Lots o' Latkes, Let's All Eat 'em Up

We go through a lot of oil during the week of Chanuka.  You see it was the miracle in the Temple of one last small can of oil which should have just lasted one day but miraculously lasted 8 days that determined the length of this minor holiday. Hence we incorporate fried foods in our menus during the holiday of Chanuka.

Apple sauce and sour cream are most folks favorite toppings

The most traditional fried food are potato pancakes, latkes. There's nothing like the smell of latkes permeating the house.

I try to spare my knuckles by using the food processor to grate the potatoes and onion versus a hand grater. It's a lot faster too. Then I use my hands to squeeze the liquid from the grated foods but some folks use cheese cloth.

Do make sure your oil is hot enough to fry the latkes otherwise they will be soggy. Don't crowd them while cooking maybe 5 at a time, flipping them after they brown on one side after a couple of minutes. 

Growing up we enjoyed  crispy and flatter latkes. It's all a matter of preference. Have paper towels/ newspaper (Natureman's method) to absorb that extra grease after frying. Serve hot. 

* You can freeze latkes/ serve them later after placing them on a cookie sheet in a preheated 375 degree oven to reheat. (about 20 minutes)

*This year I used a 1/4 measuring cup to measure out the latkes and hand shape them. They were prettier.

There are endless possibilities of ingredients but below you will find 3 of my favorite latke recipes below. ENJOY.

CRISPY PANKO LATKES

2 1/2 lbs Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

• 1 large onion
• 3/4 c panko breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1T potato starch (usually potatoes have enough extra liquid)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Grapeseed or peanut oil for frying ( we use olive oil) 

Traditional toppings- sour cream, apple sauce , jams, chives....

VEGETABLE LATKES

3 medium zucchini

2 lg carrots

1 onion

1 c  Matzo Meal

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 T potato starch

1 3/4 t curry powder

1 1/4 t salt (or more to taste)

1/2 t allspice

1/2 t cumin

1/4 t cayenne (optional- adds spice)

1/4 t pepper

Peanut or grapeseed oil for frying

 Greek yogurt or dairy-free sour cream for topping (optional)

SWEET POTATO LATKES

2 ½ lbs sweet potatoes

1 c unseasoned breadcrumbs (regular or panko style)

1 T potato starch

3 eggs, beaten

1 t salt

½ t cinnamon

¼ t curry powder

Olive, grapeseed or peanut oil (for frying)

Brown Sugar Syrup Ingredients to pour on top of cooked latkes

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

• ½ c water
• 1 t vanilla
• pinch salt

Cayenne Candied Pecan Ingredients

• 2 cups raw pecans (you can sub walnuts, almonds, or any other nut you prefer)
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 c sugar
• ½ T water
• ½ t salt
• ½ t cayenne
• ½ t ginger
• ¼ t cinnamon
• ¼ t nutmeg

Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Servings: about 16 latkes

**More explicit directions in a previous entry:FRY BABY, FRY