Chanukah is my favorite holiday, well really second favorite. Obviously because Halloween is my first. But I guess if we are only talking holidays in terms of religion, Chanukah is my number 1. Wait, who am I kidding? Candy is a religion. Halloween is still my number 1. But I really do love Chanukah. Now, I know what you are thinking; Chanukah is my favorite because I get eight presents. Well both my parents can attest to the fact that that’s just not true anymore. So what makes this holiday so special? Everything, that’s what. But, if I had to narrow it down I could choose 3 choice words to describe this holiday: champagne, caviar and chocolate.
I bet that’s not what you were expecting me to say. But since when is this Bite-Sized Blonde predictable? While predictable I’m not, I am traditional. And I mean that in the sense that I create traditions and then follow them. So, for me, Chanukah tradition is all about the three C’s.
Champagne is somewhat obvious. I told you once, a party just ain’t a party without a little of the bubbly stuff. And Chanukah is one hell of a party. You certainly cannot celebrate, especially a miracle, without champagne. I think that’s considered sacrilegious.
Caviar – also a celebratory food, but that’s not the reason you’ll find it at my Chanukah table. Caviar is salty, which offsets the greasy latkes perfectly. With just a hint of sour cream, it’s really the perfect pairing. If this tasty treat sounds awfully familiar, it’s because it’s kind of like a blini, but better. And in case it didn’t sound familiar at all, and know you’re wondering what a blini is, I’ll tell you. A blini is a pancake typically topped with crème fraiche and caviar. What makes my Chanukah blinis great, is a great latke as a base.
Now chocolate. Chocolate is as much a part of Chanukah as dreidles. Hello…gelt. But, if you’re anything like this Bite-Sized Chocoholic, gelt isn’t enough to calm your cravings. So, we end our Chanukah celebration with even more chocolate.
I hope your mouth is watering. I know mine is. But what I really also hope is that you have a wonderful Chanukah!
Stay tuned this week for recipes, and of course, a photo recap!