Today is not only Friday: it is Erev Chanukah. This evening at sundown, the Jewish Festival of Lights will begin.
We will celebrate the day in our time-honored traditional way, by having a monstrous Dinner Blowout featuring take-out Chinese food (a staple of Jews throughout America), along with the obligatory potato latkes. Both Chinese stir-fried dishes and potato latkes meet the basic requirement of Chanukah foods, being fried in oil. Technically speaking, we could also drag in a few dozen doughnuts - the traditional Israeli sufganiyot or the larger, more Zeppelin-like Berliners - but that would be gilding the lily.
She Who Must Be Obeyed will be in charge of latke production. SWMBO is a dab hand at making latkes, and I will put her crisp, golden-brown potato pancakes up against any competitor. Hers are always made from freshly-grated potatoes and onions, bound with egg and matzoh meal, and pan-fried in exceedingly hot peanut oil. Small batches only, thank you.
As for me, I will be in charge of arranging the delivery of the Chinese food to coincide with our guests’ arrival. Something I am not too likely to screw up.
Chanukah, by the by, is a relatively minor Jewish holiday, inflated in seeming importance here in the United States by its close proximity to the culturally ubiquitous Christmas. How minor? Well, its origins are recent enough to have escaped mention in the Torah...which means that the myriad restrictions of Big-Time Holidays do not apply. So observant Jews can drive, light fires, chop wood, etc. And play with those fucking dreidels.
To Christians, Christmas rates a 10 out of 10 on the Holidometer. To Jews - at least, the ones who aren’t all suffering from identity crises - Chanukah is maybe 3 out of 10. It’s not all that big a deal.
But we’ll enjoy it anyway. Food, drink, family, and friends. What is there that’s better?
OK - enough of this Holiday Prattle! It’s time for the Friday Random Ten!
Let’s take a look and see what the iPod d’Elisson is spewing out today:
We will celebrate the day in our time-honored traditional way, by having a monstrous Dinner Blowout featuring take-out Chinese food (a staple of Jews throughout America), along with the obligatory potato latkes. Both Chinese stir-fried dishes and potato latkes meet the basic requirement of Chanukah foods, being fried in oil. Technically speaking, we could also drag in a few dozen doughnuts - the traditional Israeli sufganiyot or the larger, more Zeppelin-like Berliners - but that would be gilding the lily.
She Who Must Be Obeyed will be in charge of latke production. SWMBO is a dab hand at making latkes, and I will put her crisp, golden-brown potato pancakes up against any competitor. Hers are always made from freshly-grated potatoes and onions, bound with egg and matzoh meal, and pan-fried in exceedingly hot peanut oil. Small batches only, thank you.
As for me, I will be in charge of arranging the delivery of the Chinese food to coincide with our guests’ arrival. Something I am not too likely to screw up.
Chanukah, by the by, is a relatively minor Jewish holiday, inflated in seeming importance here in the United States by its close proximity to the culturally ubiquitous Christmas. How minor? Well, its origins are recent enough to have escaped mention in the Torah...which means that the myriad restrictions of Big-Time Holidays do not apply. So observant Jews can drive, light fires, chop wood, etc. And play with those fucking dreidels.
To Christians, Christmas rates a 10 out of 10 on the Holidometer. To Jews - at least, the ones who aren’t all suffering from identity crises - Chanukah is maybe 3 out of 10. It’s not all that big a deal.
But we’ll enjoy it anyway. Food, drink, family, and friends. What is there that’s better?
OK - enough of this Holiday Prattle! It’s time for the Friday Random Ten!
Let’s take a look and see what the iPod d’Elisson is spewing out today:
- Sunset Road - Béla Fleck & The Flecktones
- Madman Across The Water - Elton John
- You Better You Bet - The Who
- Freylekh Zayn - The Klezmer Conservatory Band
- School For Monsters / The Money Song (Reprise) - Avenue Q, Original Broadway Cast
- Waiting For The End Of The World - Elvis Costello
- Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison
You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail right ’round the seven oceans
Drop it straight into the deep blue sea
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You can’t stop us on the road to freedom
You can’t keep us ’cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor bent on chivalry
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You can’t stop us on the road to freedom
You can’t stop us ’cause our eyes can see
Men with insight, men in granite
Knights in armor intent on chivalry
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
You know she’s all right
You know she’s all right with me
She’s all right, she’s all right (she’s an angel)
You can take all the tea in China
Put it in a big brown bag for me
Sail it right ’round the seven oceans
Drop it smack dab in the middle of the deep blue sea
Because she’s as sweet as tupelo honey
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like honey from the bee
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey
She’s an angel of the first degree
She’s as sweet as tupelo honey
Just like the honey, baby, from the bee
She’s my baby, you know she’s all right... - In Taberna - Estuans Interius - Christian Thielemann, Orff: Carmina Burana
- Tommy: Overture - The Who
- Fixing A Hole - The Beatles
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