The Mail-Order Hanukkah Dinner, from Latkes to Gelt
Okay, it’s not so hard to grate potatoes and fry up some Hanukkah latkes. But we understand you may not be up for that right on the heels of the shopping/cooking/onslaught that is Thanksgiving. So why not celebrate the Maccabee victory by having latkes (and toppings, and drinks, and desserts) delivered directly to your Hanukkah table? We’ve rounded up some delicious hand-crafted options from around the country, to add both modern and traditional touches to your holiday feast. Start making up your Hanukkah list!
Courtesy Epic Pickles1/11Epic Pickles
A few briny spears are perfect for whetting your Hanukkah appetite (and adding a vegetable element to an otherwise oily starchfest). Sure, you can hit the deli counter for some good old garlicky kosher dills. But you can also mix things up with Pennsylvania’s Epic Pickles. Try the fennel-spiked carrots, the crisp pods of okra (spicy from both dried red chiles and fresh green ones), or the Old Bay-scented Chesapeakles.
Julian Broad2/11Pasture-Raised Kosher Brisket From KOL Foods & Grow and Behold
Back when the kosher laws were written, nobody thought to specify meat be free-range (on account of CAFOs not having been invented). Which means that for years, it was difficult to find kosher meats that met modern ethical standards. Luckily two new producers, KOL Foods and Grow and Behold, have sprung up to fill the niche, with humanely raised, full-flavored, grass-fed (grain-finished for Grow and Behold) offerings that ship to your door. They offer a range of options, from beef bacon to traditional kishke. But for Hanukkah, you know you want brisket. Braise up a traditional lean first cut, or a richer second cut (c’mon, it’s the holidays).
Courtesy Russ & Daughters3/11Russ & Daughters Latkes
We tried several versions of mail-order latkes, sighing through those reminiscent of industrial potato McNuggets to those with heavy fillings and off seasonings. And then we tasted Russ & Daughters’ latkes. Oooh, latkes! That’s right. The century-old New York appetizing store delivers mid-size latkes that taste just like bubbe used to make, clearly hand-shaped and savory and fried to perfection. Order the Chanukah Light package with sour cream and applesauce, or the Deluxe featuring crème fraîche, salmon roe, and smoky, buttery Scottish salmon, hand-sliced into perfectly thin latke-draping servings.
Courtesy Fatworks4/11Fatworks Duck Fat
Our Eastern European forefathers likely weren’t cracking open a container of canola or olive oil when it came to frying latkes—they were rendering out some animal fat. And the lipid lovers over at Fatworks can help you get in the old-world spirit with a jar of free-range, pasture-raised duck fat. Frying up your latkes in the golden goodness gives them a decidedly meaty note, for a rich, buttery take on tradition. (Fatworks also recommends frying in lard, but far be it from us to do up latkes in such trayf.)
Courtesy The Jam Stand5/11The Jam Stand's Not Just Peachy Sriracha Jam
Yes, a traditional dollop of applesauce is lovely on your latkes. But if you favor sweetness with a bit more kick, try this peach jam laced with Sriracha. These Brooklyn-made preserves feature a soft, spoonable set, the occasional luscious sweet peach chunk, and a kick that burns as hot as your Hanukkah candles.
Courtesy P&H Soda6/11P&H Lovage Soda Syrup
Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda is perfect for cutting through the grease of latkes (or, for that matter, a pastrami sandwich). But what if you want that celery-sharp tang without, say, the high-fructose corn syrup? Brooklyn-based P&H Soda Co. mixes up small batches of natural soda syrups, which can be mixed with seltzer for a dozen delicious glasses. The lovage syrup uses the aromatic cousin of celery for a bright, decidedly sharp and fusty tonic, sweetened with cane sugar and a hint of golden raisins (and when soda time is over, it’s not bad slipped into your cocktail shaker either).
Courtesy Brooklyn Sesam7/11Brooklyn Sesame Halvah Spread
Yes, doughnuts (click for our recipe for sufganiyot) are a traditional Hanukkah dessert. But after all that fried starch, we’re looking for something a bit lighter—perhaps a nice crisp slice of apple? Topped with a generous swipe of Brooklyn Sesame’s halvah spread? This new producer takes the classic Middle Eastern dessert and deconstructs it into something more akin to a nubby tahini, honey-sweet and studded with everything from raw almonds to toasted coconut (our favorite is has whole sesame seeds, for a strangely addictive sesame-on-sesame effect). And, we suppose, you could also use it to fill a doughnut.
Courtesy Murray's Cheese8/11Vermont Creamery Dairy Collection from Murray's Cheese
A dollop of sour cream is a perfect topping for your latke, whether you’re going applesauce-sweet or smoked salmon-savory. But what about the other tangy options out there? Murray’s Cheese has pulled together a sampling of dairy from Vermont Creamery, all free of preservatives/stabilizers, and full of latke-complementing flavor. Rich, cultured crème fraîche, tangy European quark, how-is-this-nonfat fromage blanc, and, if you’re really feeling like indulging, mascarpone.
Courtesy Tsar Nicoulai Caviar9/11Tsar Nicoulai Caviar
There’s no better way to gild the latke than topping it with a bright, briny pop of caviar. Tsar Nicoulai furnishes several types of sustainable caviar, but we think a sampler of infused American whitefish is the most fun for a holiday crowd. Peppery wasabi, brilliantly scarlet beet and saffron, or rich truffled tiger eye—because even peasant food can dress up for the holidays.
Courtesy Veruca Chocolate10/11Veruca Gelt
There are foods we consume more for nostalgia than flavor—like low-quality chocolate gelt. But Veruca Gelt, which we’ve been in love since we discovered it last year, manages to satisfy on the basis not just of nostalgia but also of taste (and aesthetics). Full-flavored chocolate (none of that waxy junk) is shaped like Maccabee-era Judean coins, and instead of foil wrapping they’re given a dusting of gold or silver. Gelt for grown-ups, indeed. Choose melty milk chocolate or dark chocolate with cacao nibs or sea salt (or a sampling of all three).
Courtesy Clear Creek Distillery11/11Clear Creek Distillery Slivovitz
Once you’ve downed your latke, celebrate the way they do in the old country—with a shot of slivovitz. This beloved Eastern European plum brandy can run hot and harsh, but Oregon’s Clear Creek Distillery makes an eau de vie that is smooth, refined, and ridiculously fragrant from the 30 pounds of Northwest fruit that go into each bottle.
