Hanukkah is an 8-night long holiday filled with good food and celebration.  Seeing as tonight is the fifth night, here is our list of some of our favorite Hanukkah dishes with some basic cooking instructions.

1. Latkes: Latkes are prepared by frying a mixture of grated potatoes and onions held together with beaten egg, and are probably my favorite Hanukkah food.  If grating potatoes and onions yourself takes too long, you can also use a frozen hash brown mix.  The key to successful latkes is to have the oil heated to sizzling before you add the potato mix, so that the latkes cook almost instantly and do not fall apart or become soggy with oil.  Similarly, if you are using a frozen hash brown mix, thaw the hash browns in a microwave before use to avoid adding excess water and to avoid cooling the oil.
2. Doughnuts: Doughnuts and donut holes are a traditional desserts at Hanukkah parties, and you can easily make your own with a small pot of boiling oil.  For easy doughnuts, make a batch of boxed cake batter and drop large spoonfuls of it into the boiling oil.  Jelly doughnuts are especially traditional, so to achieve this you can cut small holes in each doughnut and add a bit of your favorite jam.
3. Applesauce: Applesauce is commonly served with other dishes, such as latkes (which can also be served with sour cream) and doughnuts. To make your own applesauce, chop up a bag full of apples (as many as you can fit in the slow cooker) and add sugar, cinnamon, and cloves to taste.  Cook until soft.
4. Brisket: Brisket is a popular main course for many Jewish celebrations.  Brisket is beef that is cooked in an oven for a few hours with root vegetables and red wine.  The drippings are often mixed with mushrooms to make a dressing, which is served with the meat.
5. Challah: Challah is a sweet braided bread made with milk and eggs.  It’s versatile enough to be served with dinner or fried up as French toast the following morning.
6. Chocolate cake: Really, is there any holiday where chocolate cake isn’t welcome?  To make it more traditional, it can be decorated with gelt, topped with powdered sugar instead of frosting, or filled with jam between layers reminiscent of sufganiyah.

Happy Hanukkah!