Ann H., traditional Chanuka foods vary with the community. Jews of Eastern European descent eat latkes (but never agree on how to make them). Israelis eat fried filled doughnuts. As you see in the string, and can find on many web sites, everywhere in the world, Jews come up with something different for Chanuka. The one constant is that it should be something cooked in oil; that's the point. The idea is to commemorate the story about the oil for the menorah. lpinkmountain, if you use a mix for matzo balls, you will go to hell. JUST KIDDING! But really, I have never understood what the point is of that mix. I mean, matzo balls contain matzo meal, salt, egg, water or broth, and fat (chicken fat best if you are not a vegetarian and your cardiologist isn't looking). So what's in that mix? I think it's just matzo meal, salt, and some bouillon powder (which I don't like anyway); you still have to add the rest -- doesn't really save any time and just costs a lot more and uses more packaging. Lakeguy, here is how I (a genuine Jewish mother) make chicken soup and matzo balls. It's a very simple recipe, without even any dill or garlic, but it really doesn't need it, because the strongly developed chicken flavor holds its own, so try it this way first. Really, you can make any kind of chicken soup your family likes, but make sure to follow the two essentials about the type of chicken and the length of cooking. Try to find a kosher chicken -- the bigger, fatter, and older, the better. The taste is just much, much better. It's not that the kosher slaughtering makes a difference. But they grow them bigger, and they don't feed them chemicals (not for kosher purposes, just to broaden their market to foodies), and the soaking and salting of kashering is like brining it. If you can't find a kosher chicken in your town, then go for an organic one, I guess. Lindac taught me the money-saving tip of using a package of wings instead of a whole chicken (kosher chickens are not cheap). Gellchom's Jewish Chicken Soup (eat! eat!) 1 cut up kosher chicken, or a large package of wings, necks, etc. 2 stalks celery, NO LEAVES, scraped and cut into sticks 2 large carrots, scraped and cut into sticks one whole onion, peeled Salt and pepper Rinse the chicken and put it in your soup pot. Cover with water to about 3/4 inch from top. Bring to a good hard boil, reduce the heat, and skim. Then add the vegetables, 1-2 T salt, and some pepper. Cover and simmer a LONG time -- absolute minimum 1 1/2 hours, but I like to let it go to much longer, even to 6. If it cooks too far down, then just add some water; the taste will still be plenty rich, I promise. Remove chicken and use for something that can have seriously overcooked chicken! Discard onion (and celery, if you want, but I like it in the soup). Remove carrots and set aside. Strain soup and return carrots, celery, and maybe some of the chicken. Chill and remove some but not all of the fat before reheating. Serve with matzo balls, kreplach, noodles, or rice. Matzo balls (this is just the old recipe off the back of the Manischewitz matzo meal box, before they changed it from schmaltz to oil) 2 T schmaltz (rendered chicken fat; buy frozen in kosher market or make your own) or oil (if you must!) 2 lg eggs, slightly beaten ½ c matzo meal 1 t salt, optional 2 T water or broth (use broth if no schmaltz) Mix schmaltz and eggs. Mix matzo meal with salt and blend. Add water and mix. Cover and chill at least 15 minutes. Boil slightly salted water. Reduce heat to low, form balls (with wet hands, and note that they will enlarge as they cook), and add to soup. Cover and cook 30-40 minutes.

I use the same brine as for Dilly Beans. Start by cutting the peeled carrots into jullianne sticks or crosswise into thin slices. Blanch the carrots in boiling water 3 minutes. Drain. With the carrots you'll need: 4 heads dill 4 cloves garlic, slightly bruised 4 small red chilis, each slit 2 1/2 cups vinegar 2 1/2 cups water 1/4 cup canning salt Pack carrots into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space. Add 1 head dill, 1 galic clove and 1 chili to each jar. Combine remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Pour hot liquid over carrots, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust caps. Process pints ten minutes in a boiling water bath. Yield: 4 pints. In addition to beans and carrots this same recipe can be used with asparagus.

I've had the urge for an Apple Crostata, and Empires and Cortlands are my favourite apples. Boy I wish I lived closer to you Alsisande, your apples look wonderful. I'm in apple country, but they're still pricey. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get some regardless. Nicole, I always put molasses in my bran muffins. It also calls for buttermilk, and I combine yogurt and milk to make buttermilk. It works perfectly, as we always have yogurt in the frig. I didn't do any baking this weekend, I made bread last weekend and we still have some. But I have chicken thighs that were marinated in lemon juice, garlic and lemon zest. They're in the oven over rice, baking now.

Black raspberries? YUM! ! ! Haven't seen those in many a year! Grew them on the farm when I was growing up. Red raspberries were added during my early teens. No raspberries at all down here in South Texas, until a few years ago, when the reds started showing up in the store. Ridiculously expensive, but once in awhile I splurge on a half pint, just to indulge myself. It's funny, when we first got them on the farm, I thought they were really good, better than the black, But now I would much rather have the black, if I could ever find any! ! ! I did no cooking or baking this year, a first time ever. But we had our Christmas yesterday at Grandson's house, 165 mi. drive from here. I went up early yesterday morning, and came back last night. He decided that getting myself and his Dad there was enough of a task for me, but I still felt bad about arriving with no food to contribute to the dinner. But there was more than enough there, and every bit was delicious! Rusty