Hanukkah

So crispy, so golden, so good.

In America, Hanukkah food typically refers to two things: latkes, Eastern European fried potato pancakes, and sufganiyot, jelly-filled doughnuts that are favored in Israel and increasingly popular here. While very different in composition, what ties these two foods together is that they are fried in oil — a technique that directly connects to the “miracle of the oil” in the Hanukkah story.

Crispy on the outside, buttery and tender on the inside.

If you have any left over, that is.

Inspired by the Korean banchan gamja bokkeum.

Indeed, bagels with cream cheese and latkes with sour cream have a lot in common

Spoiler: they're even better.

One of the foods I most long for from my childhood bopping around Jewish delicatessens in New York and Los Angeles is the humble bowl of matzo ball soup: a mountain of tender dumplings surrounded by rich stock and not much else. As a child I would nibble each tender spoonful, carefully whittling down my knaidel (as “matzo ball” is called in Yiddish). I felt comforted and loved, not from my grandmother’s kitchen, but by those fascinating, mostly ancient servers who dished it up.

This is the one worthy of your holiday table.

Crispy, caramelized perfection in just 20 minutes.

Transforms a budget cut into something worthy of a fancy restaurant.

Our love runs deep.

Use this easy-to-follow recipe to create a 3-strand, 4-strand, or 6-strand challah.

It's easy enough to enjoy as an any day side, but elegant enough for your holiday table.

Big, bold flavors without a hint of sweetness.

Decadent, fudgy, and delicious.

This clever twist on the classic cookie is bursting with cinnamon and brown sugar-sweetened pecans.

It's like a big, warm hug.

10 tips from latke field research!

Did we mention it's topped with caramelized onion sour cream?

Yes, definitely latkes, but there are other tasty things, too.

Do yourself a favor and serve it with rice or bread to mop up all the extra sauce.

Apple sauce and sour cream still required.

A delightful take on the classic veggie platter dip.

This crisp, bubbly pitcher drink pairs perfectly with potato latkes.

Not to be rude, but there’s something a little scary about jelly donuts. It’s not the donut part. It’s not even the jelly part, to be frank. I just don’t like surprises in my sweets. Don’t ever hand me a box of chocolates without a very clear map of exactly what’s in there, and at which precise coordinates. Also, I call dibs on anything with pistachio, always.But let’s return to jelly donuts.

Every holiday season we ask a few friends to join us here at The Kitchn for a series of guest posts. The topics range from favorite holiday recipes to family memories and traditions. Today’s guest: Jess Thomson of Hogwash. Jess is a friend and terrific writer and recipe developer. She recently published a book on doughnuts, and she brings us this recipe for sufganiyot, those fried, jelly-filled pastries so beloved at Hanukkah.

It’s the holiday season and while my household celebrates Christmas, we’re also just as likely to attend holiday events that don’t necessarily match its red and green theme. (Hanukkah, Solstice, Buddha’s Enlightenment, etc.) I love to bring a plateful of cookies as a gift or potluck offering, so this year I gave my usual Christmas cookie recipe some new, more ecumenical party clothes. Read on for the transformation!

It tastes even better on day two.

Try this Hungarian twist on classic kugel this year.

We included the brisket, of course.

It tastes best with latkes, of course.

It breaks all the rules — and yet it totally works.

Use this smart baking trick on any loaf of homemade bread.

The recipe comes from Jewish baking expert Marcy Goldman, so we knew we were in good hands.

She has a clever trick for braiding perfect strands.

The deep blue and silver cover of this latest issue in the Canal House Cooking series is an elegant hint at the the celebratory champagne-popping and truffle-stuffed recipes within. This is Canal House Cooking’s Fall & Holiday issue and it’s chock-full of recession-flouting recipes that glimmer and sparkle and call us to the table to eat well, make merry, and welcome in the good life with those we love.

Everyone celebrating Hanukkah likely has slightly different food traditions and recipe favorites, but the staples are frequently the same: perfectly cooked brisket and crispy latkes, plus a dessert spread that preferably includes as much rugelach, sufganiyot, and babka as possible. No matter which dish is your favorite, these festive recipes are perfect for Hanukkah and guaranteed to please a crowd.

Oh, Hanukkah — I adore you. Always have. Even as a kid, I drew to the warmth of the hanukiyah (holiday menorah) as though to a cozy fireplace. Little did I know I was tapping into the very heart of the holiday. And that is the inspiration for this simple and hearty make-ahead Hanukkah dinner menu.

As you’ve probably heard, this holiday season includes the once-in-a-lifetime convergence of Thanksgiving and the first day of Hanukkah, an occasion more popularly known as Thanksgivukkah. Cooks all over the country are embracing the opportunity to mix the traditional foods of two holidays on one table, and this week we are sharing Thanksgivukkah recipes and ideas from our favorite chefs and cookbook authors.