Bubbie’s Latkes Are the Talk of the Town!
In the small kitchen at Temple B’nai Israel (TBI), many hands come together to transform raw ingredients into the mouthwatering foods that the Lakes Region has been enjoying for 26 years. This wonderful process is accomplished by teams of dedicated members of TBI who take their inspiration from the recipes of their ancestors; the immigrants who came from Eastern Europe. We invite you into our Bubbie’s Kitchen to learn about the recipes and a little about the culture that has created these delicious foods. (Bubbie, by the way, is Yiddish for grandmother.)
Have you ever had a potato latke? Well, when I was a little girl, potato latkes were a treat that we ate only during the holiday of Chanukah, the festival of lights. Now we make and eat latkes all year round. Latkes are one of my favorite foods from the New Hampshire Jewish Food Festival. That’s because they use my Zaydie’s (grandfather) recipe from the old country.
The first step is to finely grate the freshly washed potatoes. Zaydie used a hand grater – you know it’s the silver-looking box maybe you have seen in your Bubbie’s kitchen. Even though my beloved bubeleh (sweetheart) Murray bought me one of those new-fangled food processors I still like my old-fashioned box grater, but the food processor saves wear and tear on my knuckles, so the food processor wins. I mix the potatoes with grated carrots and onions. Yes, I said carrots – that is one of the secrets that you should not share with anyone else. It is between you and me. My Zaydie taught me that carrots add just a bissel (little bit) of sweetness. Next, I mix in eggs, flour and a pinch of salt and pepper. Now for the fun part, frying in oil. When they are golden brown on both sides, they are ready for tasting. Eat them with sour cream or apple sauce and you will be in heaven. Oh, and don’t forget to order some from the New Hampshire Jewish Food Festival. Look under my picture below for all the information about ordering.
Next week I will tell you how I make another Food Festival longtime favorite – cheese blintzes. Oy gevalt, (good grief) are they good!! Until then, Zei Gazunt (be well)!
