Hanukkah

Dear Henry Albert,

We celebrated your first Channuka. Chanuukkkahh celebrates the miracle of a one day supply of lamp oil that lasted 8 days (also the miracle of spelling something over 100 different ways). This is not a real big miracle as biblical miracles go. Parting the waters of the Red Sea, or resurrecting the dead or plagues and miracles like that are major miracles. Making lamp oil last 8 days is just so-so. Hanukah also celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the evil Antiochus IV Epiphanes and a lot of other joyous happy stuff. Also menorahs are nice and children get presents. Also nobody really knows how to spell ….
חנוכה … or whatever.



And they have Dreidels and Menorahs. Hanukkah (Hebrew: חנוכה‎, also spelled Chanukah or Hanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabees Revolt of the 2nd Century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar.


Potato Latkes is an important part of Chanukah. Luckily our family has a terrific secret recipe that comes from your Uncle Mike and Great-grandfather Max.

Ingredients: (for 4 normal people)
4 potatoes (medium-large), ½ onion, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp minced garlic, 2-3 tsp flour or matzo meal. (Maybe, ½ tsp teriyaki sauce), 1-2 eggs, vegetable oil.

1- Coarsely grate peeled potatoes. Important that potatoes are coarsely grated. Texture adds to taste. Grate onion. Combine in big mixing bowl.
2- In smaller bowl, blend eggs and flour. Add salt, pepper and other spices. Dump in minced garlic at end.
3- Drain excess liquids from potato and onion bowl.
4- Add and blend mixture from step 2 with potatoes and onion.
5- Boil oil in deep skillet or frying pan. Important to use vegetable oil (canola, corn, peanut, etc.) only. Olive oil is a no-no. (Latkes is not Italian food.) Pork drippings, lard, chicken fat or other animal fats is horrible and you will die.
6- Drop 3-4 inch globs of latke mix in boiling oil. Let the globs flatten out into discs. Turn to get both sides golden brown.
7- Drain the golden brown latkes on paper towels.
8- Serve with applesauce or sour cream.

Warnings: Reheat or keep latkes hot in oven, not microwave (it makes them soggy) With desert, serve Maalox, Tums and other anti-acids. Alka-seltzer is also good. And .. wait 2-3 hours before nap.

Also ....

HAPPY CHANUKAH