Gail Simmons's Hanukkah Favorites

Fried foods are a highlight of Hanukkah meals, especially foods fried in olive oil. Both are a nod to the holiday, which celebrates a lamp in a destroyed Jerusalem temple that burned for eight days on very little oil, according to Jewish history. This recipe is based on a preparation that originated in Rome’s Jewish ghetto.

Fried foods, like these crispy parsnip ribbons, are a highlight of Hanukkah meals.

Gail Simmons’s family likes their roast chicken, a classic Hanukkah dinner, with lots of lemon and herbs. This recipe is foolproof and fantastic, versatile enough for a weeknight dinner or dinner party.

Gail Simmons’s mother, Renée Simmons, uses a food processor’s shredding disk to get long potato strands that fry up extra-crispy. Serve with Ivor’s Pink Applesauce.

Brisket or a juicy roast beef is a tradition on many Hanukkah tables. This roast—deliciously crusted with horseradish and black peppercorns—is perfect hot out of the oven, but it's also amazing cold on a sandwich: Thinly slice the roast beef and serve it on white bread with horseradish mayonnaise and tomatoes.

Doughnuts and other fried treats are a Hanukkah classic. Flavored with cardamom, these are a nod to Sephardic Jewish tradition.

Gail Simmons likes to start her Hanukkah meal with a “rich and creamy” vegetable soup like sweet potato, squash or this simple potato leek recipe.