I'm borrowing Hanukkah.I don't celebrate Jewish holidays religiously, but I do appropriate their food traditions. Religiously.
So today, on the fifth night of Hanukkah, I made latkes.
Potato pancakes, tinged with onion and fried in copious amounts of oil.
My goyish version is to use less oil and to lighten the potato batter with a pinch of baking powder. No matzo meal, but I did use some flour, and, of course, eggs.
Oh, and I play "old fashioned": I grate the potatoes and onions by hand, rather than using a food processor. I like the rustic texture.
I did break further with tradition by introducing a "modern" condiment... Instead of applesauce, I made persimmon sauce. I know. "Unacceptable." But, oh — oy — so yummy. With a smoodge of sour cream.
OK. Tomorrow back to the shikse candy canes and gingerbread. (Not!)
Posts
13 comments:
As a fan of applesauce, I see latkes as an excuse to indulge in that love. I'll just have to take your word for it that your alternate was just as tasty.
Hey, some would say the recipe I just posted for cranberry applesauce is goyishe... But I'm a Jew, so I guess I can get away with adultering the food of my own people!
Persimmon sauce sounds amazing.
If that is what Hanukkah looks like, then I want to "borrow Hanukkah" from you!
I am always tempted to become Jewish when it's time to raise the tree. I hate tree trimming, which is a stupid way to describe two hours of hell.
Menorahs. Latkes. I'm there.
Dagny: We actually have some applesauce in the pantry, but I'm in LOVE with these Fuyu persimmons all of a sudden.
BtB: I'm comin' over to read yours.
The persimmon sauce was just as easy as making applesauce, but you don't need any extra sugar or spices.
PE: Go for it!
KathyF: ::ooh:: I didn't get a tree this year!! Maybe I'm verging on conversion. Heh. (And we *always* have matzo brei for Christmas breakfast, even though it makes absolutely no sense. 'Cept it's hot and comforting.)
Latkes..Hashbrowns I'm sooo confused! I thinks a smooge of sour cream would make most everything better.
I know, Greg. They do look like hashbrowns.
The recipe had called for running the taters and onions through a food processor, which would have had the latkes looking like the mashed potato pancakes my dad used to make from leftovers.
Isn't confusion fun? With a smoodge of sour cream. of course.
persimmon sauce! I can't find a persimmon here to save my recovering evangelical (parents!) soul! Delish!!
Stacie: You're really in the boonies, aren't ya?
I fell in love with persimmons this year for the first time. We're using the squat Fuyu variety.
NOTE: Some of you commenters, your identity dropped off and you are now "anonymous" for some reason. The reason is probably that I switched to Blogger Beta today (which is technically no longer "beta"). Bugs to be worked out, I guess. Sorry.
Is the persimmon sauce recipe (or method) forthcoming...? (*hint*)
Jennifer: I'll be honest and say it was a seat-of-the-pants thing. I peeled, cored and cut up two fuyu persimmons, and put them in a glass dish with a cover, in the microwave. After several minutes, the persimmons were done cooking, but they had lost way too much moisture. So I dumped a little water in and re-nuked them, to rehydrate. That worked fine.
But: I'd start with cubed persimmons and a splash of water, from the outset.
No need for sugar or other seasonings.
Then, I passed them through the food mill, but a simple mash with a fork would be fine.
I just stumbled about your post. What about the recipe for these delicious looking latkes?
Thanks!
Hey, Lollie! Thanks for stumbling. I'm so sorry I don't have a recipe for you. I cook pretty much by "ear" although I have used recipes for latkes, and that's how I know what I'm doing now.
Post a Comment