Potato Latkes

Potato latkes are among the most common Chanukah foods. They are as simple as they are delicious. Consisting of just a few ingredients and utilizing an easy cooking technique, these are certainly suitable for beginners. More experienced cooks may want to introduce other variations on the shredded potato, such as zucchini, eggplant, and even carrots.

Potato Latkes
Serves 10
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 10 min. per batch

• 6 large russet baking potatoes (you can swap out a couple of potatoes for a couple of zucchini, etc...)
  
• 2 large onions
• 1 cup matzah meal
• 4 eggs
• salt and pepper to taste
• sufficient vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a large frying pan
  

Grate the potatoes and onions into a large bowl. Squeeze through a paper towel or kitchen towel until most of the liquid has drained off. Do this quickly. The potato will discolor rapidly. Mix in with the eggs, matzah meal, and flour. Allow to rest for 10 minutes in the fridge.

Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over medium high heat and add sufficient oil to coat the bottom of the pan. No more than 1/4 inch of oil, otherwise it will be more of a deep fry than a pan fry. Drop roughly 1/4-1/3 cup of mixture into frying pan, testing with a small batch first to make sure the oil is hot enough. If it sizzles, it's hot enough.


Fry on both sides until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Drain on a rack over paper towels and serve immediately, or keep in a warm oven. They go well with applesauce and sour cream. Happy Chanukah!

Twice Baked Potatoes

Twice Baked Potatoes
Serves 8-12
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cook Time: 2 hrs

• 4-6 Idaho Russet baking potatoes
• 8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 6 oz (6 strips) thick cut bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp sliced scallions
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Bake the potatoes "naked," (without foil or seasonings) on the middle rack of a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Cut the potatoes in half while still hot, scooping the warm, soft potato into a bowl. Leave enough potato in the skins to create a "shell" to receive the filling. 
Mash the potatoes with the other ingredients until combined and the cheese has started to melt. An electric mixer makes for a nice, smooth filling. Spoon the potato filling into the potato shells.
Bake again at 425 degrees until browned on top, about 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.  

Standing Rib Roast with Herb Horseradish Crust

Standing Rib Roast with Herb Horseradish Crust

Serves 8

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

• 1 6-8 lb standing rib roast, bone in
• 1/4 cup prepared horseradish
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• salt & pepper to taste

Mash all the seasonings and oil into a fine, even paste. Smear all over the roast. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the roast in a roasting pan in the center rack of the oven. Roast for roughly 2 hours, depending on weight. For the last 30 minutes of roasting, increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. When the internal temperature reads 130 degrees (for rare), remove from the oven and allow to rest for 30 minutes before carving.

Pan Jus

Heat roasting pan over 2 burners on the stove top, spooning off the fat. De-glaze with 1/2 cup of red wine and 2 cups of beef stock. Reduce by half and serve hot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. For a very fine sauce, strain the jus before serving.

Spicy Salmon Tartare

A few weeks ago, I made a second effort at sushi.The rice turned out just fine -- not perfect, but pretty good. I need a larger rice cooker. Instead of searching all over creation for good sashimi quality fish, I trekked out to a large Asian market in Fairfax county. There, I was able to purchase what turned out to be more fish than I could possibly use, freshly packed just days before in Japan. I found some other condiments for sushi, as well, and was pleased with the price overall. I highly recommend Super H Mart.

The leftover salmon would only stay delicious for 24 hours, max... and I decided to do something tartare. It would be a sin to cook such perfect fish. I made a few small batches and one large batch of what turned out best. Here's the resulting recipe.

Spicy Salmon Tartare

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: None

• 8-10 oz fresh sashimi quality salmon filet
• 2 chopped scallions, white and green
• 1 tbsp siracha chili sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp prepared wasabi
• 1 tsp rice vinegar

Very finely chop the salmon with a sharp knife. I recommend starting with a small dice and running your knife through the resulting cubes at least 4 or 5 more times in both directions. Use a flexible chopping board that you can rotate easily. Gently toss the salmon with the other ingredients until evenly distributed and chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Serve with toast points or plain Japanese crackers. 

I haven't disappeared!

I am in San Francisco for a conference. Lots of delicious food in this city. I have some recipes coming soon, but I am back and forth with the wireless access, so please be forgiving. Someone please e-mail me a food question to give me instant fodder for a new line of posts!