`No! No! No!” Jonathan Pizer reacts to the idea of a latke containing zucchini or sweet potato as Ingmar Bergman would to a gum-chewing ingenue. “We can’t have that happen with latkes,” he says of the potato pancakes associated with the eight-day Jewish festival of Hanukkah, which starts at sundown Sunday. “There must be no chocolate chip/walnut latkes.”
Pizer, co-owner of a local supermarket equipment business, is unhappily picturing a future in which latkes are subjected to odd flavor experiments as casually as bagels are. A world gone mad.
He likes his pure potato latkes served with “the traditional sour cream or applesauce,” nothing else. “Notice that word `tradition-al,’ ” he says. “That’s the theme.”
As a former co-host of an annual, large-scale “Latke Fest” thrown for an ever-increasing number of friends (“it got out of hand”), Pizer knows what he’s looking for in a latke.
“Crispy on the outside, tender on the inside. Served hot,” he says. “And basically, if your walls and ceiling aren’t covered with grease when you’re done making them, you’re not using enough oil. This is not health-food city. It’s get-the-job-done.”
But of course there’s no consensus on what makes a perfect latke. Beyond ingredients, there are size and texture to consider, as well as the all-important logistical matter of when to make them.
First, size: Highland Park resident Marjorie Biederman makes hers small, “about the size of a silver dollar,” and serves them to her children and grandchildren as an appetizer, usually with applesauce.
“If I have them for hors d’oeuvre, they go in a minute,” she says. “But as an entree-they eat them, but not so fast.”
Chef Erwin Drechsler serves potato pancakes year-round at his restaurant erwin, but he calls them latkes only at Hanukkah. He often experiments with adding herbs and other root vegetables, including parsnips and sweet potatoes.
“The size depends on what we’re doing with them,” he says. “If it’s a garnish, then about 2 inches in diameter. When they accompany an entree, sometimes we make them larger, more elongated, but with the same ingredients.”
Pizer leans toward a larger latke, maybe 3 to 4 inches across, and prefers a smooth texture inside. “It’s not a hash brown,” he says, adding that he doesn’t like to see the individual shreds of potato. He uses a food processor to achieve the proper result.
Some cooks swear that only hand-grating produces the right texture. The potatoes that work best are big Idaho bakers, so grating is not quite the problem it would be if you had to handle many small spuds. And after all, some difficulty is traditional.
“The real Jewish mothers and grandmothers used to peel the potatoes and then grate them by hand with those horrible graters that hurt your fingers,” says Leonie Kowitt, a part-time teacher who lives in Evanston.
“I cheat and use the food processor. I use the regular blade-I can never find the grating thing-and just watch so they don’t get too mushy. You want some texture.”
Drechsler sticks to hand-grating. “The first thing I look for in a latke is a semblance of shredded potatoes,” he says. “Some people serve them where the potatoes are almost pureed. I like to see the texture.”
Now, the harder question about latkes: When to make them?
Ideally, this is a social activity. One makes latkes in quantity, and yet one cannot eat them in quantity. You need other people for that, and they would like to eat them hot.
But the oil factor is no joke. Unless your kitchen is extremely well ventilated (and unfortunately latke season occurs when we’re not likely to have windows open), you’re going to have some lingering oil smell in your house for a while after frying.
Also, it’s hard to look your best when you’re flipping and removing finished latkes, adding batter for new ones, fishing stray wisps of potato out of the oil, and keeping track of what’s what without setting off the smoke alarm. That’s entertainment?
Some experienced cooks have decided this is the very problem freezers were invented to solve.
“I never make latkes at the last minute,” Biederman says. After draining them on brown paper bags until cool, she freezes them on a cookie sheet, then slides them off into freezer bags.
“When I take them out, I put them back on the cookie sheet and put them in the oven, as high as it will go, 500 degrees. I don’t know how long it takes-until they’re hot and crisp. If they don’t crisp up, I put the broiler on.
“You can’t stand there at the last minute and make 85 or 100 little potato pancakes,” she adds. “My mother made them bigger and she stood there at the last minute. I can’t.”
Kowitt concurs. “I make latkes once a year and I make them in advance, usually by myself, and freeze them,” she says. “I don’t care if they are a degree and a half better fresh. I can’t operate like that, especially if I’m having a group of people.”
Drechsler will not hear of freezing, but then, he has a kitchen staff. “Latkes have to be crispy,” he says. “They have to be made to order or very close to it.”
The logistics were one of the factors in the dissolution of Pizer’s Latke Fest, which in its later years involved hired help to fry the latkes.
“You have to serve them hot,” he says. “So somebody’s always stuck in the kitchen.”
Traditional toppings for latkes are applesauce and sour cream, applied separately. Good quality plain yogurt may be used instead of sour cream if all the fat makes you nervous.
Drechsler sometimes accompanies latkes with creme fraiche and smoked salmon, salmon caviar or whitefish caviar for an elegant presentation.
In quite another direction, a spoonful of chunky tomato salsa, with or without sour cream, can make a fine contrast to the salty crispness of a latke. And a spicy mango salsa, while highly untraditional, is a zippy change from applesauce.
But even Drechsler warns against too much experimentation.
“When it comes to a latke, the simpler the better,” he says. “It doesn’t need much.”
LATKES IN ACADEMIA
Ted Cohen, a professor in the philosophy department at the University of Chicago and president of the American Society for Aesthetics, recently moderated the 53rd Latke-Hamantasch Debate, an event sponsored by the Hillel Foundation that is staged annually at the university on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Every year, U. of C. faculty members debate before an audience of about 1,000 people (“many of them awake,” Cohen says) the relative merits of the latke and the hamantasch, a three-cornered pastry associated with Purim, a Jewish festival celebrated in the spring. We asked him a few questions.
JT: What’s better, a latke or a hamantasch?
TC: A long time ago I proved the latke was superior. I actually proved that however good the hamantasch is, the latke is perfect. Where the hamantasch is sort of romantic and expressive, the latke is classical in its purity, its simplicity. The latke exists necessarily. There couldn’t be a world without latkes. There could be one without hamantaschen, though it wouldn’t be such a good world.
JT: Describe the perfect latke experience.
TC: Just eating one.
JT: What could go wrong with that?
TC: You might not concentrate on it. You might be distracted. Your mind might be on other things-lust, art, religious thoughts. You should focus, give a latke everything you’ve got.
MARJORIE BIEDERMAN’S LATKES
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes per batch
Yield: 50 latkes
8 medium baking potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 small onion, peeled, cubed
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Salt to taste
1 3/4 cups vegetable shortening for frying
Applesauce
1. Grate potatoes and onions in food processor fitted with grating blade; let mixture drain in colander about 10 minutes, pushing on occasionally to squeeze out liquid.
2. Combine potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Heat 1/4 cup of the shortening in large heavy skillet over high heat. Spoon mixture a tablespoonful at a time into hot oil; do not crowd skillet. Cook in batches until brown and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Add shortening as needed. Drain on brown paper bags or paper towels. Cool completely.
3. To freeze, place on baking sheet in single layer; place in freezer until firm. Transfer to plastic bags. Return to freezer. To reheat, bake latkes on baking sheet at 500 degrees until hot and crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain again on paper towels or paper bags. Serve with applesauce.
Nutrition information per latke:
Calories …………. 85 Fat …………. 7 g Saturated fat .. 1.9 g
% calories from fat .. 77 Cholesterol …. 9 mg Sodium ……… 25 mg
Carbohydrates ……. 5 g Protein ……… 7 g Fiber ………. 0.3 g
CURRIED SWEET POTATO LATKES
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes per batch
Yield: 12 latkes
Adapted from a recipe by Erwin Drechsler.
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon each, ground: red pepper, cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 large eggs, beaten
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled, coarsely grated
Salt, pepper to taste
3/4 cup peanut oil for frying
1. Whisk together flour, curry powder, sugars, baking powder, red pepper, cumin and paprika in large bowl. Stir eggs into dry ingredients to make thick batter. Add sweet potatoes, salt and pepper; mix well.
2. Heat oil over medium-high heat in large, heavy skillet. Drop enough batter into hot oil to form 4-inch latkes when pressed down. Do not crowd skillet. Fry in batches until golden, about 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Nutrition information per latke:
Calories ………… 115 Fat ………… 6 g Saturated fat .. 1.1 g
% calories from fat .. 43 Cholesterol .. 35 mg Sodium ……… 50 mg
Carbohydrates …… 15 g Protein …… 2.6 g Fiber ………. 1.5 g
ZUCCHINI PARMESAN LATKES
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: About 6 minutes per batch
Yield: 30 latkes
Adapted from “Jewish Cooking in America,” by Joan Nathan.
2 pounds zucchini, trimmed
1 medium russet potato, peeled, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup chopped green onions
3/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup all-purpose flour plus more as needed
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground pepper
3/4 peanut oil for frying
1. Grate zucchini and potatoes in food processor fitted with grating blade. Toss with lemon juice to prevent browning. Squeeze zucchini and potatoes through towels or sieve to remove moisture.
2. Add eggs, garlic, green onions, 1/2 cup of the parsley, cheese, flour, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over high heat. Drop batter by tablespoons into oil; do not crowd skillet. Fry until golden brown and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and remaining chopped parsley.
Nutrition information per latke:
Calories …………. 75 Fat ………… 6 g Saturated fat .. 1.4 g
% calories from fat .. 75 Cholesterol .. 16 mg Sodium ……… 115mg
Carbohydrates ….. 3.6 g Protein …… 1.6 g Fiber ………. 0.6 g
POTATO, ARTICHOKE AND FETA CHEESE LATKES
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes per batch
Yield: 12 latkes
Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine.
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes
1 package (9 ounces) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, diced, patted dry
2/3 cup chopped leek, white and pale green parts only
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 package (6 ounces) feta cheese, crumbled
3/4 to 1 1/2 cups fresh French bread crumbs
3/4 cup olive oil
1. Cook potatoes in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 20 minutes. Drain; cool completely. Peel.
2. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place a baking sheet in oven. Coarsely grate potatoes; place in large bowl. Stir in artichokes and leeks. Mix in egg, Parmesan cheese, mint, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir in feta cheese and enough bread crumbs to form mixture that holds together. Firmly press 1/2 cup mixture into 3 1/2-inch round. Repeat with remaining mixture.
3. Heat oil in large heavy skillet over medium heat. Place 3 to 4 latkes into skillet at a time. Cook until brown, about 6 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels; transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm while cooking the rest.
Nutrition information per latke:
Calories ………… 270 Fat ……….. 19 g Saturated fat … 5 g
% calories from fat .. 61 Cholesterol .. 35 mg Sodium ……. 650 mg
Carbohydrates …… 21 g Protein …….. 7 g Fiber ……… 2.8 g
