Hanukkah is a great way to get people together and entertain. Though it’s less of a show than Rosh Hashanah or Passover, it celebrates resilience, one of the most resonant themes of Judaism. If you really think about it, there’s irony in today’s version of the holiday: while the Hanukkah story starts with the Maccabees fighting to save the Jewish people, we now sit around listening to Adam Sandler’s Hanukkah song and eating chocolate money. But the Jewish toast of l’chaim—to life—is relevant to every holiday. It’s a blessing to just be alive and spend time with loved ones.
On a more metaphysical level, Hanukkah isn’t just the Jewish holiday that happens to be around Christmas. It’s an affirmation that miracles do happen. It’s also a great time to start conversations about what being Jewish means and how you can bring your values into everything, including your cooking. Maybe you don’t love going to temple or just don’t find resonance in organized religion. Food can be a great way to celebrate Jewish identity culturally, too. With that in mind, we’ve compiled our Hanukkah recipes, drinks, and desserts for an ultimate guide to Hanukkah entertaining.
TABLE Magazine’s Ultimate Guide to Hanukkah
Mains: Focus on the Latkes, but Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative
Carrot and Beet Latkes
This is a slightly healthier take on the classic potato latke, though given how much oil you cook them in, that’s all relative. But the carrots and beets are full-flavored and enjoyable in their own right, and as our chef writes, with this dish there are no mistakes.
Gluten-Free Latkes
Here’s a still-delicious substitution you can make if you have a guest with a gluten sensitivity. Note, though TABLE’s recipes are our creative spins on latkes, there’s nothing wrong with the classic, no-frills recipe. The New York Times has a good one, and one entertaining thing to do is to scroll to the comments section to see everyone arguing about how it’s different than how they make it. Hey, as the saying goes: two Jews, three opinions…
Potato Rösti
Though rösti potatoes aren’t technically the same as latkes, it’s a bit of a tomato-tomahto situation. This Swiss potato pancake is very similar to the classic latke, but incorporates egg and flour more heavily than a latke does. They’re slightly easier to make than latkes and a lot less messy, as Sarah Jampel of Bon Appetit argues. (Jampel has a bold stance that like many holiday foods, latkes are overrated). So, give rösti a chance if you’re sick of soggy latkes and batter disasters.
Brisket
You can’t go wrong with brisket. Jonathan Haskel Baar developed this recipe for Passover originally, but you can enjoy brisket any time of year. Baar’s recipe is full of details in every step so you can make that perfect, crowd-pleasing brisket that even the most curmudgeonly guest will compliment you on.
Sweet Fried Eggplants
Hélène Jawhara Piñer’s 2021 cookbook Sephardi: Cooking the History chronicles the many recipes that make up Jewish cuisine in Spain and North Africa, including a huge array of eggplant recipes. This is one of the many delicious ways you can use eggplant to replace meat in a Hanukkah meal, if you so choose.
Desserts: Chocolate and Donuts Abound
Isfeng
These Andalusian donuts are a hugely popular Hanukkah recipe in Jewish communities in North Africa, and Hélène Jawhara Piñer shared them with us. If you’re tired of the ordinary sufganiyot, this is a great new donut option that’s equally delicious.
Maqrut
This pastry is made with honey, dates, and orange blossom and comes from Morocco and is another fried delicacy to remember that oil that lasted eight nights. Though the lamp lasted a long time, these pastries won’t be long at your table.
Baklava
Consider baklava as a snack-able small plate before or after the meal, if you’re having a larger gathering. Though you can definitely cater them, they’re surprisingly easy to make yourself, and help anchor your cooking in the Mediterranean, where the Hanukkah story began.
Chocolate, Tahini and Honey Cake
This is basically a perfect Hanukkah dessert. Tahini is a staple in Middle Eastern cooking, chocolate elevates gelt (the gold-wrapped choclate coins we eat on Hanukkah), and honey symbolizes prosperity and good luck in Jewish tradition. So, this is a great Hanukkah recipe to try out to finish off your meal with a winner.
Cocktails: Kosher Liquor, Celebratory Toasts
Hanukkah 75
Our signature take on a French 75, with a special Hanukkah sparkle in its color scheme. This is a great party cocktail no matter what your faith is, but also works to make Hanukkah feel extra-special.
Chocolate Espresso Martini
Continuing with the theme of elevating gelt, you could do a cute seasonal take on this cocktail with a piece of gelt or edible gold leaf for garnish. But it’s also just hard to argue with the deliciousness of a chocolate espresso martini.
Back to Black
Did you know that Amy Winehouse was Jewish? Winehouse once said that “Being Jewish to me is about being together as a real family. It’s not about lighting candles and saying a bracha.” Toast to the diversity of Judaism and the many talented people who came before us with this Amy Winehouse-inspired drink. Also, the licorice liquor in it is just delicious.
Kosher Cocktail
If you have guests who keep Glatt kosher (the strictest form), consider making this cocktail to be sure they have something to sip. While you might think keeping kosher only means no pork, for more observant people, everything has to be produced in a kosher facility. Check out this list of kosher bourbon for more ideas about kosher liquor.
General Tips
- There’s no such thing as too many candles. Hanukkah is the festival of lights, so go all out on the lights. Putting together a menorah is a fun activity, but candles at your table also add a nice ambiance.
- Since Hanukkah sometimes falls on Christmas, consider that your party may turn into Chrismukkah, depending on who’s invited.
- Sides for latkes are divisive. Just buy everything. Sour cream and apple sauce are the two most popular, so you’re usually safe if you have both of those.
Chag sameach!
Story by Emma Riva
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