Free Jewish Cooking Boot Camp: The Modern Girl's Guide to Cooking Like a Jewish Grandmother by Andrea Marks Carneiro

you have ever had. Seriously. One of Roz's original holiday
visitors may have expressed it best when convincing her husband to fly to Miami for the
holiday. Said Ellen: "They are what happens to McDonald's hash browns when
they die and go to heaven."
SERVES: 10-12 (OR MORE) PREPARATION TIME: 45 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 45 MINUTES

    1. Peel the potatoes. (If prepping them ahead of time, put them in ice water to keep them
from turning brown.)
    2. Grate the potatoes, then the onion, in a Cuisinart.
    3. Mix them together and add the eggs.
    4. Pour vegetable oil into a large skillet, enough to fill the pan about one-eighth of the way
up the sides. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Splash a drop of water into the oil; if it
sizzles, the oil is ready.
    5. Drop the potato mixture (one large tablespoonful per latke) into the hot oil and fry until
golden brown and crisp (about 3 to 4 minutes per side). Cook 3 or 4 in a batch, making
sure they don't touch each other.
    6. Always make sure you have enough oil in the pan. After about two batches you will
probably need to add oil.

    7. When the latkes are browned and crisp, transfer them from the pan to a brown paper bag
to drain excess oil.
    8. Sprinkle with salt to taste and serve.
    9. If the latkes were made a little ahead of time, place them on a baking sheet and reheat
them in a 400-425°F oven until ready to serve.
    The ratio of eggs per potatoes is 2 eggs for every 6 or 7 potatoes. If making latkes for a
smaller group, use 5 or 6 potatoes, 2 eggs, and half of a large onion or 1 small onion.
    It's a Dangerous Job, but Someone's Got to Do It
    The Secrets of Latke-Making

    It may not rank up there with Alaskan king crab fishing, but making latkes is a
dangerous job. The use of hot oil and the need for a lot of flipping and moving means
concentrating on the task at hand is key. Follow these simple tips to keep your kitchen
safe:
    • Clean oil spills immediately.
    • Invest in a splatter guard.
    • Keep oven mitts close by.
    • Keep pets and small children out of the kitchen
    • Know the location of the closest fire extinguisher, or have a pan lid or box of
baking soda handy to smother the fire.

    The Burning Question: What Should I Put on My Latkes?

    Sure, sour cream and applesauce are the traditional toppings for latkes. But what
happens when we think outside the box? People can get pretty creative when it
comes to topping fried potatoes. A hot trend in Chanukah cooking is the "Latke Bar."
Setting up stations allows guests to customize this traditional favorite to suit their
own palate. Below we've gathered a few traditional and non-traditional latke toppings, but feel free to add your own.
    Applesauce
    Sour cream (regular or light, perhaps
with a dash of vanilla)
    Mango chutney
    Salsa
    Cranberries
    Jam
    Marmalade
    Yogurt
    Honey
    Caramelized onions
    Sauteed shredded carrots
    Sauteed or fresh zucchini
    Grilled mushrooms
    Artichokes
    Goat cheese
    Ketchup (yes, ketchup)
    Caviar
    Oven-roasted tomatoes

EASY HOMEMADE PEAR-INFUSED APPLESAUCE
    Store-bought applesauce can be great in a hurry, but to truly impress guests, why not take a
simple recipe and infuse it with a hint of pear? Trust us, it's easier than you thinkit just sounds gourmet!
SERVES: 4 PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES
COOKING TIME: 45 MINUTES

    1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
    2. Peel, core, and cut the apples and pears into eighths.
    3. Spray a medium-size baking dish with a cooking spray.
    4. Place the fruit wedges in the dish and cover tightly with aluminum foil.
    5. Bake for 45 minutes or until the apples and pears are soft, but not mushy. (You can
check by poking them with a fork after 45 minutes.)
    6. When the fruit is tender, remove it from the oven. Cool.
    7. In the same dish, mash and mix the apples and pears with a fork. Depending on how sweet
the fruit is, add cinnamon sugar to taste
ti
    8. Chill for a couple of hours and serve.
    If you don't want to include a pear flavor, just delete the