Happy Hanukkah from FoodPair!

As Adam Sandler famously sang, "Put on your yamaka, here comes Hanukkah. It's so much fun-akkah to celebrate Hanukkah!" The Festival of Lights started Wednesday night, December 1st and runs through Thursday the 9th.

Hanukkah commemorates the Jewish victory over the Syrian-Greeks in 165 BC. Jewish rebels, known as the Maccabees, fought against the Greeks who would not allow them to practice their religion. When the victorious Maccabees returned to the Temple in Jerusalem, there was only one day's worth of oil to light the menorah. Miraculously, the oil lasted for eight nights and the Hanukkah holiday was born.

Certain foods and snacks are traditional for Hanukkah, and a lot of them are cooked in oil to recall the lighting of the menorah. So, tasty potato latkes pan-fried in oil are delicious and historical. It's also fun to eat brisket, blintzes and cookies & pretzels in holiday shapes and colors. Finally, get some gold-wrapped chocolate coins and play some dreidel!

To find you the best Hanukkah recipes, we powered up the FoodPair search engine and found some tasty holiday classics.

Alright, let's make some Hanukkah dishes!

Latkes, aka Potato Pancakes
For Hanukkah at its finest, make these crispy latkes!
Ingredients in this recipe: egg, potato, sour cream, onion, salt, black pepper, vegetable oil, apple sauce, matzo meal


Greek Spinach Latkes with Feta-Yogurt Sauce
Greco-inspired latkes topped with feta-yogurt? Yes please!
Ingredients in this recipe: garlic, olive oil, egg, scallion, butter, dill, baking powder, yogurt dressing, frozen spinach

Grandma Ethel's Brisket
Brisket is another tasty treat for the Festival of Lights (or anytime).
Ingredients in this recipe: olive oil, sweet potato, carrot, sherry vinegar, prune, salt, chicken stock, black pepper, brisket

Blintzes
Blintzes are delicious & customizable- fill with your favorite cheese or jam.
Ingredients in this recipe: egg, all-purpose flour, milk, kosher salt, vegetable shortening, margarine

Homemade Soft Pretzels
Try forming fresh pretzels into holiday shapes.
Ingredients in this recipe: olive oil, egg, sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, baking soda, milk, active dry yeast, whole wheat pastry flour, barley malt syrup

Shortbread Cookies
Cookies are another great option for holiday shapes & colors.
Ingredients in this recipe: egg, butter, lemon juice, sugar, salt, all-purpose flour, almond extract

Let’s get cooking (and eating)!

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