"hanukkah" news and stories

Let's face it: American Jews kind of get the shaft around this time of the year, what with Hanukkah being almost entirely overwhelmed by the tsunami of Christmas cheer. But if one thing seems to make up for the army of mall Santas and a veritable assault of evergreen, it's got to be sufganiyot.

Just one bite of these warm little powdered-sugar-coated balls of jelly-filled fried dough is maybe enough to forget how many times you've had to listen to Taylor Swift's rendition of "Last Christmas" over the PA system at Macy's.

If to Gentile ears "sufganiyot" sounds an awful lot like "donut," well, that's essentially what they are. As Jewish writer and donut aficionado Temin Fruchter explains at "The Jew and the Carrot" (the food blog for the Jewish Daily Forward), how sufganiyot became a Hanukkah staple is somewhat of a mystery, though there seems something to the explanation that a holiday based on the miraculous replenishment of Temple oil merits a treat that's fried in the stuff (and bring on the latkes while you're at it).

• Hanukkah starts tonight! What's that song? "I have a little latke..."
• There's more to Hanukkah than potato pancakes. (But not much more.)
• All those trendy shaken cocktail drinks result in worn-out bartenders.
• So how about a nice port instead?
• Or try out Mark Bittman's granita -- a truly sophisticated slushie.

The celebration of Hanukkah and these golden potato pancakes seem to go together, but we could eat latkes every day of the week. Kitchen Daily contributor Melissa Roberts's recipe is a classic, with potatoes, onions, flour, and egg. She fries the pancakes in vegetable oil, and when they're crisped, she serves them topped with applesauce and sour cream.

If you want to break away from the classics, KitchenDaily contributor Sandy Gluck offers ten delicious latke variations (including a beet, rosemary, potato and shredded apple version; and a curried sweet potato latke). And if you need a little Latke-making 101, check out this video how-to from chef Bruce Mattel of the Culinary Institute of America.

Meet the white-chocolate brownie, a delightful home-baked treat that combines the rarefied taste and texture of white chocolate with just the right touch of sweet cranberries, under a snowy blanket of old-fashioned cream frosting. Go ahead, bake two batches: They're so easy to make and so good to eat that you're going to want to take them to your office holiday event, present-wrapping party or cookie swap.

Get the recipe after the jump.

While the holiday season is all about tradition, here's one to break: serving wine with dinner. Craft beer's varied styles and flavors mean you can match any Hannukah meal with beer.

Kick-start your Festival of Lights feast with crispy potato latkes crowned with applesauce. They're tastiest aside Unibroue Éphémère, a cloudy, well-spiced blanche brewed with apples, which provides a tartness that matches well with applesauce.

Alternately, try a Belgian like Chimay Tripel. The 8 percent ABV cuts through the grease, while the Tripel's bready nature goes well with potatoes.