Arts ag Life Food Latke Palooza A holiday latke-making party gets all the work done in one happy gathering. ANDREA GAP PELL Special to the Jewish News C hanukah has always been cel- ebrated with gusto in my family. Even back in the day when my brother and I fought over who would light the candles, food always took center stage. We nibbled on homemade dreidel cookies with sugar sprinkles, devoured bags of chocolate gelt, and ate crispy, golden potato latkes to our hearts' content. When I grew up, I started a new tradition: Latke Palooza. Grubby clothes are donned and heads are covered in kerchiefs. The guest list is limited to family. Two huge, restaurant-supply pans are pulled out of storage, filled with oil and set on the range to heat up to just the right temperature. Slotted spoons are poised to dip into the first batch of latke mixture. Spatulas are at the ready for latke flipping. A Chinese, wire-mesh scoop is propped and ready to remove stray potato fritters from the hot oil. Paper-towel lined baking sheets await the finished product. Festive, latke-making music is cued up. Excitement is in the air, as the oil heats up. Each person mans his or her sta- tion. My mother is in charge of potato shredding and mixing up the batches; one batch at a time to ensure maximum freshness. She also zealously maintains kitchen cleanli- ness, keeping everyone on their toes. My father takes his place at the stove. I run interference, while at the same time manning frying pan num- ber two. 12/ 3 2004 68 The first batch is a bust, just like when you make regular pancakes. The oil is too hot, or it's not hot enough. We're just warming up. We do some quality control, otherwise known as taste-testing, and then my father and I yell over the whir of exhaust fans and sizzling oil to my mother at the mixing sta- tion. "Throw an extra handful of matzah meal into the next batch," I say. "Needs more onion," says my father. Batch after batch we fry, until sev- eral hours later we emerge from the kitchen, hot, reeking of oil and sated from all of the taste testing. We have gone through 20 pounds of potatoes, 8 pounds of onions, 2 dozen eggs, one and a quarter gallons of oil and one box of matzah meal. No potato has been left ungrated. Part of our secret, latke-making technique involves flash-freezing the cooked latkes. The latkes can then be heated up in a hot oven (no microwaves, please) to be enjoyed throughout Chanukah. This may sound like blasphemy to those fami- lies who believe that half the fun is standing over a splattering pan of oil and producing platter after platter of greasy latkes for the waiting hordes. Fun for the latke eaters perhaps, but not for the cook! Latkes crisping in the oven provide the same mouth-watering aroma as those coming hot out of the frying pan, with the bonus being that you actually get to enjoy the festivities. Admit it latke fryers, when was the last time you got to sit on the floor and enjoy a spirited game of dreidel? Our latke production fuels several parties. My parents host a formal dinner party for their closest friends. We have a casual pre-Chanukah party with all the cousins. I host my own Chanukah party, every year inviting a growing num- ber of latke aficionados who make a major dent in the Latke Palooza out- put. With the latkes already made, my biggest concern is peeling gold foil off Chanukah gelt and visiting with my friends. POTATO LATKES 2 1/2 lbs. baking potatoes, cleaned but not peeled. 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 tablet vitamin C, crushed and mixed with 3 T. water 3-4 T. matzah meal or flour 1/2 t. baking powder 1 1/2 t. salt 3 large eggs, beaten vegetable oil, for frying In a large skillet, heat 1/2-inch oil over medium-high heat. Grate the potatoes either by hand or using a food processor. Grate only enough potatoes for one batch. If using a food processor, shred the potatoes using the grating disk. Remove grated potatoes from processor bowl and replace the grat- ing disk with a chopping blade. Return 1/2 batch of shredded pota- toes to the processor, pulsing quickly 4-5 times to chop up the shreds slightly. Repeat with other half. Put the grated potatoes in a large mixing bowl and quickly toss with the vitamin C water. The ascorbic acid in the vitamin C will help pre- vent the potatoes from blackening. Add the chopped onion, matzah meal or flour, baking powder, salt and beaten eggs, and stir to incorpo- rate all ingredients. Using a large spoon, gather up 2 heaping tablespoons of mixture, pushing out most of the liquid. Slide off spoon into the oil, flattening the top of each pancake with the back of the spoon. Fry until golden on each side and drain in a single layer on baking sheets lined with paper towels. Keep warm in a 250F oven until ready to serve. Or, when latkes are cool, freeze in a single layer on baking sheets. After the latkes are frozen, you may stack them in a container or put them in freezer bags. When ready to serve, preheat the oven to . 450F. Place frozen latkes in a single layer on baking sheets. Heat in the oven for approximately 10 minutes, or until sizzling and lightly browned. Place latkes on serving platter and enjoy the party! Latke Palooza Shopping List: 20 lbs. of potatoes, 8 lbs. of onion, 10 tablets vitamin C dissolved in 1 1/2 cups water, 1 box matzah meal, or flour, baking powder, salt, 2 dozen eggs, 1 1/2 gallons vegetable oil. Latke Palooza Recommendations: Enlist a helper or two. Don't attempt to make this many latkes at once unless you have a food processor. Prepare all of your ingredients, except the potatoes, before starting. Chop onions — start with 5 lbs. and chop more if needed, later. Beat all of the eggs — use a one-cup measuring cup, scooping up one scant cup of beaten eggs for each batch. Pour the matzah meal or flour into a bowl for easy scooping. Do the same with the baking powder and salt. Don't be afraid to make adjust- ments as needed. You might like less onion. Make only one batch at a time, discarding the startchy water left in the bowl after each batch. Makes 8 batches; 200-240 latkes. fl Andrea Gappell is a freelance writer and food stylist in Los Angeles.