Mommy makes Latkes!

One of the best parts of having married into a Jewish family is the food.

Mmmm....until you have tasted brisket, or true kosher chicken soup you haven't lived.

I've learned to cook a few things over the last ten years. I make a mean hamentaschen! I can throw together a delicious brisket. And my Jewish apple cake is to die for, seriously!

But one of my favorite things to make is latkes at Hanukkah. I don't really follow a recipe anymore, but I thought I'd show you how I make them.

This year I decided to use purple potatoes.

First grate the onion (I used one large sweet onion) and the potatoes (five medium to large sized purple potatoes plus one sweet potato). I have an electric mandoline which makes it easy.

After you have the onions and potatoes grated you need to drain the liquid from them. I use a colander and press out what liquid I can with my hands.

Then I get aggressive and using a clean dish towel I twist and squeeze out the rest of the liquid. 

I put the liquid aside and let the potato starch settle out.

Then I add a couple eggs, some matzo meal or flour (this time I used both) and some beer.

I use the beer as a leavening agent instead of baking powder or baking soda to help hold things together. It adds a little extra flavor too. Just don't use too much if its a dark or strong beer or the latkes will end up bitter.

Let's not tell Rich this time I used one of his fancy ales because that was all we had.

You add salt to taste. And yes, you really should taste it to make sure you have enough.

Let's pretend this is Kosher salt. It would make a better visual I'm sure.

Now, remember the liquid from the potatoes that you set aside. Most of the potato starch should have settled out by now. Pour off the liquid and add the starch to the potato mixture. The starch helps everything stick together and firms it up.

Now mix everything all together.

Heat up your griddle or frying pan. I use olive oil that I brush on with a pastry brush. I admit it tastes better if you use a lot of oil (doesn't everything?), but I control the amount by using the brush. 

I scoop it out with an ice cream scoop then flatten it down.

Flip,

and flatten to get out any excess moisture.

Don't rush them or you will be serving raw potatoes.

Purple Potato Latkes!

I serve them with sour cream and apple sauce.

I've been known to make my own apple sauce, but that didn't happen this year. Plus, Rich prefers the cheap version out of the jar (high fructose corn syrup anyone?) and Noah would probably freak out if I served apple sauce with chunks in it. Kiel doesn't touch the stuff either way.

This year he ate the sour cream. That's it. Don't try and trick him with purple potatoes.

Everyone else enjoyed them though!

Hanukkah, schmanukkah

Oh my goodness but I've been drowning in a sea of work the past few weeks. I feel like I'm back in school, bringing work home with me every night, working on the weekends etc. This seems to happen every December. The pharma companies I consult for all want to use up their budgets before they lose them at end of year, so throw a shit load of projects at us. Of course they want them done and waiting for them when they come back from their two week holiday. So I'm working my ass off, and I canceled my vacation for earlier this month (did I already bitch about this?) but I will take time off over Christmas to visit my family in Michigan. We leave Friday and if I have to stay up all night tonight and tomorrow I will get this last project done. It's interesting how my technical writing gets a bit, how shall we say it, fanciful when I'm working on these reports at midnight.

So I had to take a few minutes to write this post, despite the fact I should be getting The Boy to bed soon so I can work some more. I had to write this post because I need to vent a bit about what happened this weekend.

I married in to a some what bizarre family. Not that my family is much better, believe me, we have our dirty laundry too. But, Amazing Daddy's family, oy, talk about dysfunctional. His older brother (by eight years) has the typical I'm the oldest son of the family mentality, yet he really has no patience for his own mother and her rapidly aging mind. They have had "issues" with pretty much everyone else in the extended family (basically all cousins at this point) and have very little to do with any of them. My SIL has been feuding with her family for years, and when her mother passed away a couple weeks ago all we heard from them is that her family didn't include her in any of the funeral plans etc. Yeah, well, after this weekend, it's going to be hard to convince me that the reason for all this "we just don't get along" shit lies firmly on my BIL and SIL's shoulders.

Weeks ago I invited BIL and SIL and their two grown sons (one with wife and toddler) over for a Hanukkah party for the family. Me, the non jew of the family, trying very hard to keep the family together and celebrate their special holidays. So for three days I prepare for this event, you know, cooking, making chocolate gelt, I even made the blue star of david jello mold. So, party set to start at 4pm, six pounds of brisket in the oven, and ten pounds of potatoes on hand for latkes, at 1pm BIL calls to say younger nephew is sick and that his face hurts (from the removal of a growth a few days prior). Of course we say we understand and we'll get together with them after we get back from Michigan. So we call oldest nephew just to make sure they are still coming, and to let them know they can come earlier if they want. They are a bit wishy washy on the phone and say they have to talk to L (SIL). Five minutes later they call and tell us plans have changed and they aren't coming, because they have to go to BIL and SIL's. Something about they were going their first. So, to make a long, boring story short, I was out manipulated by BIL and SIL. If they couldn't see oldest son and first grandchild that day, they weren't going to let us see them. It's not like we see them very often, so I'm not sure why they would feel this was a competition or something.

So I was pissed, because damn it I spent a lot of time getting ready (time I really could have used on work stuff or spending time with my own son) and no one came.

I'd say that's the last time I offer to entertain them at our house, but it wouldn't matter, because they would never get the point.

I'm not mad at older nephew and family, because I know they have to walk a thin line with his parents, and get manipulated by them often. Of course they never seem to have the balls to stand up to passive-aggressive SIL. Just like SH won't stand up to his big brother.

This family drives me crazy. And we'll be eating brisket for a week. But damn, it's one good brisket. And I do make divine latkes for a shikse!

OK, enough whining. Next post I tell you about constipated kitty and the growth on his ass!