Subject: /R Potato Latkes (pancakes)
Sender: Celiac/Coeliac Wheat/Gluten-Free List
Date: Sat, 25 Nov 1995 18:37:21 EST
From: Jane Ehrenfeld (jehrenfe at LWCNET.LWC.EDU)
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Regarding Blau Zahl's 11/22 request for interesting Jewish recipe conversions, I have had success with the following recipe:

POTATO LATKES (Potato Pancakes):

2 c. raw grated potatoes
2 eggs (large) -- beaten
1 pinch (aprox. 1/4 tsp.) baking powder (I use Calumet)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 or 3 T. rice flour
1 small onion -- grated (optional)
Pepper to taste (optional)

*Grate, rinse & drain potatoes (add onion) -- squeeze taters pretty dry!!! (NOTE: rinsing the starch off of the potatoes is important if you don't want gummy latkes)

*Add eggs, mix

*Add baking powder, salt, and flour (NOTE: Add rice flour 1 T. at a time. The mixture should be somewhat watery. You may not need all of the flour depending on the stuff that makes cooking an art and not a science!)

*Heat about 1/4" (or a little more) in a frying pan, drop spoonfuls of batter into oil (NOTE: I use a soup spoon because my husband likes small latkes)

*Turn latkes when browned around edges (check to see if brown enough on bottom by carefully lifting the edge before flipping) -- flip, fry second side til well browned (NOTE: flipping pancakes more than once toughens them)

*Drain on paper towels.

Now, for those of you who (like me) can't eat fried foods, this recipe converts very nicely for a potato kugel (potato pudding). Just sautee the onion in the oil of your choice BEFORE adding to the potatoes. Mix as above but instead of frying, pour mixture into a greased baking dish (I use an 8" square pan) and bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Both recipes work best with potatoes that are squeezed as dry as possible after they have been grated and rinsed.

This was a little late for Thanksgiving but is probably more appropriate for Chanukah anyway. Enjoy!

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Newsgroup: rec.food.cooking
Subject: Middle-eastern Peace Latkes
From: hattie at netcom.com (Susan Hattie Steinsapir)
Date: Tue, 7 Nov 1995 03:39:46 GMT
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The world's attention rarely strays far from the middle east. Rabin's death is yet another tragedy with which to contend. Peace will happen.

I offer forthwith a variant of that traditional holiday favorite, latkes.

I fry my latkes, in corn oil. Therefore, they are a deadly food, something to be enjoyed once a year unless you need to gain weight. They should be sided with sour cream (the real stuff) or in this case, labneh. Labneh is thickened yogurt; yogurt which you have drained of the the excess whey. You can buy labneh in middle eastern markets or make it yourself. Applesauce is nice with latkes, too.

Makes about 12 to 14 latkes.

one small yellow onion, peeled
1 & 1/4 pounds of russet potatoes (about 2 largish ones) peeled and sliced into chunks which will fit into the food processor slot
2 eggs
about one inch of a fresh Anaheim pepper
1 teaspoon of omani powder (this is ground dried limes - available at middle eastern markets)
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
pinch of abscorbic acid powder
healthy grinding of black pepper
1 teaspoon of kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon of regular table salt
1 to 2 or so tablespoons of matzoh meal
corn oil to fry with
large cast iron skillet
cookie sheet with paper towels
set oven to 250 degrees F

Using a food processor with a grating disk, grate one small yellow onion. Finely mince about one teaspoon of a red anaheim pepper. Using the food processor with the grating disk, process the potatoes.

Mix the onions, potatoes, anaheim pepper, omani powder, 2 eggs, paprika, salt, pepper, abscorbic acid and matzoh meal together in a bowl until well blended.

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in cast iron skillet until a bread cube dropped in will brown in one minutes. Drop, carefully (you're working with hot oil) large spoonfuls of the mix into the fat. You will have to reduce the heat somewhat. Do so, but be sure that the fat remains hot enough to quickly sizzle the latke. Brown latke thoroughly on one side before flipping over. When done, place on paper towels to drain. Keep the done latkes warm in the oven until you finish cookingall of them.

If this is a side dish, serves about 4 or so. We had it for dinner with a salad and gave the leftovers to my neighbor.

If you don't finish eating all the latkes, they may be reheated the next day in a toaster oven. They are best, of course, freshly made, eaten in the kitchen....

Yours, Susan