Chanukah tradition meets comfort food staple

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, comfort food is defined as food that is satisfying because it is prepared in a simple or traditional way and reminds you of home, family or friends.

Most of us are brought up hearing the story of why we celebrate the festival of Chanukah, and we consume traditional foods at gatherings of family and friends.

We eat sizeable quantities of foods fried in oil to recall the oil that lasted eight days in the menorah, when the Maccabees rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after their victory over the Greeks.

Melinda Strauss, a contributor to My Jewish Learning's blog the Nosher, also notes that we consume dairy products to celebrate Judith’s victory when she saved her village from the Babylonians.

An enterprising foodie, Strauss joined these two culinary traditions together combining latkes with a favourite North American comfort food that many of us know how to make: grilled cheese. To get this crispy, multi-tiered, melty treat just right, follow her instructions by jumping to the recipe here.