Latkes: The Real Jew Gold

My friend Becca and I were talking one day. Becca is my very oldest friend, and we have shared many important life events with each other. We keep up to date and we love each other, but seeing as she is living in bloody England right now, it's hard to get in touch with her sometimes.

Out of the blue, I shot her an email asking about a very old and deep love of ours: her father's latke recipe. we used to have Hanukkah at each other's houses and play. Her dad always made the better latkes, which my father can't admit to this day. tonight, the first night of Hanukkah, Becca responded with her father's recipe. I played with it a little and am really, really happy with the results. The flavor, the crunchiness, the gooiness...it's truly a treat that i hope you all enjoy as much as I do.

8 large potatoes, yukon or russet...or a mix
1 medium vidalia onion
1-2 shallots, depending on size
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon white pepper
5 cups vegetable oil


heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a large flat iron skillet on medium.

Quarter your potatoes and onions. Using a food processor or speed and upper body strength, grate your potatoes and onions into a large mixing bowl. quickly mix in your flour, eggs, sal and pepper before it oxidizes (turns an icky pinkish brown).

Using a slotted spoon, scoop approximately 3/4 cup, or whatever size you prefer, and spoon it into the skillet. the oil should be bubbling up around the pancake (but not burning it or spitting!), if not, raise the temperature slightly.

Once solid and golden brown on one side (roughly 6 minutes) flip over to other side gently with a spatula. I honestly used a filet spatula which worked excellently. Fry until other side is golden brown (roughly 4 minutes) and remove from heat. Place them on a cookie dish or a broiling plate to catch the oil dripping off of them.

And repeat. Until you are finished with your batter. If you need to drain the liquid a little as your batter gets thinner, use a fine sieve.

Most people serve latkes with sour cream. I always had them with apple sauce. To each their own.

Jew-dle Kugel!

While I'm not really a practicing Jew, I like the tradition of the holidays. I think whatever we all celebrate, we can all agree that food really makes the holidays. Before I left for college, my mother wrote down all the family recipes and gave them to me in a little accordion folder. So tonight, I cracked open the recipe box and found a noodle kugel that I have loved since I was little. Kugel was originally a sort of dump recipe that eastern european Jews would use. They would combine the best vegetables and meats that they had at the end of the week and bake it into a delicious sabbath meal. Ever since the historic Jewish discovery of lo mein, kugel has been less popular except on family occasions, such as Hanukkah. This particular kugel is my grandmother's best friend's recipe. It's basically upside-down noodle cheesecake. Mind the measurements, but I'm giving you exactly what it says on the index card. Get ready for excellence:

1 lb fine egg noodles
1 stick butter
1 pint sour cream
1/2 cup farmer's cheese (or ricotta)
1 cup (or 8 oz) cream cheese
3 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar

for topping:
1 package sliced almonds
1 jar orange marmalade or apricot jelly
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 stick melted butter

Earlier in the day, set out your butter, farmer's cheese and cream cheese so that they are room temperature by the time you're ready to cook. Once you're ready to start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. in a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, farmer's cheese, sour cream, butter, white sugar and eggs until smooth. Cook the noodles in a large pot with a pinch of salt. the noodles shouldn't take more than 3 minutes to cook, which is why we save them for last. Once the noodles are done, strain them and toss them into your sweet cheesy mixture. pour this mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

For the topping, melt the butter in a small saucepan or in the microwave in a dish. while you're doing this, empty your marmalade into a medium mixing bowl. pour your sugar and almonds in and mix evenly. Add your butter and cinnamon and stir to combine. Spread that all the crap over your cheesy noodles for a crispy sweet crust.

just like this crust

Stick that tasty mess in the oven for 45 minutes. let it cool, then chow your face off.

Egg Salad Scrumwich

When I was in Atlanta at a speech and debate tournament, I visited my Daddy at a local Diner. He whisked me away for good blues, good beer (sweetwater 420 IPA, a local staple!) and of course, good food. He took me to this amazing place (I have been wracking my brain for the name of this place....update to follow) that is known for it's legendary corn chowder. Being a vegetarian on a road trip with a high school, I was kind of stuck to corn and potatoes for sustenance. If I was lucky, I would order ice cream with nuts in it for protein. EEEEEEEEverybody wants barbecue in Georgia. I got a rammekin full of the corn chowder, which was delicious, but the crowning glory of the evening was the devilled eggs. So rich, yet so fluffy all at the same time! I have since adapted my egg salad scrumwich recipe to include these memorable flavors from this amazing diner.

6 hard boiled eggs

3-4 celery stalks, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp light mayonnaise

2 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp finely shredded parmesan

1 tbsp dried dill

1 loaf marble rye bread

*cayenne pepper and salt to taste

• boil your eggs. here is how I do it: Place them in a saucepan with cold water. Make sure it is filled to just a centimeter over the tops of your eggs. Boil on medium-high heat until it reaches a rolling boil. Once it starts boiling, leave it for roughly one to two minutes, then turn the heat off completely. Once it stops boiling, cover your saucepan and set a timer for fifteen minutes. Cool down your eggs and peel 'em.
• Use the time that the eggs are cooking to dice your veggies. I like my veggies to be very finely diced. set your veggies aside and peel your eggs.
• once you have peeled your eggs, remove the yolks. Place the yolks in a small mixing bowl. add the mayo and mustard. using a small whisk, break up the egg yolks and mix them well into the mayo and mustard. This will be the base for your sandwich spread, so if you prefer a little more mayo than mustard, tweak as you will.
• add the dill, salt, cayenne, and parmesan to your egg yolks. the Cayenne gives it a very well-rounded kick and the parmesan's tangy, saltiness balances really well with the eggs.
• add your veggies and stir them together.
• dice your egg whites. I prefer larger, chunkier egg whites, but some people almost crumble theirs. It's up to you! Mix them into your spread.
• Build your scrumwich! I prefer a thick, hearty bread with egg salad. there is a light sweetness and creaminess to egg salad and the dark flavors of rye based breads are just kick-ass. So slice up your bread and add any sort of crunchy veggies that you'd like. I used spinach instead of lettuce for extra iron. Arugula would be awesome too. Slather on your egg salad, top it off with another slice of bread, and nom!