Every year we start off Hanukkah with a big family dinner that includes an abundance of Russian infused Jewish foods. I love celebrating all of the Jewish Holidays because at every dinner we incorporate Russian dishes into the meal. This past Hanukkah we had a number of Russian dishes at the table. First, we had a soup called Borscht, which is a beet soup that is served with sour cream on top. In addition, we had Gifelte fish, which is a stuffed fish, filled with a mixture of chopped fish, eggs, onions, matzo meal or crumbs, and spices. Nowadays, it usually refers to poached fish cakes or a fish loaf, sometimes made with matzo meal. We had Knish, a kind of turnover, filled with one or more of the following: mashed potato, ground meat, sauerkraut, onions, kasha (buckwheat groats) or cheese, and baked or deep fried. Latkes were also prepared which are fried potato pancakes, usually eaten at Hanukkah with sour cream or apple sauce. Last but not least before the dessert entered the table we had Vorschmack which is also known as gehakte herring or chopped herring. It is strong tasting creamy herring spread, served on crackers or bread, very commonly used as a spread. For dessert, we had Blintz which are thin egg pancake wrapped around a sweet mixture of farmer’s cheese, potato, or fruit pie filling, similar to a crepe, but with the ends tucked in and fried again in butter; often served with sour cream. In addition, we had Hamantashen which is a triangular pastry filled with poppy seed or prune paste, or fruit jams, eaten during Purim. Last but not least we had Kichel which is a cookie commonly made with egg and sugar rolled out flat and cut into large diamond shapes; they are typically eaten with a savoury dip or topping. I am very thankful of my Russian background and the different types of dishes it brings to my dinners.