Chrismukkha
Originating as a pop culture reference on the TV show The O.C., Chrismukkah is the hybrid family tradition of celebrating both Hanukkah and Christmas. This duality of cultures was something Chef Ariel Coplan and his business partner Jacob Fox of Thoroughbred Food & Drink both experienced growing up, so when the good people at U-Feast approached them about doing a one of a kind dinner they took on the challenge of merging the tastes of two separate traditions into one nine course meal.
Before getting on to the food, a few notes about the hosts of the evening. If you have been following the blog then you know that we simply loved our first experience with U-Feast. The combination of great food, good value, a unique foodie experience, and the chance to meet and converse with other similarly minded people makes it tempting to go to every single one of the events they hold. If you live in the Toronto area and you haven't signed up yet, you absolutely should. And if you don't live in Toronto, rumor has it they will be expanding to other cities in the future.
We had not dinned as Thoroughbred before. and although the food we had this night was not on their regular menu, the experience was so wonderful, with each bite being memorable and the serving staff being incredibly gracious that we will definitely be coming back.
And a special word of thanks to ACE Bakery, who helped sponsor the event. Pictured above is one of the centerpiece loaves of bread they baked for the occasion. They also raffled off an amazing basket of their products, which we were incredibly fortunate to win. It was the perfect prize for any foodie and David was so happy about it, he didn't even mind carrying it home on the subway.
The Feast
Things started off with a tasty bite of bacon Challah, which set the irreverent mood of the night. This was served along with a Manischewitz cocktail. It was followed up with sweet potato latkhahs with ricotta and caviar. The sweet potatoes added a faint callback to Christmas side dishes with the sweetness and slight squash taste influencing its otherwise traditional flavor profile. We were off to a good start.
Next up was a deconstructed take on a bagel and lox. Served more as a salad, the crouton-like everything flavored bagel added a good wallop of savory, while the fresh greens and radish gave it a crisp, clean finish.
The turkey matzahball soup was one of the most noteworthy dishes of the evening. Rich and comforting, this served up Christmas dinner in a bowl with all the requisite turkey, stuffing, and cranberry flavors.
Chef Coplan's take on Kischkah came out next. Served up was a dried fruit mincemeat and blood sausage. This was one of David's favorite dishes as the sweetness of the mincemeat played off the the rich, offal quality of the sausage perfectly. And Jen commented, "I want to eat a tray of tarts made from this mincemeat."
The butter poached lobster with scalloped potatoes was a holiday memory from visiting family Atlantic Canada and might not be what most people think of when they picture a Christmas or Hanukkah meal. But that didn't take anything away from the flavors. The only unfortunate thing was that the bacon jam intended to accompany the dish only hit the table after it we had fully consumed it. It was a shame because one could see how it would have added complexity to the lobster.
Our last savory course was the salted meat. This consisted of a luscious piece of pastrami style brisket with parsnip, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. The portions of the dinner had been kept small with each consisting of a bite or two per person,but by this point we were getting very full. Not that we left anything on the plate.
Dessert consisted of eggnog marshmallow and spice cake donuts, providing a wonderful sweet end to this amazing dinner.
Beer
The beer for the dinner was provided by High Park Brewery. The English Pale Ale they had on tap was excellent and had many people at the table wishing it was available in the LCBO. One couple even tried making arrangements to pick up a case personally. We were lucky enough to sit next to Dan, one of the founders, and got to chat with him about the brewery's creation and its development. The new company was started by four friends, who all lived in the High Park neighborhood and who shared a passion for beer. We were happy to get the inside track and look forward to encountering more of their brews in restaurants across the city. We wish them well.
Last Words
Happy holidays to all our readers! May this be a joyous time with your families regardless of what faith you celebrate. And may you take the time to connect with the traditions of your past while creating new ones for the future. For us, it should be an interesting Christmas this year with the windows open instead of the fire blazing.
