Happy Hanukkah!

Hand-made Hanukkah cards. 

I was fortunate enough to grow up on a block with 5 Christian families and 5 Jewish families, and to this day I am still friends with the Levys and Wendy Einstein(Eagle), both whom I've known for uhhhh...47 years...that makes me...uhhh, older than 47!
We've been to Bar and Bat Mitvah's. We've lit candles, prayed and prepared  meals on Hanukkah with my friend Marlee Matlin and her kids and partaken in Passover celebrations at the Levy's. 

I spent the summer of '75 up in Santa Barbara with Aunt Irene and Uncle Marv and babysat their three kids, who are really more like cousins to me, and I went to temple every Friday night with them. (I still remember the prayer in Hebrew I learned when I was 15) As I write, Sophie is practicing the "Dreidel Song" on her clarinet.

Neighbors, Caroline and Eva.

So it doesn't take much to put me in the mood for Latkes. I will find any excuse to celebrate Hanukkah, just so I can make Latkes. They really should be made with matzoh meal, I've used both matzoh meal and flour, but I'm guessing that unless you're Jewish, (and knowing my Jewish friends, probably not even then!) you won't make them if you have to go out and buy matzoh meal. 

Emma and Sarah, friends since they were babies.

I decided to have a last minute Hanukkah party on Saturday. It was my first "fake" party since I'd have to cook and photograph in advance for a "real-time" post. Fortunately, my friends were good sports. Neighbors, Caroline and Scott their daughter, joined friend Marlee Matlin and her family and their friends George and Martin.

Martin, George and Marlee

I've never actually used a recipe for this. I've made it so many times, but this time, I consulted my mom for exact measurements. Mom makes a mean matzoh ball soup and her latke recipe is my great-grandmother's. Even though Great-Grandma was Scottish, this is a German potato pancake recipe.

Classic Latkes

Latkes
For every five potatoes use:
One medium onion 
1/2 cup flour or matzoh meal    
4 eggs, beaten, 
Kosher salt, (what else?) and pepper ( I like to use both white and black)
Vegetable oil

1. Peel potatoes and grate finely using either a food processor or a hand grater.
2. Grate onion...Here's what I usually do...I grate a potato or two then a 1/2 of an onion, then the remaining onion. The enzymes in the onion will keep the potato from turning brown.
3. Squeeze all the liquid from the onions and potatoes, using a clean dish cloth and twisting tightly. 
4. Beat the egg, flour, salt,and pepper  and add to the potatoes. Mix with your hands, or course!
5. Form the latkes into patties.
6. Heat the oil until sizzling. I always wear a chef's coat for this because it's a messy job!
7. Cook the latkes, flattening them with a spatula, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.
8. Drain the latkes on paper towel and keep warm in an oven until ready to serve. This is where they don't actually make it to the oven, which is why I stand and fry the whole time.
9. Serve with sour cream and applesauce.

Mom's make ahead suggestion:

1. Fry the latkes earlier in the day and drain on paper towels. Refrigerate on cookie sheets on layers of parchment or paper towels.
2. To re-heat, place latkes on racks.
3. Heat in oven set at 350* for about 20 minutes until hot.

I decided to make a couple of different types of potato pancakes. So in addition to classic latkes with russet potatoes, I made a batch with Yukon gold potatoes, 1 clove of garlic and fresh chopped chives. 

For the third variation, I made a root vegetable latke and  I used:

1 large zucchini, shredded
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 onion, shredded
1 turnip, peeled and shredded

fresh thyme

chopped chives

Salt and pepper

Use the same amount of egg and flour for each recipe.