Title: Potato Latkes (Part 1 of 2)
Categories: Jewish Vegetable
Yield: 10 Servings
| 10 | | Potatoes, medium |
| 1 | | Onions, medium |
| | | Eggs, 2 lg or 3 med. |
| 1/4 | c | Flour, unbleached, all- |
| | | Purpose, breadcrumbs, or |
| | | Matzah meal |
| | | Salt and white pepper to |
| | | Taste |
| | | Vegetable oil |
What exactly is the Hanukkah-latke connection? Latke is the Yiddish word
for pancake. According to Webster's, it probably goes back to the Greek
elaion (olive oil). "Kartoflani platske" is still the term used to describe
a potato pancake eaten in the Ukraine. It is the same food that the Jews,
living in the Pale of Settlement in the seventeenth century, probably
adapted for Hanukkah. Because their daily diet consisted of potatoes and
bread, they wanted to include a special dish cooked in oil to symbolize the
main miracle of Hanukkah. This potato pancake, already used by Ukrainians
with goose for Christmas, seemed a good and relatively inexpensive choice.
Because Hanukkah falls at the season when geese are plentiful, goose fat
was an obvious and inexpensive substitute for the original olive oil. For
American Jews intrigued with the gastronomic side of Judaism, Hanukkah
appears to be the preferred Holiday. It is difficult to equal the taste of
brown, crisp potato latkes Can gelilte fish, matzah balls, haroset, or even
hamantashen compare with them? Certainly not. Moreover, every latke lover
seems to know how to make these potato pancakes...admirers of, say, gefilte
fish may be forced to an outside source... and has strong opinions about
them. One will swear by a medium grater, another by the larger variety,
and modernist by the grater on the food processor. Some prefer peppers;
others, salt. Some add apples; other, grated zucchini(YUM), carrots, or
parsley. Some insist on grated and others on sauteed onions. And then, of
course, there are the purists who contend that only old potatoes and
bruised knuckles will do. Latkes have become a versitile delicacy. They can
be made from buckwheat(YUM) potatoes with a touch of flour. They can be
served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or as cocktail-party fare.
They can be eaten plain or fancy, with sugar, applesauce, sour cream, or
even with chicken soup. Whew!