Chrismukkah: The Hybrid Holiday

By JULIETTE ROSSANT It's Chrismukkah time again. If you need more encouragement to cross the religious gulf after last year's Chrismukkah: The Merry Mish-Mash Holiday (Chrismukkah.com 2005) or you want to update your celebration this year, get a copy of Chrismukkah: Everthing You Need to Know To Celebrate the Hybrid Holiday (Stewart, Tabori & Chang 2006), both by Ron Gompertz. In this year's edition, Ron explores all the possible ramifications of this hybrid holiday with chapters like Oh! Tannenbaum, Oy! Rosenbaum: Bush, Shrub or Tree? (p. 54) and Kris Kringle Kippahs and Yarmuclaus Hats (p. 68). There are plenty of craft recipes for kids like building a Matzoh Bread House (p. 52) . In Noel Nosh, Rob includes recipes for Gefilte Goose (p. 104), Matza Pizza (p. 1116) and Blitzen's Blintz (p. 118) to add to your holiday feast. Chrismukkah is getting so popular, there is even a rival book, Chrismukkah: The Official Guide to the World's Most-Beloved Holiday(Sasquatch Books 2006) by New York-based journalist Gersh Kuntzman. How confusing! The book also includes a chapter on traditional Chrismukkah recipes as well as a chapter called Found! Dicken's Long-Lost First Draft of a Chrismukkah Carol (p. 109). Ron Gompertz doesn't think much of this Chrismukkah knock-off. He told Super Chef: I bought a copy of Gersh's book from Amazon.com and found his interpretation of Chrismukkah to be far more fake than my own fake holiday... and without all those nice color photos. Never mind that his book seems suspiciously derivative of my website and cookbook from last year. My grandmother would roll over in her grave if she were to be served one of his recipes... which don't even try to be Kosher... or edible, for than matter.... While I own a U.S. trademark on "Chrismukkah," in the Chrismukkah holiday spirit of tossing snowballs and a little guilt, I've forgiven Gersh for his blaspheme on the good name of Chrismukkah. Check out Ron's blog for more on the Chrismukkah scandals. Whichever book you choose, just remember to eat, drink and be merry. Previous articles: NPR Brooklyn Papers Kankakee Daily Journal Baptist Standard Chruch Executive Canadian Jewish News Miami Herald Mobile Register Los Angeles Times Winston-Salem Journal Richmond Times-Dispatch Albany Times-Union Previous articles: The Sex in Chrismukkah [Coobook Reviews- complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, cookbooks --> back to superchefblog