Happy Hanukkah!
Tis the season when people of all faiths and cultures are pushing back against the planetary darkness. We string bulbs, ignite bonfires, and light candles. And we sing!
—Anita Diamant
Being inspired through the hustle and bustle of the holidays can be tough. What better way to get into the spirit of the season than by getting down in the kitchen! Unfortunately growing up in a small Central Floridan town, there wasn’t alot of exposure to celebratory Jewish food. Marrying a girl from South Florida quickly changed that. Now, anytime I get a chance to feast on some salty fried potato latkes, sweet challah bread, or matzo ball soup you can sign me up! With Hanukkah in full swing, we thought there was no better time than to dive into the kitchen and bust out a few popular recipes.
Israel is one of the destinations at the top of our bucket list to visit once the fantasy land of global travel returns. With such diversity relative to its tiny size – mountain ski resorts two hours from desert plains, coastal cities moments from forested mountains, and the lowest place on earth, the holiest city of Jerusalem, and one of the greatest cities for architecture, Tel Aviv. Grab your Bubbie and the rest of your family, and dig into this classic recipe. Alyssa tasked the boys to literally burying themselves in potato skin shucking, while debating the merits of the potato latke being the most supreme version of a hash brown. Yes, they even top a 2 a.m. version of a coveted Waffle House hashbrowns. Leave your low-cal/low-fat cards at the door because this is comfort food to the max!
Israel: Potato Latkes
Ingredients
- 5 cups of shredded potatoes, skins removed
- 1 onion, shredded
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup flour
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Vegetable oil (amount varies depending on pan size)
Directions
- Using a cheesecloth, squeeze and drain as much water as possible out of the potatoes.
- In a large bowl, mix potatoes, onion, eggs, flour and salt and pepper together.
- Heat vegetable oil to medium-high heat in a large frying pan – it should be about ½ inch deep in the pan.
- With a spoon, scoop the potato mixture and drop into the oil and flatten.
- Cook on each side for about three minutes or golden brown. Rest on a wire rack to drain the excess oil.
Don’t forget to serve them with applesauce and sour cream!
Still have to many potatoes to use after the Thanksgiving craze AND making these latkes? Use them to make this Wild Mushroom Potato Soup (Latvia)
