A few years ago, I had a boyfriend who was Jewish. I was lucky enough to spend a few holidays with his family and to learn about traditions–food and otherwise–that I didn’t know much about previously.
It probably won’t surprise you that I became obsessed with latkes, or potato pancakes. The boy’s father was in charge of making them every year, and it was a process. He would grate piles of potatoes (I think he grated the onions too, could this be correct?) before squeezing them out thoroughly, mixing them (with his hands) with egg and flour, and dropping them into a sizzling skillet to fry. When they were golden brown on each side, they were done. The boy and his dad liked both sour cream and applesauce on top, but I preferred only sour cream. Those onions and the frying stink up your room and clothes for hours, but those latkes…they were worth it.
Whew. Done with that memory, but Hanukkah is coming up on Sunday, and I’m wondering how Dishers make their latkes. I was playing around on epicurious.com and found several variations, including this one, for Indian potato pancakes with lime-curry sauce. I’ve seen them at Central Market, but wondered how good they would be with so much time in between skillet and plate. If you’ve got tips, send them along, or if you know where to get good latkes, let me know. I’m not sure I’m up for making them but I definitely want to eat them.
