Now that we no longer live in New York I don't get to celebrate Hanukkah with Uncle Steve. Fortunately Amaya celebrates every holiday under the sun at school with her teachers and friends. I love the way they embrace all of the different traditions and talk about them. It makes it easier if kids know right from the beginning that everyone is different and that's just fine. The underlying core of almost all the different holidays is about bringing people together and sharing the love and there's nothing bad about that.
Since I missed Hanukkah with Uncle Steve I'm late with the latkes this year. Amaya had them at school with applesauce and has been asking for them ever since. I love latkes so making them is no hardship. Finding the time is a whole other ball of wax. When I do make them I make a big batch. I don't have a real recipe, I grate my potatoes into cold water and then grate an onion. I drain the potatoes, mix them with the onion and its juice. Add some fresh potato starch, a pinch of salt, and a beaten egg or two depending on how many potatoes I've grated. The acidity of the onion and the coating of egg keeps the potatoes from browning. Then we fry. A well made latke is still crunchy straight out of the refrigerator the next morning, yet another reason I adore them. Amaya and I both had them again for breakfast today.
Years Past
