CHANUKAH IS A FESTIVAL OF FUN AND FOOD

Chanukah is a Jewish holiday, a day of remembrance, a festival of lights, and most of all, a family party that is celebrated during eight joyful days. Chanukah was first celebrated more than 2,100 years ago, following the defeat of the Syrian army by the Macabees. After driving the Syrians from Jerusalem, the Jewish temple was ceremonially cleansed. During the cleaning, a flask of oil belonging to the high priest was found. It contained enough oil to burn one night. Instead, it burned miraculously for eight days and eight nights. That is why a special eight-branch menorah (candlestick) is lit each Chanukah night at sundown, beginning with a single lighted candle on the first night and building to a full eight.

As with all Jewish holidays, traditional foods are part of the celebration. Fried and sauteed dishes have special Chanukah significance because of the oil used in cooking them. Holiday Chicken Saute is a favorite meal in one family in which there are two small boys who still prefer fingers to forks. Their mother, who is a food consultant, once asked Frank what he thought of such table manners. His answer: "That's why we sell our drumsticks with built-in handles."

With most of America's Jewish settlers having come from Eastern Europe, holiday foods served in that part of the world are most popular here. For Chanukah, this means crisp, brown potato latkes (Yiddish for pancakes). Latkes are usually served with fresh applesauce and dairy sour cream. Before the arrival of the food processor, hand grating the potatoes was a traditional pre-dinner part of the ritual, with everyone taking turns at grating potatoes -- and sometimes knuckles.

In Israel, fried jelly doughnuts are frequently served instead of latkes, and many Sephardic Jews (from Mediterranean countries), serve fried pastries unique to each country. Among them are Moroccan fichuelas. These crisp, honey-coated pastries are great fun to twirl in hot oil and shape into pinwheels - but beware of the little fingers near hot oil.

PHOTO: Chanukah for Families

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