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Monday, December 2, 2013

It's Not Too Late For Latkes!

Potato Latkes: These are SO yummy! ---- by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Would you rather cook or bake?

I'd rather do anything but cook, so put an "X" in the baking column for me.

Potato Latkes: These are SO yummy! ---- by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

My sister...Aunt Goo Shoes...got the cooking gene in our family. She LOVES to cook, and comes to our house most Sundays to make dinner for us.

Works for me!

Potato Latkes: These are SO yummy! ---- by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

She slaves away in the kitchen, while I lie on the couch watching football. It's a beautiful thing!

However, when she cooks, I am on cleanup duty, and I will tell you that she uses every pot in my house, and then borrows some from the neighbors! So, it's not as sweet a deal as it sounds.

Potato Latkes: These are SO yummy! ---- by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Yesterday, Aunt Goo Shoes came over to make potato pancakes -- aka Potato Latkes -- for our little Hanukkah celebration. She made both white, and sweet potato latkes. What a potchke! That's the Yiddish word for "ton of work." 

Potato Latkes: These are SO yummy! ---- by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

The Potato Pancakes recipe that Aunt Goo Shoes uses came from her friend's mother, who was a Holocaust survivor from Poland. She excelled at Jewish cooking,  and never followed a recipe. But...she never quite mastered the English language... and she had her own way of saying things.

She didn't wear stockings, she wore "panty house..."

... she heated food in her "microfin" oven...

...and she did freak more than a few people out when she told them she lived in a "condom" instead of a condominium.  

Ahem.

Maybe it's best if we just get to the recipe.

Potato Latkes: These are SO yummy! ---- by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

POTATO LATKES (aka, Potato Pancakes)

 Yield: 6-8 pancakes

4 medium potatoes
1 small onion
2 eggs
1/3 cup flour*
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Oil for frying


*For sweet potato latkes, you will need to add some additional flour -- enough to have them hold together. 

Grate potatoes and onion in a food processor.

It should look like this:

Potato Latkes: These are SO yummy! ---- by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Alternatively, you can grate them by hand. You'd be crazy, but you could. There are some people who think that they're not really latkes if you don't do it by hand, but I won't judge.

Add eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in large frying pan. 

Use a slotted spoon and a regular spoon to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Put enough mixture for one pancake in the slotted spoon, and press against it with the back of a regular spoon so the liquid is pressed out through the slots.

When the oil is very hot, drop by tablespoons into frying pan. 

Potato Latkes: These are SO yummy! ---- by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes

Fry on both sides until crisp. 

Drain on paper towels.

Serve with sour cream or applesauce.


It's not too late to make some latkes. There are still 3 days left of Hanukkah. If you don't get around to it this year, there's always next year!

Enjoy!


Potato Latkes: These are SO yummy! ---- by Ms. Toody Goo Shoes






Linking With:
Metamorphosis Monday
Recipe Sharing Monday 
Tweak It Tuesday
The Scoop
Time To Sparkle
Wow Us Wednesdays
Brag About It Tuesday
Foodie Fridays 

35 comments:

  1. Amy, what a team you and Aunt Goo Shoes make! But every pot and pan? I think I'd ask for sandwiches some Sundays. The latkes look wonderful, crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. I made them once, long ago before I had a food processor. Shredding them on a grater was hard on the knuckles. I must try this sometime, the new-fashioned way!

    I love her friend's mother! I would never have corrected her, just loved every word. She reminds me of what we used to call Bunkerisms back when Archie Bunker slaughtered the English language.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, just like the Bunkerisms! My grandmother used to make the latkes by hand, but she made my grnadfather grate all the potatoes. I remember lots of sore knuckles! Definitely give it a try the new-fashioned way!

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  2. Potato latkes are a favorite food around our house. We love to eat them with lots of unsweetened apple sauce.

    My recipe is similar to yours, the only difference is that before I add any other ingredients, I squeeze the liquid out of the shredded potatoes (wrapped in a big kitchen towels).

    Bon appetite!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My sister squeezed the liquid out between two spoons. I'm going to tell you about your kitchen towel idea. That's got to save some time. I made a cranberry applesauce to go with them, so it was nice and tart.

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  3. Send her here to cook for me! I don't like to cook either. I have a gas stove here and I've been scared of them since I blew one up at 17 when I was pregnant.
    Brenda

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    Replies
    1. I remember reading about that incident on your blog, recently, Brenda. That's a wild story! I'd be scared, too. Funny thing is, if I told my sister to go cook for you, she'd do it!

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  4. Those sound wonderful! We make something similar using squash. Mmmmm. :)

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    Replies
    1. Now that's something I'd like to try - with squash. Sounds so good! Thanks for stopping by!

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  5. Yummy! I could almost smell them. I can't even begin to imagine my sister coming over once a year to cook for us, let alone every Sunday. You are blessed - even with the clean-up duty.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, she does spoil us! We already put in our request for this weekend!

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  6. Wow! Love it! Thanks for sharing it


    Marina

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  7. Amy, these potato latkes look very tasty, not to mention tempting, even though they are fried! We make something very similar with zucchini, called courgette (French for the vegetable) croquettes! They are infused with the aromas of dill and parsley and are delicious!!

    Thanks for sharing these traditional Hanukkah treats made by your very talented sister!

    Poppy

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    Replies
    1. I don't eat too many fried things, but make an exception for these. Maybe one day you will share a recipe for courgette croquettes. They sound fantastic!

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  8. Those look delicious and I've always wondered how to make them. I hope you have a Happy Hanukkah. That mom sounds like she was a stitch!

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    Replies
    1. It is a real chore to make them. My mother and grandmother used to grate the potatoes by hand. Now THAT is work! I have never attempted to make these myself...I'm too lazy!

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  9. Now I am craving these. In high school, my son dated a Jewish girl for three years and her and her mom would come to our place for Christmas and we would go there for Hanukkah and there is no way I could ever get my potato pancakes as thin and crisp as her mom, Margie could. Come college time, they finally drifted apart, and Margie the mama moved away. Turns out she lives in St Louis and when my son got a job there with Boeing he stayed with her for awhile until he got his place set up. So this year he once again got to enjoy her thin and crispy latkes and oh yours look so good..just brings back wonderful memories :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad to help some good memories resurface! Glad your son got to enjoy them again!

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  10. It looks a lot like the "criques" my grandmother makes in the South of France and it's delicious.

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    Replies
    1. Is that the same as the courgette croquettes that Poppy mentioned several comments above?

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  11. These look and sound just like the "potato pancakes" my mom often made for the supper table. I love learning about all the different traditions like this one. Auntie Goo Shoes sounds like she was a hoot! So funny.
    Happy Hannukka to you and yours!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm the same, Rosella...I am so fascinated about other cultures and traditions. That's a great thing about blogging -- I'm learning an awful lot from bloggers around the world!

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  12. Those look so good and I love potato latkes!! I have never been successful at getting mine crispy though!

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    Replies
    1. I have never attempted to make these, Michelle. You know how you say you don't like to bake? That's how I am with cooking unless it is EASY. These are just too much work for me, so I'm glad my sister loves to make them!

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  13. Happy Hanukkah Amy! Potato latkes are yummy. I enjoyed reading about your family :)

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  14. Yummy! Love the latkes. Have not made them for a while but will certainly do it! Happy Hanukkah Amy!
    Sharon and Denise

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    Replies
    1. Thank you for the Hanukkah wishes, Sharon! I have never attempted to make these, and as long as my sister keeps doing it, I won't have to ;-)

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  15. Happy Hanukkah Amy, I love potato pancakes!! My grandmother used to make these and they were delicious!!!
    I am going to try the recipe soon, I hope.
    Blessings dear, Catherine xo

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  16. Oh YUM! I would rather makes these anytime than bake. Pinning now!

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  17. Hello Amy!
    I have never tried potato latkes and they look so crispy and delicious. Love when onions get fried all crispy and get so tasty. Must try those!

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  18. It's NEVER too late for latkes!! My family has a secret potato pancake recipe that hasn't yet been passed down to me - until it is, I'm gonna try this one. :) Thank you for sharing at #FoodieFridays!

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