Ahh, Latkes

[pscot]

With sour cream, and apples sauteed with sugar and cinnamon. A great supper on a chilly, rainy autumn evening.

[elleng]

1. Hey, ps, latkes are labor-intensive ENOUGH!

Who has to SAUTEE APPLES???? Apple SAUCE!!!!

[madmax]

2. Not if you

buy them in a box. ::hide:

I love 'em :evilgrin: Ditto for frozen pirogies.

[eleny]

3. I'm with you

I buy them to keep on hand for when I'm in a hurry. And then there's the bags of frozen shredded potatoes. Those are so great for throwing together potato pancakes without grating them myself.

I've got 3 kinds of frozen piroges in the freezer right now. Two fruit and one cheese. :D

[pscot]

4. Buy them in a box???

What sort of sacrilege are you proposing. Actually, a food processor cuts the prep time significantly and eliminates busted nuckles. The apples are easy too. Just toss 'em in a pan with a bit of cider and some sugar. They're even better if you leave them chunky. On edit: don't forget to toss an onion into the machine while you're grinding the potatoes. Stick that in your packaged latkes!

[The empressof all]

5. All you people are sadly misinformed

If you want REAL Latkes one should NEVER use the food processor! Everyone knows one must make the blood sacrifice and use the box grater. The food processor is far too uniform and you will not get a "Perfect" ultimately crunchy end product. One also must avoid the frozen shredded potatoes as they hold too much moisture and even with vigorous wringing in the towel you won't get the potato shreds as dry as you could with a properly grated potato. Now please understand....a slightly inferior latkes is far better than no latkes at all so do what you must do if you feel you must. But really if you are going to go through the trouble of making the damn things....you might as well do it right! And Peanut Oil is the way to go..... :grouphug: :hi: :grouphug:

[eleny]

6. Sometimes I even use leftover mashed potatoes

[The empressof all]

7. That's fine but those aren't latkes

Those are potato cakes or croquettes or I may even go so far as to call them potato pancakes. (even though they really aren't but I won't quibble)....:rofl:

[elleng]

Fergit blood sacrifice!

[elleng]

8. Not MY knuckles!

[spinbaby]

9. I'm with you

Gotta do it right with the box grater. We also like just a smidgen of onion. We don't squeeze the potatoes--too many nutrients down the drain that way--but use a bit of potato starch for thickening instead.

[pscot]

10. Flour works fine

Little known fact: you can also use flour to thicken epoxy. (Don't eat that.)

[ginnyinWI]

11. I've never made latkes.

Not even sure if I ever ate them. What are they, some sort of pancake with potatoes in them? Or are they more like hash browns? Got a good recipe?

[pscot]

12. Very simple

Grate some potatos; a box grater is traditional, but a food processor will work. I generally shred them first, then grind them. You don't want to process them too fine. Put the grated potato in a smooth towel or cheesecloth and squeeze out some of the liquid. Grate an onion and mix it in. Thicken with potato starch or flour as needed. You want the mixture loose, but not watery. Fry in oil. A couple tablespoons to each cake. Flatten them out. Thin is good. Eat with sour cream and/or apple sauce. Some folks think 2 is a serving. Others have been known to eat 10 or 15. This is not a diet recipe, but it is a cheap meal. If you have leftovers (I've heard it happens) they can be crisped up by putting them on a backing sheet and toasting for a few minutes in 400 degree oven.

[ginnyinWI]

13. thanks!

I will try them. They sound a lot like our traditional German potato pancakes. Around here some of the better fish fries include them. You all know fish fries, right? It's a Wisconsin thing--Fish Fry on Friday night. Usually all-you-can-eat. Not only for Lent--all year round. It will include batter fried or baked fish, French fries, cole slaw, applesauce, potato pancakes if you are lucky, regular potato salad, and rye bread. Some like applesauce on their potato pancakes and some like maple syrup.

[pscot]

14. I grew up in the Fox river valley

Chain of Lakes region of northern Illinois. I remember the fish fries. Usually batter fried yellow perch. Yum. Latkes=German potato pancakes.

[The empressof all]

15. Here's an easy recipe and you need to add an egg

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-Latkes-104406

The trick for perfect latkes is to use enough oil. The above recipe uses Olive oil....I only use Peanut Oil. You need to have your potatoes really dry so don't skimp on the wringing them out in a towel bit. I find using Wondra flour makes a crispier end product but potato starch works well too.

[grasswire]

16. ugh I can't imagine olive oil

that sounds nasty on latkes.