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Lotsa latkes
Eight ways to enjoy potato pancakes for eight festive nights
Hanukkah lasts eight nights, so why not try eight different ways to enjoy latkes, the potato pancakes that remind us of a miracle?
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah commemorates an ancient war (167 to 160 B.C.) that the Jews fought against the Syrian Greeks for religious freedom. Against all odds, the badly outnumbered Jews prevailed.
Afterward, while repairing and rededicating the Temple of Jerusalem, which had been sacked and desecrated, there was only one day’s worth of the sacred oil used to keep a flame constantly burning. Miraculously, as the Jews worked to restore the temple, the oil burned for eight days. Hanukkah means “dedication,” and the eight nights of lighting menorah candles commemorate the miracle.
Latkes evoke the Hanukkah story because they are fried in oil. Israeli Jews eat doughnuts called sufganiyot (pronounced “SUFF-gone-ee-oat”) for the same reason. Traditionally, Hanukkah latkes are served with applesauce and sour cream. That combination is scrumptious, but so are others. Here are seven additional options:
- 1. Make small latkes as an appetizer, and serve them with a little Greek yogurt, chives and smoked salmon swirls.
- 2. Make latkes from sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beets or Brussels sprouts.
- 3. Add grated Parmesan, Gouda or cheddar to the mix.
- 4. Make big latkes, and serve with a ground turkey patty on top.
- 5. Bake latkes in mini muffin pans to form a shell, with any garnish inside.
- 6. Try latkes Benedict, topped with lox and a poached egg.
- 7. Add curry or jalapeño to the mixture for really radical latkes.
Don’t limit latkes to wintertime, either. They make a fairly quick, easy, satisfying meal at any time of year—and they’re easy on the wallet. My father’s family, with (coincidentally) eight kids, emigrated from Austria to New York in 1917. My Aunt Claire, now 98 and still making Jewish delicacies for family and friends, recalls that she and her sisters often made latkes as an afterschool snack.
Costco Connection: You’ll find potatoes and other ingredients for latkes in Costco warehouses. Groceries are available for delivery through Costco Grocery.
