Thursday, October 30, 2008

The Third Night of Hanukkah



It is a quiet evening. I took a long nap since I didn't sleep very well.

So my plans for the afternoon have shifted for this evening.
Mark did call. The call was dropped about three times before we could really talk. The internet is limited to the unit. They are having a hard time getting on their accounts.

Right now, everyone is using the office computers and they should get their internet back in their rooms. Mark is taking pictures of his kindling the lights with Avraham. The last night of Hanukkah the Chaplen will be there to lead a Hanukkah service.
We will have our Hanukkah service tomorrow.

It will be the first time I will attend a Hanukkah service without my beloved by my side.
But he will be in my heart.



Latke Recipe
I've been asked by several for a latke recipe. So I am posting the two I use.

Since no one has a copyright on latkes, adapt to your own use and taste. And please let me know how they can out for you.

We like lots of onion and garlic in ours.
We don't wait for Hanukkah, but enjoy them all year round. We like ours on the brown, crispy, side. You can also use sweet potatoes for a sweet-spicy taste, which is the one we like.

The recipe calls for:
2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and placed in a bowl of cold water⅓ cup grated onion, finely chopped garlic or 1/2 garlic powder2 eggs, lightly beaten (1 egg per pound of potatoes); too many eggs will overpower the potatoes taste1 cup all-purpose shift flour or ½ cup matzah meal. We prefer matzah. Too much starch will make your latkes heavy.

1 teaspoon salt,

1 teaspoon Cajun seasonings plus additional to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to tastePeanut or canola oil for frying.
For sweet potato latkes, sprinkle in your batter a bit of nutmeg, cinnamon and brown sugar along with the Cajun seasonings.
Line a large baking sheet with paper towels. If not serving the latkes immediately—out of the frying pan into the dining room—preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Have a large bowl of cold water ready.
Grate the potatoes, using a hand grater or food processor fitted with the medium shredding disc. As potatoes are grated, transfer them to the bowl of water. When all of the potatoes are grated, set aside for 5 minutes. Drain the shredded potatoes in a large colander, rinsing with cold water. Make sure you drain the potatoes well. Transfer to a clean bowl.
Add the onion, garlic, the eggs, flour, salt, and pepper and seasonings. Thoroughly combine the mixture.
In a large, preferably straight-sided pan, add oil to a depth of ¼ to ⅓ inch. Heat oil until a shred of potato dropped in the oil sizzles immediately.
To form latkes, we use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop up mixture and pour into hot oil. Flatten with spatula. Repeat until the pan is full, but not crowded. Cook the latkes until browned at the edges. Turn the latkes over and cook until fully browned. Transfer the finished latkes to the lined baking sheet to drain excess oil. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
If not serving the latkes immediately, transfer the sheet to the preheated oven to keep warm. If serving even later, set the latkes aside to cool to room temperature, then freeze until ready to serve. Reheat the latkes in a 350-degree oven, and drain again on paper towels because reheating will release more oil.

Serve with kosher sour cream or applesauce. Add salt to taste.
Enjoy!

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