The first evening of Hanukkah this year is Tuesday, December 4.
Every year we do a latke-fest. We always have two or three kinds. We try not to make them too lethal. I like my mother’s recipe best (of course) but other folk like our old friend Allan’s…
Enjoy!
– Mark Binder
Mark’s Mom’s Potato Latkes
2 eggs
1/2 small onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups cubed raw potato
Put eggs, onion, salt, flower, baking powder and 1/2 cup of potato cubes into blender; cover and process at GRATE until potatoes have gone through the blades. Add remaining potatoes; cover and process at CHOP only until all potatoes have passed through blade. Do not overblend!! Fry in hot oil.
I use the blender for this. If you don’t have a blender then grate in the food processes. The consistency is different.
Allan’s Latkes
1/2 pound onions, peeled and quartered
2 Eggs
2 cloves of garlic
(optional – 1 teaspoon rosemary (crumbled), 1 pinch thyme)
1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb. Baking potatoes peeled and grated
1 cup shortening or oil
Heat oven to 300 degrees (to keep latkes warm afterwards).
Put the first seven ingredients into blender, puree until smooth.
Put in a bowl. Mix in grated potatoes.
Heat oil on medium high heat.
Stir mixture. Take 1/4 cup of mixture and cook in the oil about four minutes on each side. Remove, drain, place on baking sheet in oven
Garnish (optional) with nutmeg, cloves, maybe lemon or sugar
Contributor Mark Binder is an author, award-winning storyteller, and founder of the American Story Theater. He lives in Providence, RI, and is available for workshops and performances. Find out more about his new hard-bound edition of A Hanukkah Present.
