Hanukkah and pancakes!
It's that time of year again. Hanukkah! The festival of lights. Part of the holiday celebration calls for eating foods fried in oil to celebrate the miracle of the oil the burned for eight days. Latkes, or potato pancakes, are a favorite. Everyone loves them and everyone has their own recipe.
I only make them once a year (although they're great anytime). Mostly because we don't tend to eat a lot of fried foods in our house. Every year my husband asks me not to make latkes because they're so greasy. And every year, as we're eating them, he says, “I'm so glad you made latkes, they taste so good!”
A special treat
Latkes taste amazing. I actually think they taste better because we only get them once a year. If we ate them all the time it wouldn't be that special. Or that healthy. They're a treat and we enjoy them fully. And at the end of the day, that's a part of what really matters when it comes to our food. Yes, we want to make healthy choices, yes we need to get rid of the chemicals and additives in our food, but yes, we also need to celebrate with special foods. And in my book latkes falls into that category.
Cooking with friends
This year I got together with a bunch of friends and we made latkes together. Four different kinds! That kitchen smelled a-m-a-z-i-n-g when we were done — potatoes, potatoes with carrots, potatoes with zucchini, and sweet potatoes. I have learned from past experience that you can't mix regular potatoes with sweet potatoes because they cook at different rates. It's also important to note that when you add things into the potatoes it changes the cooking time and sometimes requires you to turn down the heat a bit so you don't burn the latkes.
You can make latkes however you like. I've seen recipes that call for green apple to be shredded into the mix, I've heard of adding jalapenos, using herbs, making them with other root vegetables, it's all a matter of personal preference.
In our family we tend to be traditionalists and prefer the plain potato latkes served with organic sour cream and unsweetened apple sauce. Here's my favorite latke recipe. And may there always be light in your home and your life.
- 3 pounds of russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and shredded
- 1 large vidalia onion peeled and shredded
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 C. gluten free flour
- sea salt to taste
- grapeseed oil (enough for frying)
- Mix ingredients together
- Heat oil in a pan
- Drop mixture by very large tablespoons into pan
- After 2-3 minutes flip to other side and cook another 2 minutes
- Remove from pan and drain on paper towels
- I use grapeseed oil for frying as it has a higher smoke point. Normally I might use coconut oil but in this particular instance I do not care for the flavor when mixed with the latkes. For those of you who have The Pantry Principle, the chart of oil smoke points is on pages 72-73.
LOL!! I was going to stop by your page today anyway, and this is SO perfect! Making Latkes tonight with my son. Thanks for the advice… perfectly timed! Love, Katherine.
Thanks for sharing. It’s fun to learn about new recipes and traditions.
Write on!~
Lisa
This recipe looks great. Will definitely try it out.
Trudy, we have tried them grated with the skins still on and we prefer the traditional, no skins method.
It’s amazing where flour appears, especially in traditional or family recipes. Making the shift to gluten free isn’t always so straightforward, but when you do it allows you to continue to enjoy those favorite recipes.
Sue I promise it doesn’t take that long to peel them all. If you want to you can make them with someone else and assign them the task of peeling LOL
I have not heard of them either!
I’m curious if you’ve tried them with the skins in the mix?
I do like that you have a gluten-free version.
Oh, your recipe sounds delicious. I would probably never peel all those potatoes, but the results might just be worth it!
Tiffany, Sweet potato latkes are delicious. Everyone in the group was surprised to discover how much they liked them. They’re also good mixed half and half with grated carrots.
Sounds good, Mira! I hadn’t heard of using sweet potatoes before. I’m always looking for sweet potato recipes, so I’ll have to try it out.
Jessica, I know how hard it is for those of us who need to eat GF. And even that tiny bit of gluten can be a huge problem for many. It took a while to find the right flour. Initially I thought potato flour would work since I was using potatoes but somehow it didn’t. I personally really like the rice flour. Have fun with it!
I LOVE that you have a gluten free variation!!! I can eat them again!!!
Hi Heidi, the great thing is that they’re so easy to make. I know when I’ve invited guests to share our latke feast with us they love them!
I have never heard of Latkes before but after reading this I am sure my husband would love them too!