Amy's Chanukah Tour 5767: 1 Guth, 8 Nights, 36 Bloggers

Happy 6th Night of Chanukah. Amy Guth, author of Three Fallen Women is on a blog tour promoting her new book and showing us up with her amazing dreidel skills. I explained to her that we celebrate Chanukah in our home, although we are not Jewish and she said I would be a welcome spot on her tour.
A moment of Irony: I ordered her book a few weeks ago, I thought it would be a nice distraction and my husband and I are always looking for new books and authors to inhale read. I was giving it to myself as a Chanukah present. I have finally gotten the notice it is on the way, just in time for Christmas.
It turns out Amy was born in the same hospital as my daughter (small world) and THEY HAVE THE SAME BIRTHDAY! So crazy. There is a small age difference, my daughter is 5.

I am so excited to try this meme...here goes.

1. Quick! You must turn a plate of latkes into an upscale gourmet delight (as if they aren't already?). What would you add to them to dress them up,flavor and/or garnish them?

Last year I served Latkes with homeade apple pear sauce and that was a hit, although not that fancy. Growing up my mom would make latkes by frying leftover mashed potatoes. These remarkably addictive potato pancakes are not upscale but tasty (they are also not all that authentic, but they are tasty). How can you go wrong with potatoes and salt that are then fried?

2. What is the dumbest thing you've ever heard anyone say about Chanukah?
Last week someone asked me if Noodle was going to have a Chanukah party at the JCC where she goes to after school care. The woman then asked if they were going to trim the tree.

3. What's the best possible use for olive oil?
Last weekend Hubby used a arnica infused massage oil that is a combination of olive oil and sunflower oil. He rubbed my feet and lower legs for a long time. By the time he was done I was putty in his hands. That was the best use I could think of.

4. Settle it once and for all. Latkes or hammentaschen? Which do you prefer? What about pitting the winner of that contest against sufganiyot?
Latkes are fried, hammentaschen are baked. It's like comparing apples and oranges. I think we have to think about how good a baked latke would be compared to how good a hammentaschen would be if it was deep fried. Everything is better fired so I vote for hammentaschen. Now, a hammentaschen against a sufganiyot, to me, is a no brainer. Jelly donuts are one of the best things ever invented. I always think of Hammentaschen as a Purim treat, anyway.

5. What's the best way to mix up a game of dreidel?
My first roomate in college taught me to play dreidel for bong hits (I hope the statute of limitations are up on this minor legal infraction). After the second bong hit I no longer really remembered how to play. Basically if you spun Nun you didn't get a bong hit. If you spun Gimel or Hey you got a bing hit and if you spun Shin you had to put some pot in the kitty.
We also played bridge for bong hits. Honestly, we played a lot of things for bong hits. You have to love those liberal New England colleges.
Good times. Good times.

6. My novel, Three Fallen Women, shockingly enough, is about the lives of three women. Which three women would you like to have over this year for latkes and why?
I would chose my mom, Barbara Kingsolver and my friend Jess. My mom because she is my mom and I didn't know I could possibly miss someone as much as I miss her. I would love to talk with her about everything and see my daughter sitting on her Mimi's lap. I would like to meet and talk with Barbara Kingsolver, I have read all of her books and most of the more than once. Her books speak to me. I would like to sit with Jess because we don't see eachother enough. ever.

7. Other than Three Fallen Women (har har), what book do you think would make a great Chanukah gift this year? What book would you like to receive as a gift this year?
I am giving myself Three Fallen Women this year. I am just not that original. I finished reading the Zombie Survival Guide and now I feel I could tackle the How To Survive a Robot Uprising. I also have been starting to read Christopher Moore books and would like to read more of them.

8. What bloggers didn't participate in Chanukah Blog Tour 5767 and you think should have?
My friend Cape Buffalo, who also likes to celebrate everything (we are both Unitarian), should probably be on the tour too.

Note: I cannot upload more than one picture to the post but if I did I would post a picture of the lovely Amy and her book but go to her blog to see her.