Hanukkah dinner multi-tasking!

[eyesroll]

So I made just the sweet potato latkes (not the white potato) because...well...I never knew there were THAT MANY SHREDS in one sweet potato.

I made some Sephardic-style meatballs (subtly sweet/sour), egg noodles, and sauteed spinach. I also made applesauce. Kiddo ate about 7 meatballs :wow: (they were made from a 1-ounce disher, but they were loose...still...) and some applesauce. She announced, when I said I was making Hanukkah food, "I don't like latkes." This was before I told her I was making latkes. She stuck to her word and pushed the latke we gave her to the side of her plate.

By the end of the evening, the latkes were gone. The meatballs were nearly gone, and what was left was more like a meat sauce. So, I mixed in the sauce with the remaining noodles and that became dinner the next night.

There was some spinach left, so I threw that in a casserole with some sour cream (left over from the latkes), milk, flour, butter, and a little extra salt, pepper and nutmeg. Topped with breadcrumbs and parmesan, baked at 350 until bubbly.

My Hanukkah cookies looked suspiciously like the red/green M&M brownies and pfefferneusse I brought to Christmas dinner. My dad, Mr. South Beach, ate a pfefferneusse and proclaimed it the best damn pfefferneusse (what's the singular of that?) he'd ever eaten. Cool. (Kiddo: "But it's not Christmas anymore! Pout pout pout." She still gladly ate million of both over several days...)

[The empressof all]

1. I didn't make a Hanukkah Dinner this year

I had so much left over from Christmas Dinner I didn't need to cook for days. Then things just kind of slipped away from me there.

I've never had sweet potato latkes...They sound interesting but are they really worth the work? I mean regular latkes are on my list of "absolutely perfect" foods so I'm not sure about screwing around with it. I have done zucchini latkes which is low carb friendly and got some good results. Not a substitute for potato-eeee perfection but a good veg side dish.

I've gotta make some latkes next week. I've got a craving bad!

[eyesroll]

2. Sweet potatoes are different -- think of it as a different dish rather

than a tweak. They were good. (Make 'em like regular latkes, only season with cayenne and cinnamon.)

[eleny]

5. What do you use for dipping/slathering on them?

Do they also go well with sour cream? I keep imagining a little butter and that's it. They sound dreamy!

[eyesroll]

6. Sour cream's a good choice, especially if you up the cayenne.

(My mom is afraid of spice, so we don't.)

We also don't keep kosher at all, so sour cream was OK even though we had meatballs.

[Tab]

3. I'm not formally religious

My dad was of jewish heritage (but didn't practice), my mom went to catholic school (but abandoned it)...

What would constitute a traditional Hanukah dinner? I believe a seder takes place during Rosh Hashanna (sp?), and I don't know what's served at that either... Anything specific, or just traditional jewish fare (and lots of it)?

[The empressof all]

4. We always have a big meal 1st or 2nd night of Channakah

We're a multi faith family too (Actually we're all pretty much atheists-but we love a good party)

I usually do Brisket and Latkes with sides of fried onions, sauteed mushrooms, and a big salad.

I usually have Jelly donuts or Apple fritters for dessert.


I didn't have it in me to do it this year.....