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themiddle

18 Comments

  • I am drooling here. Anyone with a good recipe how to make those, whatever they are?

  • They’re latkes or potato pancakes and they go great with either apple sauce or sour cream – I’ll lean a little to the apple sauce side.

    Don’t tell her but I’m not crazy for my wife’s recipe – which is really my mother in law’s – well, no wonder. 😉 I miss my mother’s who essentially has not bothered cooking them for the last 25 years.

    The best latkes I’ve had in Jerusalem were at a little dairy cafe in the old city at the square (kikar) next to the Hurva synagogue. You won’t be disappointed (unless they’ve closed down).

  • Thanks! I’ve eaten rösti (from potatoes), but couldn’t really make the connection here. Fried stuff with apple sauce… you can’t go wrong with that combination. Must try it out.

  • For me, the latkes in the above pic are of the less appetizing variety than the ones in this pic.

    I just drooled on myself. 🙁

  • Finnish, just explore the first few on here.

    Shy Guy, I believe the difference between your pic and the one I posted is that yours shows the results of hand grating while mine shows what a Cuisinart does because it doesn’t leave lengthy strips of potato.

  • I had sour cream and applesauce, mmm. Definitely make your own latkes with grated potatoes and onions. They look kind of like hashbrowns, but they’re so much better than a mix.

  • My sis went all gourmet last yr for one of her food articles, 8 different kinds of latkes. Of course there were the required potato onion but also a spinach feta, curried apple, wild rice and mushroom, and other ones I can’t remember off the top of my head. But definitely sour cream with potato latkes!

  • Themiddle, thanks for the links. Eventually I found a simple recipe which I shall try.

    Speaking of the recipes, there’s so much variety, you’ve spinach, gingered sour cream, ricotta, salmon, mustard seeds, etc. I guess it might actually be easier to list foodstuffs which one should not, under any circumstances, put into those.

  • The taste is not bad at all. Although I have no idea what these are supposed to taste like, I’d guess this isn’t too far off the mark.

    Perhaps less eggs next time though. Munch.

  • The classic latke has nothing in it except for potato, onion, egg (salt and pepper), fried in oil. I think the classic proportions are about one onion per pound (half kilo) of potato, and one egg. Many people aren’t careful with oil temperature but like any deep frying, the right temp is a must.

  • Jewish Mother says:

    Latkes: a couple of baking potatoes put through the shredding blade and an onion or two, mixed with 2 beaten eggs and enough matzah meal to dry it up a bit. Fry flattened spoonfuls in a bland oil. Have a non-stick pan and a splatter screen. No need to drain; just eat hot from the pan. Wash down with sparkling cider.

    And salt, lots of salt.

  • The potatoes should out-shout the onion, by a little bit.

    This is easy to make with a food processor.

    When you process them alternately, the onions keep the potatoes from changing color.

    Having two spatulas is convenient and keeping them warm on the warming tray is good; eat them hot or at least warm.

    Be patient when they cook.

  • Go slow on the eggs. Start with two. Too many eggs, and you will need too much matzah meal to dry it up, and it will be bland, and not taste enough like potatoes.

  • Just to be chutzpadik and maintain the rebellious spirit of the holiday, this is my recipe which I passed down to my girls: subsititute all ingredients for the following…

    sweet potatoes(peeled),
    red onion,
    whole wheat flour,
    “Emeril’s Original Essence”,
    baking powder,
    egg.

    After frying in Canola oil , top with Hot Sauce and Sour Cream and say “BAM”!

    Of course my Grandma Chutzpah only used the box mix and Mom only makes reservations….

  • Use a heavy iron skillet, not a non-stick pan, although “they” say it’s safe – teflon is probably just as dangerous as cholesterol.

    Drain on paper bags or paper towels.

    Wash down with Dos XX’s beer or if you’re from Jersey …Corona with Lime. If you’re from Long Island…tequila and diet coke.

    I’ll challenge you to a cook-off any day JM!