Tag Archive for: Latkes

Holiday Fun

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Chanukah, the festival of lights, begins Tuesday night and lasts for eight days. This year it overlaps with Christmas. It doesn’t always happen that way because Jewish holidays follow a lunar-solar calendar. Because there is roughly an eleven-day difference between twelve lunar months and one solar year, the length of the Hebrew calendar year varies. Sometimes Chanukah is in early December and we’re just finishing up our holiday when Christmas celebrations begin.

Latkes, potato pancakes, are traditional Chanukah treats. I’ve seen recipes for latkes made with a mixture of zucchini, carrots, and parsnips. For those looking for something new or healthier to celebrate the Chanukah, maybe nouvelle latkes will float your boat. But since I only make potato pancakes once a year, I say go for it, use the potatoes and cut down on the fat intake somewhere else. Because nothing quite says Happy Chanukah to me like the smell of potatoes and onions sizzling in oil, and then topped with some cool applesauce. YUM! Below is my recipe for latkes. As they would say in Hebrew, B’taya Von! Or Bon Appetit!!

Any holiday is an opportunity to enjoy family and friends, reflect on the year, and count our blessings – including the ladies of this delightful blog and you, our readers. Whatever and however you choose to celebrate, we wish you a time of joy and peace.

Marian

Traditional Potato Latkes

5 large potatoes, peeled (I use Yukon Gold)
1 large onion
3 eggs
1/3 cup flour
Pinch of baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (you may need to add more)
¼ teaspoon pepper

Oil

Grate potatoes and onion (I use a food processor).
Strain the grated potatoes and onion to get rid of excess water.
Add eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Heat ½ cup of oil in frying pan, and when hot, add 1 large tablespoon of batter. Fry each side about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from pan and drain on paper towels to remove excess oil.

Add more oil as necessary.

Enjoy with applesauce (or even sour cream, which is decadent but delicious).

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Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Striking a Happy Holiday Balance

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The official holiday shopping season has begun. Our family celebrates Chanukah, also called The Feast of Lights. The first of the eight candles will be lit the evening of December 11. Oy!

Our youngest daughter won’t be home from college until the holiday is actually over – so I plan to send some gifts to her at school, and save the rest for when she’s eating some latkes at the dinner table. Son number one and his wife live in Washington – so I need to get their gifts in the mail. If I’d been smart, I’d have had them ready and wrapped when they were here for Thanksgiving. Son number two and his wife, and son number three, all live in the area – so we’ll probably see them for at least one of the eight nights of the holiday.

I can give you the standard spiel, which is that Chanukah is a minor Jewish holiday, never intended to duplicate the breadth of Christmas. No trees, no garlands, no ornaments – at least not when I was growing up. Today, there are tons of decorations you can buy – but there’s a not-so-small voice that echoes in my mind that reminds me that I’m not supposed to go for the glitz (much as I love Christmas decorations) when celebrating the Feast of Lights. Chanukah commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean revolt. Desecrated by the forces of Antiochus IV, when the Jews retook the temple there was only enough holy oil to fuel the eternal flame for one day…but the miracle is that the oil lasted eight days, enough time to consecrate more holy olive oil.

Traditionally we eat latkes – potatoes fried in oil. In Israel they eat sufganiyot, jam-filled fried donuts. We play dreidel – a game with a spinning top with four Hebrew letters, Nun, Gimel, Alef, Shin, symbolizing the sentence, “Nes Gadol Haya Sham” — A great miracle happened there.” Actually in Israel, the final letter is changed to Pei , to read “Nes Gadol Haya Po,” — A great miracle happened here.”

I confess I get caught up in the commercial holiday spirit because I love picking out gifts for loved ones and seeing their delight. And while I could certainly give presents other times of the year – and do – there is something fantastically fun about enjoying the communal spirit of shopping and giving – both on a personal and charitable level at this time of year. I’m a wrapping paper connoisseur, insisting on sharp tight corners on the package, and choosing just the right bow, because the original Evelyn insisted a present always required a ribbon. Who knew?

So I try to strike the right balance between the religious components and commercialism. And there is, of course, the thrill of the hunt – finding the perfect present at just the right price. I’ve never shopped on Black Friday – except this year, when I carefully combined coupons and promotion codes, and stopped by several online stores. Throw in some free shipping and this is one happy shopper. Might I remind all that books, especially mystery books, are always a perfect, one-size-fits-all gift!

So as the weeks move along during this holiday season, whatever you are celebrating, I wish for you the joy of giving, the delight of seeing those you love savor your thoughtfulness, and the importance of remembering those less fortunate at this time.

We’ll talk more in the weeks ahead. Enjoy!

Evelyn David

Murder Takes the Cake by Evelyn David
Murder Off the Books by Evelyn David
http://www.evelyndavid.com