I awoke this morning from uneasy dreams to find myself transformed into a giant latke. Oil was oozing from my pores and I felt all starchy and crispy. I immediately got up and bathed myself in sour cream and apple sauce.
I went to not one, but two Hanukkah parties this weekend. Latkes and brisket and dessert were eaten. Wine and beer were drunk. Presents were opened. I received a Krups Panini Maker (which doubles as an all-purpose grill) and “Quantum Leap” Season One on DVD. I also got a cute little pen with cartoon snails on it from my six-year-old cousin. And she loved loved loved the “Princess and the Pauper” Barbie. Apparently it was something she had wanted. She also got the Barbie “Cali Girl” Pool Playset, which my brother and I spent quite a while putting together after she opened it. I think we had even more fun than she did.
I used to love playing with my Fisher Price Little People and my Super Powers action figures when I was a kid. But the stories I made up always had more of an emotional component than most kids’ stories, I think. I’d make up these big complicated soap operas broken up into shorter episodes that ended with cliffhangers. When I began watching TV soaps at 11 or 12 years old, it was really just a natural progression from that. Or maybe the TV soaps came first. I’m not really sure.
Anyway — no more latkes for me.
Not for a while, at least.
Mmmm…sounds delicious! You should host a gathering for some of your non-Jewish friends and make them. :)
Ooooo . . . Quantum Leap season one! My true nerdiness shows through; I love love LOVE that show. Would it be embarassing to admit I still watch it most nights on Sci-Fi?
“I awoke this morning from uneasy dreams to find myself transformed into a giant latke.”
Mmmm. Sounds like the Franz Kafka Cookbook
David: Yay! Someone got my allusion!
Jere: I think I’m all latked out until next year. Wait ’til next year…
Nick: Not embarrassing at all! I rarely watch it on SciFi but I used to watch it all the time back on NBC. There are lots of episodes I haven’t even seen, especially from the first couple of years. I’m looking forward to getting all the seasons.
Nothing gets by this queen!
Hey, just found this recipe for latkes on another board! (It’s by my friend Earl):
Coarsely grated/shredded potatoes (I use the coarsest side of a regular box grinder so the potatoes are kind of like hash browns).
I egg per large potato
Grated onion to taste (maybe half a large onion per 4-5 potatoes).
Pinch salt
Pepper to taste (I like a lot)
Some people add flour or matzoh meal, or puree some of the potatoes, to help the batter stick together better, but I think added flour/matzoh meal makes the latkes all doughy. Blecchh. The part pureed potato gives a different, sightly more pancake-y texture. All-pureed latkes are good, too, just a different animal.
Heat vegetable oil in good heavy frying pan to a medium-high heat. A good seasoned cast-iron skillet is best (Don’t skimp on the oil).
Squeeze the water out of the potatoes (makes the batter less watery and retards the onset of oxidation which turns the batter grey after a while) and mix with other ingredients.
Put a large dollop of batter into the pan and spread it out/press it until it is fairly flat (if the pancake is too thick, the outside will cook too quickly while the inside will be undercooked). Fry until golden brown and crispy around the edges.
Serve IMMEDIATELY with your choice of applesauce (German style) or with sour cream and your favorite fruit preserves.
Are you really sure you want to solicit “drops of oil”?
I think a steady diet of latkes and bathing in sour cream would produce the most lovely complexion . . .