Talking with My Mouth Full

The Festival of Latkes

Hanukkah is really a minor holiday with elevated status because of it's proximity to Christmas. It is, however, extremely significant as an excuse to fry potatoes in oil. Latkes -- potato pancakes -- are the most traditional Hanukkah holiday food. For more information, go to http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5063158

My 91-year-old mother says this is the first time she can remember when the first night of the 8-day Hanukkah celebration has been on Christmas. It MUST mean something.

Hot Foods from Iceland

The traditional foods of Iceland include things like burned sheeps head and rotten shark. The Vikings preserved everything to help them through the long, dark winter. Today, Iceland is promoting its fresh agricultural products to the U.S. -- incredibly tender lamb, wondrfully fresh fish, really rich butter. It's only available at Whole Foods right now. Try Skyr -- a non-fat, fresh cheesy thing that looks like yogurt and tastes great. I did a piece this morning on NPR if you want more information on the foods of this northern island that's become a hot place to visit too. 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5060335

More on Families

If you live in New England, tune in at 9 tonight to Arnie Arneson's MyTvPrime call-in show http://www.mytvstation.tv/story.asp?id=57. I'll be part of a panel discussion on family dinners. If you have any thoughts or stories in the new few hours you'd like me to pass along, let me know.

Family Dinners

When I was growing up, we had family dinners every night. Things have changed as daily life has reached warp speed. For more, listen to

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5048043#email