Hannukah – between Thanksgiving and Christmas

So, we’ve all got through Thanksgiving, and now we’re veering towards the next celebration in the American calendar. No, it’s not Christmas – it’s Hanukkah which this year begins at sundown on December 4th and ends at sunset December 12th.

Actually, I was reminded of this fact when I read a Silicon Valley Mom’s blog on the hardship she faced hunting for presents and wrapping for this Festival of Lights celebration. I say, reminded, because, if like me, you were not born here, you may easily jump to the conclusion, that after the madness and turkey stuffing that Thanksgiving is made of, our next uphill battle is shopping for Christmas. And if you’re reading this and about to relocate to the States, or indeed Silicon Valley, where I reside, you would be wise to read up on Hannukah. Everything I know about this celebration, I have learnt in the 12 years since I moved here from the UK and you will hear about it from the friends you make here and your kids’ friends. Best to know what they’re talking about.

Not sure if I just didn’t have many Jewish friends in England, or those that I did have, didn’t celebrate that much, but for sure it’s here and depending on where you live, there may be just a few or loads of blue and white twinkling lights on the houses next door to the Christmas icicle lights. According to Leslie in her sympathetic comment to the Silicon Valley Mom’s blog :

“Unfortunately for you retailers are doing their holiday buying based on demographics. Christians make up over 75% of the US population; Jews about 2%. In California it’s not much higher — a little over 3%”

explaining why it’s hard to find that Hannukah gift wrap in Target.

I would like to add that when I was in my Lucky’s yesterday (formerly Albertson’s) there were at least three aisles totally devoted to Kosher food, so maybe the Jewish celebration focuses more on eating than opening presents.

I’m all for that!

Thanksgiving debrief

Aarrgghh! Much as I love the Mercury News on Wednesdays for the Cooking Section, (and I have the huge folder of cut-out recipes to prove it) this time of year makes me flip as I read everything I need to know from cooking that damn turkey vertically to laying the table, to choosing the right wine, to eating out (fine idea to me!)

But please, cookery editors, spare a thought for all those people who have relocated here from another country (and I’m sure there’s just a few of those among your readers?!!) and don’t have the foggiest of what this Thanksgiving thing is all about or what you’re supposed to do for it.

In the meantime, that job falls to me so listen up, all you who are new or fairly new to Silicon Valley and the USA in general!

Thanksgiving happens on the 4th Thursday in November so it’s always aThursday but not always the same date. Americans try and get together with families for this annual celebration. Given that, as we are of course a very transient population in Silicon Valley, many of us have families in another country and many in a different state so we do not all have this cosy picture of 20 people sitting around a dining table with Dad poised with carving knife in hand above the humongous brown bird. And so, if Thanksgiving means nothing to you, YOU DON’T HAVE TO CELEBRATE IT! Take advantage of the fact that you and the family have 4 days off (Friday is always a holiday as well) and get out and enjoy yourself – no guilt allowed for no turkey. I have friends who always used to go to Sausalito on Thanksgiving Day and drink some fine beer, gazing out to the sea. Sounds good to me!

I digress, so back to the traditional Thanksgiving. A few days beforehand, Americans flock to their Safeway or Lucky’s or to the more upmarket Whole Foods, to buy their turkey, so they can spend several days preparing their dinner comprising of – said turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, some hideous pink mixture which my good friend Carol tells me is Cool Whip (sweet manufactured cream…) mixed with fruit (now there’s a nutritious side dish for you) , sweet potatoes (like ordinary potatoes but orange and sweet) and a selection of vegetables. Dessert is usually some form of pumpkin pie.

The reason they have Thanksgiving is something to do with the Pilgrims coming over from England and thanking the resident Indians for their help with growing crops – I may well have this slightly wrong but just ask one of your kids at school about it or maybe you already have when they asked you to help them dress up like a pilgrim…

So we and our families get to spend some time being thankful for what we have which is a very good idea, considering that four weeks later, those same kids are tearing into Christmas presents.

And on the subject of Christmas, for all of you who have come from the UK, isn’t it sad that we end up eating turkey twice a year here, and both times within a month of each other? Turkey is so good it would be nice to space it out a little more. For those not from the UK, a little background – traditionally the Brits have turkey at Christmas and that’s it, the one and only time. So when Christmas comes around here, you could opt for something else, as you may have just recently finished the last of your turkey from Thanksgiving. Can’t remember what the Americans do, maybe have ham or beef, anything but turkey.

Hope this helps to understand this quaint American custom. Let’s just be thankful it’s only once a year!

Lucky Prices

First of all, Lucky used to be Albertsons and at the time of this blog, I see no more Albertsons in my neighborhood, Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, but that may not be true everywhere. Secondly, their products’ brand name is Sunnyside. And thirdly, and most importantly, they have the BEST chocolate chip cookies – you could easily turn up with them at the school fundraiser and people would think you’d baked them yourself – look for them in a bag in the bakery section. So yes, I had to go there and do a price comparison for my blog and of course had to buy some, all in the name of research! Again, no plastic discount card, but instant in-store savings as listed below. So, some more prices for you :

Can Chaok Coconut Milk 1.19
Pack chopped walnuts (1/2 cup) 1.99
6-pack Dole Fruit Bowl Punches sale 2.00 (usually 3.65)
6-pack Dole Mandarin Bowls sale 2.00 (usually 3.65)
Large bag Faraon rice sale 3.49 (usually 5.19)
Glass Magic 16 oz 3.99
General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios 2 bags 6.79
Sunkist Albacore Tuna 4.79
Sara Lee 100% Whole Wheat Bread 3.99
Sara Lee Multi Grain Bread sale 2.99 (usually 3.99)
12 Brown and Serve Rolls 2.28
6-pack Sunnyside Apple Sauce with Cinnamon sale 1.50 (usually 2.39)
1 bottle Sunnyside Club Soda .98
1 box Sunnyside Dark Brown Sugar sale .79 (usually .95)
1 box Sunnyside Light Brown Sugar sale .79 (usually .95)
1 jar Sunnyside Raspberry Jam 3.39
1 bag Starbucks Breakfast Blend Coffee 9.49
1 small tub Daisy Sour Cream 1.49
2 Marie Calendar Pastry Shell 4.99
Large tub Mountain High Fat Free Vanilla Yoghurt 3.29
Small tub Sunnyside Fruit Yoghurt sale .50 (usually .59)
Sunnyside Unsalted Butter sale 2.89 (usually 3.59)
Sunnyside Lactose Free Milk 2% 3.09
Sunnyside Lite Whipping Cream small 1.99
Large Tub Sunnyside Plain Yoghurt 2.69
1 tub Sunnyside sliced frozen strawberries 2.50
1 bag Sunnyside frozen white corn sale 1.50 (usually 3.59)
1 Tony P Frozen Cheese Pizza sale 2.50 (usually 4.79)
1 box Tyson Chicken Nuggets sale 2.50 (usually 3.89)
Bananas .69/lb
Green Cabbage .79/lb
Small bottle lime juice 1.19
Oranges 1.69/lb
Box Delacato Chardonnay sale 16.99 (usually 18.99)
1 bottle Foxbrook Chardonnay 1.99
1 bottle Foxbrook Merlot 1.99
1 bag yummy chocolate chip cookies sale 3.49 (usually 3.99)