“Latkes for a Late Hanukkah!”

In early December, our friend Doug Kreinik makes latkes at an area restaurant and sells them for charity. A couple of my friends and I were lamenting we didn’t get to go to this year’s event so we were feeling latke deprived. I told them…Fear not! I am the Latke Maven! Last night was the night for latkes at the FixIt’s!

For those of you who have been around long enough to hear all my stories, you know I was a practicing Jew for 27 years. You don’t live that long submersed in a culture without it becoming a big part of your identity. Hubby #2 was Jewish, and while I didn’t convert for him, it all happened around the same time…dating and discovering Judaism. I became a Christian in 2004, but I relate culturally to the ethnic foods and holidays I celebrated all those years. It’s been a long time since I’ve cooked traditional Jewish dishes and last night was so fun!

This photo is not my latkes…I chose one from Google images that looks exactly like mine. You wouldn’t think there would be so many ways to make the crispy potato pancakes fried in oil, but there are. Some use packaged shredded hash browns. Some grind the potatoes into a coarse mush. When you squeeze the water out and mix up a batter, the pancakes resemble a regular pancake. Some use a shredding attachment on a food processor. That works well if you are making a ton of latkes for a party. I like to use the old fashioned grater like Grandma used and shred about six good sized peeled red potatoes by hand. I also grate up a medium sized onion. I mix in about 1/8-1/4 cup all purpose flour which serves two purposes…it keeps the shredded potatoes from getting dark and it helps the pancakes hold together. At this point, you can set the potatoes aside to finish a little later.

I squeezed the excess moisture out of the potatoes and added four eggs lightly beaten and about a cup of Matzah Meal. I like my potato mixture to be think enough to form into thin patties and fry in hot oil till they are golden and crispy on the outside, moist and tender on the inside. Oh, my…they are divine. Some people eat latkes with applesauce on them but I prefer a dollop of sour cream. I made a big pot of Turkey Matzah Ball soup to go with the latkes, and a Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread for dessert. So yummy!

When we were visiting the FixIt kids the other night, I told them about Hanukkah and they were intrigued so I promised next year we’ll have a Hanukkah party. And maybe a Passover Seder, too! I think it can only benefit kids to be exposed to other cultures and religions and traditions. It makes for a more tolerant society and allows them to be conversant wherever they may go in life. ❤️

“The time came for the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. This was during the winter.”

John 10:22 ICB