In 2024, the first night of Hanukkah coincides with Christmas Day, creating the perfect opportunity for many families to celebrate both holidays together in a joyous fusion known as “Chrismukkah.” For Erica Holland-Toll, culinary director at The Culinary Edge in San Francisco, this unique occasion means combining the best of both worlds when it comes to holiday dinner.
The Culinary Edge is a renowned culinary innovation agency based in San Francisco, offering creative food solutions for diverse culinary needs.
A Cross-Cultural Holiday Feast
As a chef and member of a mixed-faith family, Holland-Toll cherishes the traditions of both Christmas and Hanukkah. For her, Chrismukkah is a time to celebrate the blending of cultural customs and food traditions. “The holidays are an amazing time to gather around the table, sharing food and traditions,” Holland-Toll shared with Fox News Digital. “In our cross-cultural family, we spin the dreidel while enjoying latkes and applesauce, with prime rib roasting in the oven.”
Growing up in a mixed-faith household, Holland-Toll fondly recalls her love for Hanukkah traditions, and this is the fourth time in her life that Christmas and Hanukkah fall on the same day. She reflected on the blending of her family’s culinary customs: “Our food traditions have melted into the proverbial pot, combining my husband’s traditions with mine.”
A Favorite Family Tradition
One of her most cherished memories was from 2016 when she held her 3-year-old’s hand to light the menorah, followed by cooking her grandmother’s famous latkes and opening stockings in the soft glow of candlelight. “We would eat my mother-in-law’s pepperoni toasts, spin the dreidel, use her famous toffee as gelt, and watch the menorah candles burn down on Christmas Eve,” Holland-Toll shared.
As a chef herself, Holland-Toll sees the holiday season as an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen while maintaining a connection to the past. “Any holiday is a time to go big and try something new, while always holding onto a piece of the past.”
Italian Classics and Latkes: A Fusion Feast
This Chrismukkah, Holland-Toll plans to cook Italian classics on Christmas Day, but with a twist – they’ll be served alongside her grandmother’s legendary latkes. “You could call them potatoes rosti if you want to, but they’ll be delicious either way,” she laughed.
For those looking to recreate this special dish, Holland-Toll has shared her grandmother’s “Best-Ever Latkes” recipe:
Grammie’s Best-Ever Latkes Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 pounds Russet potatoes, washed
- 1 large yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 eggs
- “Just enough” all-purpose flour (usually about ¼ cup)
- Olive oil, for frying
Instructions
- Grate the potatoes and the onion using a box grater.
- Mix the eggs, salt, pepper, and flour into the grated potatoes and onion.
- Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, test its temperature by adding a small amount of the latke mixture.
Source: FOX News
