22 | DECEMBER 7 • 2023 J
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y brother-in-law asked me
a surprising question: “How
many different kinds of latkes
do you make at Chanukah?”
“Just the potato kind,” I said. “Why?”
“Since you prepare eight different char-
osets at Passover, I figured you’d make
lots of exotic latkes, too,” he said.
While Robbie meant this as a compli-
ment, he caught me off guard. Since he
knows I enjoy cooking and inventing rec-
ipes, he set the bar high. Yet his question
got me thinking.
Why are latkes usually made from
potatoes? Why are they almost exclusively
served at Chanukah parties or for dinner?
What’s wrong with other times of day?
Everyone loves latkes, so I thought it
would be fun to create a new latke recipe
for each day of Chanukah. For years I’ve
had a secret desire to eat latkes all day,
starting at breakfast. I wondered why no
one had ever created cocktail-hour latkes.
I’ve had dessert latkes, but none worth
eating again.
One cold October weekend, I decided
to revamp Chanukah’s signature dish,
experimenting with ingredients as far
flung as bananas, salmon and chocolate.
Yet with a twinge of Jewish guilt, I
questioned if it was right to take latkes so
far from their roots, the lowly potato?
In Yiddish, the word latke means pan-
cake. The definition doesn’t include a
connection to potatoes. After consulting
Webster’s Dictionary, I confirmed that a
pancake is a thin, flat cake of batter fried
on both sides on a griddle or in a frying
pan.
Although Ashkenazi Jews are famous
for preparing latke batters with grated
potatoes, the tuber is a relatively recent
addition to their culinary repertoire.
Originating in South America, potatoes
were unknown in Europe until the 16th
century, when explorers brought back
tuber shoots from their travels. Once
planted, these shoots grew abundantly
throughout Eastern and Central Europe,
where produce was sparse during harsh
winters. Potatoes became an inexpensive
crop to farm and arose as a staple of the
Ashkenazi diet.
It didn’t take long for Jewish house-
wives to discover the wonders of grated
potato batter sizzling in chicken schmaltz.
At Chanukah, the shortening of choice
was goose fat. The crunchy result is now
history.
Although potatoes have proven to be a
superior latke ingredient, I decided to see
if other foods could enhance the Jewish
pancake genre. Success. Follow the recipe
below and subsequent modifications for
breakfast, light-bite and dessert latkes.
BREAKFAST OR BRUNCH
Yield: 8 latkes, 4 inches in diameter
BASIC FLOUR LATKES
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp. butter for batter, plus 2 Tbsp. or
more, for frying
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. plain yogurt
1¼ cup 2% lowfat milk
12/3 cups flour
2½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Preparation:
1. In a small pot, melt 3 tablespoons
butter. Cool briefly.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg, yogurt,
milk and melted butter, until foamy.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and salt
into egg mixture.
4. With a wooden spoon, stir ingredi-
ents until well combined.
5. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a
OUR COMMUNITY
A
Whole
Lotta
Latkes
LINDA MOREL (JTA)
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