Happy Channukah

Shalom.

Thank you and my Hanukkah greetings to all. DH is asleep (still doing poorly some days), DS is going to a hockey dinner and DD and I have to eat soon. No traditional dinner this year on the first night.

C

Some years tradition is harder than others. Last year was one of those for us, this year it seems to be one for you.

Hope by the 8th night you all can do something special (whether it's your family tradition or not!).

Caryn

Cheryl Isaak ,in rec.crafts.textiles.needleworkwrote: and entertained us with

Hang on Cheryl - next year will be so much better !

Cheryl Isaak wrote: > No

Eh, go to the local diner and order pancakes. Close enough!

What would be a minor miracle would be for someone to come here and make proper potato latkes. Frozen ones just don't do it and making them from scratch is too messy. The new thing of having jelly donuts (that's a custom that I think began in Israel) just doesn't cut it for me.

But Happy Hanukkah to all and to all a peaceful night !!

Lucille

Karen - you missed something here. It's not regular pancakes - but "potato pancakes" which must be fried in oil as the oil is symbolic of the miracle of the oil in the lamp that lasted 8 days and nights.

We generally have traditional get together for latkes (potatoe pancakes) - not necessarily a full meal. But, sometimes we do. Chanukah - once the kids are not so little - isn't really a big deal to most Jews - it is not the major holiday that Christmas is. But, it's a friendly one - and you have to have your fried stuff at sometime or another.

ellice

Does this mean you and Cheryl want me to ship you some? I'm doing a huge batch for Sunday - and if I can ship them frozen on dry ice or something like that I will. No plans to be in FL real soon - but when I'm down I always cook at least one traditional meal at my Aunt's in Del Ray . She asks me to cook brisket, and of course latkes. So, when we're down - we'll invite you! But, if you want some - let me know - I'll investigate the shipping - I think it's not too bad if I pack them with the dry ice in an insulated pack and send them priority!

ellice

Thanks for the offer, but not necessary. Since only one of my friends has grandkids in this area, we don't make too much of a fuss over Hannuka any more. I'm sure you agree that it's mostly a holiday that is celebrated for the kids.

Anyway, everyone but me is on some kind of diet so they will not eat anything that fattening and I'm not into that kind of cooking for just one.

Lucille

>

My source for all things Jewish says "anything fried in oil will do": fish & chips, donuts, pancakes of any kind...

FWIW, our local family restaurant chain has potato pancakes on the menu.

I can send you a box of Manischewitz latke mix. It only makes a few, so it works for serving one (with some leftovers for tomorrow). No, it's not "as good as homemade", but it's acceptable. You can doctor it up with a small amount of julienned real potato.

Or you can go to IHOP and order theirs.

It may be messy but we make them the old fashioned way. Proper Latkes and some with no onion for those allergic to them. Always add some sweet potato to them. Jelly doghnuts are definetely the thing in Israel.

And may all have a Hanukah Samech and may we find the miracle of Shalom (Peace).

George (finished the Amrerican Doll furniture for my two GD's just in time. Still stitching a TW Carousel horse that needs major ripping and a needlepoint tallit bag. Still have a year to get that done.)

You can ship me some! unless life gets calmer SOON, I won't get to make some. Cheryl

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com said

I cheat -- instead of hand grating the potatos, I use a blender. Y'all can heckle me that the texture is wrong but they taste delicious!!! Regardless of how many people come to eat, I don't stop grinding until I fill a huge bowl that I've used for years. I bind the mix with matzo meal which is sometimes hard to find

If it's a smallish batch, I grate by hand, and then rough puree about

1/4-1/3 of the potatoes - helps it bind and is an awesome texture. I do add finely chopped onion. But, for a lot - honestly, I grate them using the shredding disc in the Cuisinart. Also, with the matzoh meal, egg, and spices - a little bit of club soda/seltzer. Or a touch of baking powder. Not much - just s touch. I also do a variety with grated zucchini in the mix. I highly recommend Joan Nathan's Jewish Holiday Cookbook for recipes like this - even with the family traditional ones. Her book is a great reference and has some really nice kugels, etc. And latkes.

ellice

I do so completely agree with your wish that we all find peace.

I commented to DH today that the opening to Star Trek should be changedfrom "Space, the final frontier" to "Peace, the final frontier"....

I'm beginning to believe we'll see space travel before we see peace.

Well, we can certainly agree on that one!

Ellice

I'll tell the cantor he's wrong, but I rather doubt he'll agree.

There were no potatoes in Israel in the ancient era. They were only brought back to Europe in the 15th century from the New World. So, they were eating some other fried food, other than potato pancakes, to celebrate Chanukah before the potato arrived.

What a pity that you feel it is a Children`s holiday , we feel it is a very Philosophical holiday , there is so much History attached to it. mirjam