Hanukkah/holiday cocktail party foods

I'm throwing a holiday cocktail party that happens to fall on the first night of Hanukkah. I'm going to be making latkes and have champagne and probably some sort of mulled Chirstmassy drink, but I'm not sure what else to serve. It should be finger food, possibly traditional, and fairly quick and easy because I have an exam that morning. Any ideas?

LucyS
  • Posted by: LucyS
  • December 13, 2011
  • 10274 views
  • 11 Comments

11 Comments

creamtea
creamtea December 14, 2011
Sufganyot. Jelly doughnuts are traditional Hanukkah fare. The yeast type. You could just buy doughnut holes instead of cooking them yourself.
 
Sam1148
Sam1148 December 14, 2011
A tabouli salad. Made with quinoa instead of bulgar wheat, Chopped parsley, a dice of cucumber and tomatoes, fresh mint (optional)..and a lemon olive oll dressing. This can be made and dressed the night before, and served in endive to make it finger food. With a side dish of crumbled feta cheese to give vegans the opportunity to omit.

(personally, I'd like amysarah's idea of grape leaves...they can be made ahead of time also.)
 
avimom
avimom December 14, 2011
Top a mini latke with sour cream and caviar. Luxe and delish. And easy.
 
amysarah
amysarah December 14, 2011
Put a dab of creme fraiche (or sour cream,) a small piece of smoked salmon, and a tiny sprig of dill or chopped chives on each latke. Delicious.

Also, small stuffed vegetables are very traditional in Sephardic Jewish cuisine - I love stuffed grape leaves, which are great with cocktails. (Don't think of the pre-made supermarket ones; homemade are worlds better.) Claudia Roden - a fantastic source in general - has a great recipe stuffed with rice, fragrant spices, pine nuts, tomato, mint, lemon...found it in this blog: http://altoonsultan.blogspot.com/2011/11/cold-stuffed-grape-leaves.html (Not really difficult, just a bit time consuming.)
 
amysarah
amysarah December 14, 2011
Oops. Just realized you said quick and easy...oh well, save the stuffed grape leaves for another day! (And if I still saw an edit button here, I'd have used it.)
 
ChefJune
ChefJune December 14, 2011
These Spinach Balls with Mustard Sauce are so easy, do-ahead, versatile and go with whatever else you decide upon. http://www.food52.com/recipes/7160_spinach_balls_with_mustard_sauce
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx December 13, 2011
Anything fried in oil would be tradional for the holiday. Latkes, Chopped liver sered on matzo crackers, deviled eggs, marinated mushrooms, etc.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx December 14, 2011
I completely forgot about this recipe. It's make-ahead, tried & true & very tasty:

Jamie Geller, author of Quick and Kosher Recipes from the Bride Who Knew Nothing, contributed this recipe for Spinach Tidbits. Serve these dairy appetizers to your Hanukkah guests before lighting the Menorah. They can be prepared and frozen a week in advance to minimize pre-party preparations.

Prep Time: 14 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutesIngredients:

•1 (16-ounce) package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
•3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
•1 tablespoon dried minced onion flakes
•1 egg, lightly beaten
•1 cup seasoned mini croutons
•2 tablespoons butter, melted
•1 tablespoon prepared crushed garlic
•1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit (190° Celsius).
2. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, place spinach, parmesan, onion, egg, croutons, butter, garlic and Tabasco. Mix well.
5. Shape spinach mixture into 1-inch balls using hands or a melon baller.
6. Arrange on cookie sheet spaced 1 inch apart.
7. Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 15 minutes, until croutons are slightly golden.

TIP: Prepare this a week ahead of time by freezing tidbits after step 6. Freeze them on the cookie sheet overnight and in the morning transfer them to a sealable plastic bag for easier storage. Do not thaw them before baking; just increase baking time by 20 minutes.

YIELD: 6 servings

 
Bevi
Bevi December 13, 2011
Chevre Devils on this site are delicious, and you can prep the pecans and goat cheese filling a day in advance. They were a huge hit at a party I took them to, and dates can be found in many traditional Jewish recipes. You could also spread some honey, chopped walnuts, and chopped figs over a sheet of puff pastry, roll up, cut into pinwheels, brush with an egg wash, and bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
 
creamtea
creamtea December 13, 2011
guacamole or hummus with raw vegetables to dip are super easy and Trader Joe's has a nice selection of the latter. Or open a few chilled cans of chick peas (garbanzos), drain them and dress w/olive oil, lemon juice, parsley or cilantro and minced onion or garlic & ground pepper. Make or buy a Boursin-type cheese (I used to have a recipe, I think it was cream cheese, a little lemon juice, scallions, garlic, maybe some grated Parmesan and ground pepper), or a chevre log. Or the current contest as mrslarkin says.
 
mrslarkin
mrslarkin December 13, 2011
check out the most recent contest theme. Loads of ideas there! Happy Hanukkah! http://www.food52.com/contests/265_your_best_onebite_party_snack
 
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