Potato Cheese Latke
Email This Recipe Print Recipe Contributed by Eileen Goltz

Ingredients 4 cups peeled, grated potatoes (See directions) 1 medium onion, finely chopped, about cup (See directions) 4 finely chopped cloves garlic 1 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves 1 cup ricotta cheese (nonfat or low-fat is fine) 1/2 cup grated carrot 1 teaspoon cumin or more, to taste 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper to taste 2 lightly beaten eggs 1/2 cup matzo meal or breadcrumbs 8 to 10 tablespoons oil

Instructions

Recipes for Shabbat

Chanukah

While most Jews agrees that latkes and sufganiyot are the most popular Hanukkah foods a less well known, yet no less popular Hanukkah tradition is to serve cheeses and other dairy dishes. The serving of these foods is in honor of Judith whose story is found in the Apocrypha. Judith invited an enemy general (one who was planning on destroying her town) to dinner. She fed him huge amounts of cheese and wine and after he fell over in a drunken stupor she beheaded him. His soldiers fled in terror and the town was saved.

It’s said that it was Judith’s bravery that inspired the Maccabees. So, whether you prefer latkes smothered with sour cream, jelly filled sufganiyot or a blintz that’s loaded with cheese know that these holiday specialties are, as all good holiday foods are, loaded with calories and taste best, according to the experts who live in my house, right out of the pan. A modern day miracle would be if we could make all the calories disappear and keep all the taste (stop wishing, it ‘ain’t going to happen). So forget the guilt that the extra calories bring and just enjoy them.

As with all holidays, the family customs and variations of foods served at Hanukkah are as many and varied, as there are countries in the world. These unique recipes are a cross section from friends and family favorites whose origins, while far flung, are inexorably intertwined as we share the age-old ritual of kindling the Hanukkah lights.

CURRIED SWEET POTATO LATKES

Add some fresh grated ginger to the pancakes for an Asian touch. Sweet
potatoes need the flour to give the pancakes body.

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
2 teaspoons curry powder 1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk (approximately)
Peanut oil for frying

Grate the sweet potatoes coarsely. In a separate bowl mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, cayenne pepper, curry powder, cumin, and salt and pepper. Add the eggs and just enough milk to the dry ingredients to make a stiff batter. Add the potatoes and mix. The batter should be moist but not runny; if too stiff, add more milk.

Heat 1/4 inch of peanut oil in a frying pan until it is barely smoking. Drop in the batter by tablespoons and flatten. Fry over medium-high heat several minutes on each side until golden. Drain on paper towels and serve. Makes 12 to 14

DRUNKEN APPLE LATKES

Not your typical latke in any way shape or form but, an absolutely
outstanding new addition to your holiday table. This is great for brunch.

2 cups biscuit mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cider or apple juice
1/3 cup milk 3 tablespoons apple liquor
2 eggs
Oil for frying
1 red apple, unpeeled, cored and sliced in wafer-thin wedges Cinnamon sugar to sprinkle

In a bowl, combine biscuit mix, sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Make a well in the center and add cider or apple juice, milk, apple liquor and eggs. Stir to mix. Heat about 1/8 inch oil in a large skillet over medium heat until a drop Of the mixture sizzles. Drop about 2 tablespoons of the apple mixture for each latke into hot oil. Place 2 to 3 apple wedges on top. Press down to flatten slightly with the back of a wooden spoon. Fry over medium heat for 2-3 minutes longer until the second side is nicely browned. Serve hot, sprinkled with cinnamon sugar. Makes 10 to 12.

POTATO CHEESE LATKE

4 cups peeled, grated potatoes (See directions)
1 medium onion, finely chopped, about cup (See directions)
4 finely chopped cloves garlic
1 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup ricotta cheese (nonfat or low-fat is fine) 1/2 cup grated carrot
1 teaspoon cumin or more, to taste
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 lightly beaten eggs
1/2 cup matzo meal or breadcrumbs
8 to 10 tablespoons oil

In a food processor or by hand grate the potatoes along with the onions. Place the grated vegetables in a colander set over a bowl. Let the vegetables drain until they no longer squish when you press down. Pour the liquid out of the bowl, taking care not to pour out the potato starch which has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl. Scoop out the starch and add back to the grated vegetable shreds.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Heat a large skillet and place 2 to 3
tablespoons of oil in it. Use about 1/ 2 cup of batter for each pancake and
use a spatula to flatten the batter to about 1/ 2 inch thick. Fry until well
browned, then flip pancake and brown other side. Add additional oil for
additional pancakes.

This batter should make about 16 pancakes. The cooked ones can be kept warm on a baking sheet in a 300-degree oven until all pancakes are ready.

Serving Size

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The recipes arrive from a variety of sources. We cannot guarantee that all the ingredients are available with OU certification, and the cook must investigate whether the ingredients can be purchased with acceptable supervision. In the absence of Kosher sources, some substitution of ingredients may be necessary. If you have a question about the availability of a Kosher ingredient, please e-mail the Webbe Rebbe at kosherq@ou.org .