November 27, 2013
Something special is happening this Thursday, something that has not happened since 1888. Thanksgiving will happen during Hanukkah (the first day to be exact; Thanksgiving did occur during Hanukkah in 1899, on the fourth night). Some have calculated this won’t happen again for another 77,798 years. I asked Museum Staff and Volunteers that celebrate the Festival of Lights if they would be doing anything special to commemorate this landmark event.
Surprisingly, not many responded and those that did came back with “nothing special.” But one response stood out – from Maltz Museum Director of Development and Interim Executive Director David Schafer. He mentioned that he would be serving latke and turkey sandwiches (I can only hope this is what he means). It struck me because if there is one thing I noticed with this Meeting of the Holidays is all the mash-ups, or as they are properly known as, portmanteau. The first instance I noticed was at a sign in Jack’s Deli promoting “Thanksgivukkah.” Then came the menurkey. Then a turkel.
If nothing else, I am pleased to see the creativity with food options. Here are my 5 favorite:
1. Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pastrami and Pickled Red Onion
2. Cranberry Sauce-filled Sufganiyot
3. Ginger-Allspice Latkes and Cranberry Apple Sauce
4. Latke-Crusted Turkey Stuffing Fritters with Liquid Cranberry Core and Schmaltz Gravy
5. Mulled-Wine Cocktail
It’s nice to see foods traditions come together in such a way this holiday season. Happy Thanksgivukkah everyone! Let me know if you try any of these recipes or if there is something you came up with yourself. Send your comments to me at info@mmjh.org or reply on Facebook.
