There might not be two holidays more suited for each other than Hanukkah and Thanksgivukkah. Beyond the deeper meaning—both commemorate significant struggles for religious freedom that changed the world—there’s the f-o-o-d.

Ahhhh….fall flavors fried. What could be better!

Chefs, home cooks and even first-time cooks across America are casting aside guilty feelings and stocking up on oil…and squash, pumpkin, sweet potatoes plus, of course, the big bird for the once-in-many lifetimes second night of Hanukkah, now known forever as Thanksgivukkah. And with the holiday coming so early, the fall-focused flavors are sure to delight all eight nights.

We asked some of our area’s leading foodies to share some of their favorite recipes for this great holiday mashup–plus, of course, our blogger from the South because how else would we get a recipe for fried turkey?

From religious freedom to foods almost worth worshipping, here’s hoping the warmth of the Hanukkah candles and the bounty of the Thanksgiving table are shared with family and friends…and that the feelings of gratitude and love last at least until next year’s holidays, if not until our next Thanksgivukkah some 77,000 years from now.

	Pumpkin “Turkallah” Leah Hadad Founder and president, Tribes-A-Dozen
	Salt Cod Fritters Todd Gray Co-owner, Equinox Restaurant, and co-author, The New Jewish Table
	Gingered Sweet Potato Soup Sara Polon Creator and owner, Soupergirl
	Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Soup Aviva Goldfarb Founder and CEO, The Six O-Clock Scramble
	Fried Turkey Esther Schuster Blogger and Southern Jewish food maven
	Kasha with Smoked Turkey, Squash and Bourbon Vered Guttman Food columnist, Haaretz.com, and owner, Cardamom & Mint Catering
	Curried Sweet Potato Latkes Joan Nathan TV producer/host and author of 10 cookbooks including Jewish Cooking in America
	Challah Chestnut Bread Pudding Ellen Kassoff Gray Co-owner, Equinox Restaurant, and co-author, The New Jewish Table
	Buñuelos Pati Jinich TV host and author, Pati’s Mexican Table
	Pumpkin Donuts Paula Shoyer Pastry chef and author, The Kosher Baker and The Holiday Kosher Baker
	Turkish Butternut Squash Dessert Beyhan Cagri Trock Author, The Ottoman Turk and the Pretty Jewish Girl

Main photo credit: Photography by Michael Bennett Kress