Hanukkah

If you told me a few years back that I'd be turning to Gwyneth Paltrow — the then-macrobiotic queen — for culinary advice, I'd surely scoff. But today I'm doing just that (well, not asking her directly . . . although a girl can dream). Haters are always gonna hate, but if one can push skepticism aside, her recipes deliver and then some.

Handed down from her father's family (as many recipes from her charming cookbook are), this brisket is bound to be a classic on your family's table, thanks to its robust flavor, laissez-faire cooking method (low and slow braising), and a velvety sauce that begs to be sampled and sampled again from the pan.

What are you waiting for? Give this classic comfort food a shot.

Latkes are the most well-known treat during Hanukkah, but noodle kugel also deserves a home on the festive table. Traditional recipes for this decadent, sweet dish pile the cream, butter, and sugar on heavy — but this lightened-up version is an ideal alternative that brings the same nostalgic flavors. There's still plenty of sugar in this recipe, but more traditional recipes call for more than double this amount! Ready to cook up some healthier Jewish comfort food in your kitchen? Keep reading for this simple noodle kugel recipe.

Any way you slice it, latkes and other fritters are an indulgent affair. With this in mind, I thought I may as well take them over-the-top and fry them till lacy and crisp-tender in rich and pleasantly gamy duck fat.

Put simply, this wound up being a very good decision. The complex flavor of the duck fat is subtle, but it makes its presence known, adding a savory note that plays off sweet applesauce and tangy crème fraîche as if they were old friends.

This Hanukkah fry up crisp-tender duck fat-larded latkes.

Throughout middle school, many after-school afternoons were spent at my grandparents' house. My grandpa was, and is, always up for a nibble of cheese, pesto, and crackers (Bremner wafer crackers or saltines were de rigueur) and a slightly-over-my-12-year-old-head discussion of a chapter from Guns, Germs, and Steel.

While my grandpa schooled me in theories of economics and the disproportionate spread of resources (and power) throughout history, my step-grandmother Grenelle was likely concocting some delightful treat in the kitchen.

Summer months meant a bumper crop of basil and gallons upon gallons of zesty pesto; come Fall, apple-picking trips led to mammoth batches of applesauce, all stored away in a basement freezer for the months ahead. And while my appreciation for pesto-slathered everything was sadly delayed till we moved cross-country, a rare afternoon would pass without me dipping into her tempting applesauce supply.

Keep reading for the superlative applesauce recipe.