The style and structure of those Chanukah parties, with just the right number of cousins and just the right balance of playfulness with reverence, couldn’t have made for a better celebration in my 6,000-mile-away mind. That party was all my husband heard about in those early years as I tried to usher in the Chanukah enthusiasm.
Fast-forward a few years, we’d moved back to America, and we finally made it to that model Chanukah party. Afterwards, my husband turned to me and said, “So? Did it hit the spot the way you dreamed it would?”
The answer was yes, but no. A bunch of years had passed. I’d almost forgotten about how this party was the prototype for all
Chanukah celebrations. And yes, it was lovely, it was nice to see family, the food was great, but perfection? That was a stretch. So yes, the way we remember things leaves plenty of room for imagination and is not quite as based in reality as we think.
I’m excited about the recipes — and ideas — we’re sharing this week. Not only are these foods that can potentially hit the spot, but they’re also part of a mood we’re helping you create. Is it perfection? Well, we just try our best, and let you fill in the rest — in your imagination, or in reality.
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