Inside PBS Blog

Joan Nathan (of PBS' Jewish Cooking with Joan Nathan) is renowned for her Jewish cooking expertise, and her Hanukkah recipes are no exception. Proving that Hanukkah treats don't have to be just plain potato latkes and jelly-filled doughnuts, Nathan offers up some interesting twists on the traditional, as well as recipes that suit the season.

Try her Hungarian cheese latkes, apricot rugelach cookies or artichoke, orange, coriander and mint compote for a festive wintertime meal.

If you stick to the traditional food for Hanukkah, food blogger Kristen Taylor offers the "wrong" way to make potato latkes   - and notes that several real-life Jewish grandmothers have taken issue with her grating skills. [Kristen Taylor is a former PBS employee and current staffer at the Knight Foundation.]

kthread cooks: latkes from Kristen Taylor on Vimeo.

But speaking from personal experience, even my Jewish mom and her mother disagree on what the "right" way is, so as long as your latkes feature potatoes, fried and crispy, I think they count.

The Tastespotting Web site (a favorite of mine) provides an array of beautiful dishes that people all over the world are creating for the festival of lights - try searching for ‘hanukkah' or ‘holiday,' and brainstorm ideas for your own holiday table. Well-known cooking site Epicurious also has a great list of Hanukkah favorites; some of the recipes that caught my eye include:

homemade jelly doughnuts (sufganyot), green bean and blue cheese gratin, and  spiced nuts.

What's your favorite Hannukah recipe?