons are an indispensable item in my pantry cupboard,” she writes in her book.

8 lemons (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1/2 cup kosher salt

1 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more if necessary

2 tablespoons olive oil, if needed

Your goal is to cut the lemons into quarters that are still attached at one end. Hold one end of the lemon and quarter lengthwise, leaving 3/4-inch uncut at the end you are holding. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon salt inside each lemon.

Pack lemons tightly into a large jar and cover completely with lemon juice. Let sit at room temperature for one day.

The next day, if the lemons are not still covered with lemon juice, pour the olive oil over the lemons to seal them while they are preserving. Put the jar in the refrigerator and allow to cure for at least 2 weeks. Lemons will keep in the refrigerator for several months.

Adapted from a recipe in “Quiches, Kugels, and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France” by Joan Nathan (Alfred A. Knopf, $39.95).

Per 1/4 lemon: 15 calories (percent of calories from fat, 39), trace protein 3 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, trace fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 1,211 milligrams sodium.