All about Chanukah, only after the fact

This past Chanukah was a very different experience.
My daughter, now 4 3/4 years old, is better able to grasp the meaning of Chanukah, the beauty of the miracle and the significance of the foods we eat.
The miracle is all about the oil in the holy temple lasting eight days when, in reality, there was only enough to keep the menorah lit for one night.
So, in tribute to the great miracle, we eat foods fried in oil.  While the miracle of the oil involved extra virgin olive oil, known in Hebrew as "shemen zayit zach", any oil will do.
The most common Chanukah treats are latkes (pronounced either lot'-keys or lot'-kahs), which were born in Eastern Europe, and jelly doughnuts, called sufganiyot (pronounced soof'-gah-nee-yot'), which were born in Israel.
There is also a tradition of eating dairy foods in tribute to the story of Judith and Holofernes.  In short, Holofernes, an Assyrian general, was about to destroy the home of Judith, a beautiful widow who lived in the village of Bethulia.  Holofernes found Judith to be of great beauty and thus allowed her into his tent where she plied him with cheese, which made him thirsty, and she then got him seriously drunk with lots of wine to quench his thirst.  This made him very sleepy.  While he slept, she beheaded him, and then put his head in a basket, carrying it to the town gate where she stuck it for all to see.
Many people have the custom of giving their children gifts every one of the eight nights of Chanukah.  That was not the tradition with which I was raised.  We were actually taught that the custom of giving gifts is a poor imitation of Christmas and not the "correct" way to observe the holiday.
So, following a bit closer to the tradition of my upbringing, I only gave my daughter symbolic little trinkets that related to the holiday.
On the first night she was given a yo-yo that plays a Chanukah song while you play it rolls up and down.  That night was also celebrated with the lighting of the first candle and the serving of zucchini latkes as a side dish with our dinner.
On the second night, she got a dreydl and learned what each of the four letters stand for, and how the game is played.
On the third night, she got some chocolate coins, with which she could play the dreydl.

And so on, and so on, until the last night.  All eight candles were lit, songs were sung, and a delicious dinner was served.  And then, the crowning glory of the final night, delectable homemade sufganiyot with a healthier twist.  I filled them with fresh strawberries and a bit of fresh strawberry jam.  They were so delicious.
I froze the remaining unfilled doughnuts.  The following weekend, I made the most incredibly delicious doughnut French toast and topped it with Nutella.  Oh goodness, that was some really good eats!!!

Hors D'oeuvres / Appetizers

Yes, I know you are looking at the title of this post and you're probably wondering what confections might have to do with hors d'oeuvres  or appetizers.
Not much, I guess, but confections are not my first passion.  Food is.  And I especially love tasty treats in small bite sized portions, which is what drew me to confections.  They are so delightful when they are small and bite sized, so you don't feel quite as guilty if you have more than one piece.
I find the same goes for appetizers.  When they are small bundles of tastiness, it is so nice to be able to try a few different types, rather than sit down to a big portion of only one type of food.
I absolutely love to entertain.  One of the nice things about little bites is that you can usually prepare them pretty quickly and you can satisfy a variety of palates more efficiently.
The joy I derive from seeing smiles, hearing ooooohs and aaaaaahs and mmmmms, and seeing clean plates and platters is boundless.  It must be the Jewish mother in me.
Some of my favorite little bites are hot, but there are lots of nice cold edibles as well.  I will gladly make these to order.  A price list is available upon request.  Many of these dishes can be converted to vegetarian or vegan.
Here is a list of some of my favorites, hot and cold.

HOT:

• Chicken Italiano - Chicken breast strips rolled with basil and sun dried tomato pesto on a rosemary skewer
• Pulled Spicy Short Rib Sliders - Short ribs braised in a spicy barbecue sauce, pulled-pork style, served on toasted brioche with a crunchy apple & cabbage slaw
• Cheese Steak Poppers - Roasted jalapeno peppers stuffed with a cheesy steak filling, battered and rolled in crispy spicy crumbs and baked or fried to perfection
• Sesame Chicken Blossoms - A melange of chicken, sauteed onions and garlic, and a sweet and spicy sesame sauce baked in the heart of a flaky pastry crust daisy
• Not Your Momma's Pigs in a Blanket - NOPE!  These are made with mini sausage links that are wrapped in bacon and baked in a bath of maple syrup.  You can't eat just one!
• Meatball Surprise - Beautiful, luscious baby meatballs filled with a delightful surprise of melted smoked mozzarella and toasted pine nuts in the center, served with a smoky red pepper sauce
• Spanakopita Triangles - Clever little triangles of phyllo filled with garlicky sauteed spinach and feta cheese and a hint of nutmeg laced bechamel
• Salt Cod Cakelettes - Miniature cod cakes made in crab cake style and pan fried or baked for a nice crispy bite, served with a delightful homemade tangy tartar sauce
• Shroomalicious Heads - Baby bella mushroom caps stuffed with a blend of sauteed shallots, pancetta  and zucchini, with a bit of crispy crumb to pull it all together, topped with a shroomy sauce
• Crazy Cabbage Bites - Imagine Bubby's stuffed cabbage, only tinier and vegan, and served with the most incredible spicy tomato sauce for dipping
• Knish Knosh - Itty bitty creamy potato knishes envelope a nutty filling of savory buckwheat and mushrooms
• Swiss Onion Tartlettes - Sweet and savory caramelized shaved onions and melted Swiss cheese baked in a golden flaky tartlette that will make your mouth water

COLD:

• Tiny Tomato Tubs - Cocktail tomatoes hollowed out and filled with Moroccan cous-cous and topped with a sprinkle of Ras al Hanout and a sprig of mint
• Lettuce Wrap It Up - Refreshing romaine filled with a crunchy salad of bean sprouts, baked tofu, water chestnuts, toasted pine nuts, golden raisins, shredded carrots and a light sri racha vinaigrette
• Cucumber Cups - Hollowed cups of chilled crisp cucumber filled with a curried shrimp salad, some slivered scallions and a drizzle of creamy raita dressing
• Potato Salad Slices - Sliced Peruvian blue potatoes topped with a creamy heap of peas, carrots, pickled cucumbers and hard boiled egg in a dijonnaise sauce with a kick of cayenne
• Celery Boats - Celery sticks get their cavities filled with a pungent blue cheese, walnut and dried cranberry spread that will blow your mind
• Baby Blini Bites - Light and airy buckwheat crepes topped with smoked salmon, capered mascarpone, paper thin shavings of cucumber and a heap of salmon roe, topped with a sprig of dill
• Beet Me Baby - Sliced roasted beets topped with a slice of warm goat cheese crusted with an herbed crumb coating and a dollop of red onion balsamic marmalade
• Potatoes Nicoise - Little baked taters hollowed out and filled with seared tuna cubes, pickled haricot vert, Moroccan black olives, shaved red onion, roasted garlic, topped with a raw quail egg
• BLACT Clubbies - Toasted honey wheat triple decker sandwiches layered with bacon, red-leaf lettuce, avocado, grilled chicken and heirloom tomato drizzled with a light ranch dressing 
• Fancy Tea Sammies - Lightly toasted white bread spread with alternating layers of fluffy herbed egg salad, herbed cream cheese and baked salmon salad, like a savory seven layer cake
• Ravishing Radishes - Hollowed out radishes filled with creamy ricotta, seasoned with chives, roasted garlic, diced tomato, crowned with a sprinkling of chipped chive and a light drizzle of truffle oil
• Gjetost Goodies - Norwegian graham flour flatbread, spread with a walnut paste seasoned with cardamom and topped with thinly sliced gjetost and sliced green apple and drizzled with honey

Nothing pleases me more than making the world a happier place, one delicious bite at a time.