Friday, October 4, 2013

Easy Potato Pancakes

What do you get when you have an Irish Catholic Maternal Grandmother - and a Jewish Paternal Grandfather?  Mass confusion - and a granddaughter who loves eating foods that have no business being
served together.
Observant Jews everywhere - I apologize in advance -
Devout Catholics - well I'm not offending any Christians here am I ???

I LOVE Jewish food - all the unhealthy fattening high cholesteral ones especially -
I can eat a whole container of chopped liver on anything really - smoked meat on rye ( you Americans refer to it as Pastrami )  bagels and cream cheese and lox? Weekly in my household - but what I LOVE more than anything are latkes ( potato pancakes  ) I can eat them thick - thin - large - tiny - with sour cream - with apple sauce - with nothing - I LOVE them - and because I was raised Catholic I don't have to wait for the Jewish holidays to make them lol - I make them whenever I feel like them!!!
I was probably the only little girl that wanted a bagel after my First Communion LMHO !!!
I was also the only Catholic girl that hung around B'nai Brith for years and years growing up - but that's another story for another day...................( with lots of hilarity I can assure you - like when a Rabbi insisted I take off my Cross - and I refused to - and he berated me for an hour over my reluctance to admit I was Jewish LOL )

My love of latkes comes by quite honestly I believe - I love potatoes in any form from my Irish roots after all.


They're really very simple to make -

You grate 2 potatoes - you can put them in your food processor  but I prefer to do them with a hand grater
( basically because I'm too lazy to pull out the food processor and even too lazier to clean it all after )
I then place them in a colander and press a plate into them to extract as much liquid as you can out of them )

Then you chop up 2 table spoons of onion  ( I always double it - depends on how much you like onions )
I had to chop extra anyway because I dumped them in the bowl before showing the size I cut them to
( hey this is really a furniture makeover blog lmho )


You add 2 or 3 eggs ( some people add 3 - I add 2 )
Want to see my measuring spoons?


I can't remember where I bought them but I've had them forever - they have such pretty details on them and are too pretty to use - so I use this one LOL  ( which is the best one on the market in my humble opinion - same spoon for all - you just slide until you hit the measurement you need  )


ok - so there I go again with my A.D.D. - this is supposed to be a recipe!!!
Add 2 tablespoons of flour...............


and then lastly you add black pepper -


You stir all the ingredients together to make a " mush " ( would that be schmush in Jewish ? )
and spoon drop them into hot ( Peanut oil - or whatever oil you choose - I'm not bossy like that )
I've been know to use lard - but Dear God - don't tell anyone else that.



let that oil do it's magic until they're a beautiful golden brown - flip


and Voila ( or Vey is Mir )  you have Latke's

I can even eat them cold - they're to die - really !!!

John had 7 of them - you don't need to know how many I had....................

potato, pancakes, recipe


Add a nice greasy fried pork chop to that and well...............sometimes you have to eat what you love even if
it's not the healthiest dish on the planet, right?

Oh and I completely forgot about another Jewish food I can't get enough of !!!
CHEESE CAKE :)
Which I'm having right now - because if you're going to go to CALORIE HELL


You may as well go all the way :)

Have a great Friday everyone!!!
Hugs,

Sharing with !!!
Mellywood's Mansion                                  Decor to Adore                            Funky Junky Interiors
It's Overflowing                                           Not Just a Housewife                    Homework
The Winthrop Chronicles                             I Gotta Create                              Shabby Creek Cottage
Savvy Southern Style                                  Common Ground                          French Country Cottage
Uncommon Design                                     CraftOManiac                               Coastal Charm
Stone Gable                                               Common Ground                          My Turn ( for us )
The Shabby Nest

36 comments:

  1. Seems you have some stories to tell! Only you Suzan ....could post a Jewish recipe and talk about Catholics, lard and hell! Believe it or not...I have never had a latke. But..I love fried potatoes, so I'll give your recipe a try! Love the measuring spoons by the way...and LMAO that you have measuring spoons for decorative purposes only!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. yum yum yum, you should write a book, you have stories to tell!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's nice to enjoy special dishes all through the year. I love both of these but haven't had them for years. When I was skinny....and I made pecan pies, I would eat a piece leftover....cold...for breakfast! OH MY! Enjoy your day...save me some cheesecake! lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. I swear I think you ARE my twin! My family religious roots are just like yours! It was wonderful being brought up with both heritages (Lebanese and German!) and all the yummy holiday foods. Add to that that I was raised in South Carolina and was grown on all the absolute deliciousness that we enjoy in the South. Now I am LOVING living in Ontario, and have brought it all together here. Before you ask....YES, I DO have GRITS, sausage gravy mixes and cornbread mixes in my pantry, lovingly sent to me by my mother (who is Jewish!) It's been amazing raising my kids in the Catholic church but with strong Jewish roots! loved the post today! I'm making Latkes for dinner tonight! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well Laurayne if you're Mom is Jewish - then you ARE Jewish lol - I was raised Catholic - but always felt a strong connection to the Jewish community ...........not the least of it, their food !!!!!!
    Oh and their humor - can't get enough of that ............
    Have a wonderful weekend - make latkes or cheesecake or something lol
    XOXO

    ReplyDelete
  6. Wait a minute...you have time to COOK?!? WTH?? Great. Now I've got pressure. That's it. I'm baking a pie this weekend. I wanna hear the rabbi stories. I can only imagine those convos!!!

    happy friday!
    -andi

    ReplyDelete
  7. Why oh why does sugar, fat, and carbs have to be sooo bad when it tastes sooo good! Now I'm STARVING...thanks a lot!!! :)
    Everything looks YUMMY...
    Blessings,
    Cindy

    ReplyDelete
  8. They look delicious. I wonder if the Church of England permits these?

    ReplyDelete
  9. You are a hoot this morning! This German from Russia loves potatoes, too. I even make patties out of left over mashed potatoes and fry them in butter. No wonder I need to be about 5 feet taller. Snow and wind here, but just enough white to let us know it snowed. Supposed to be warm again by Sunday, I HOPE!♥♫

    ReplyDelete
  10. Yummmm, they look great!! Thanks for the chuckle about the measuring spoons!! Have a great weekend! V

    ReplyDelete
  11. I am also half catholic, did the Catholic school with nuns that tortured the hell out of me. I am Irish, French, Canadian Indian and Dutch, all that means is don't get me mad and don't feed my hard liquor lol. I have never had latkes but they look yummy. Thought you might like to know Maggie and I are safe and sound at my sisters in Ontario. Quite the drive across the country, loved all the fall colours in northern Ontario. hugs Tobey

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yum Suzan I love potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce so delish!!! Little side of bacon doesn't hurt either!!!!Yum Yum. Now I am hungry gotta go!
    Kris

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love potato pancakes! Yours looks delicious! Maybe, you found the spoons at Anthropologie. I am not at home to pull out ours to see if they are identical, but if not, that's a place one can find a set. And actually, it is one of their reasonably priced items.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Suzan, What a delightful post. I chuckled all the way through. You already know what I think about the sitcoms. There's a lot material in you. There is a large Jewish community and a large Catholic community in Savannah. Most people don't know the Jewish people were among the early settlers. I love potato pancakes and lard biscuits are the best in the world. I don't make biscuits any longer...buy them in bulk at Sam's. Potato pancakes have to be from scratch.
    Have a blessed weekend, ginger

    ReplyDelete
  15. YUM I love potato pancakes!!! You would really love me in person Suzan, because, I am told by all my friends and family I make the best cheesecake in the world. I make all different crusts. I use Gingersnap cookies, Oatmeal cookies, etc. Mine are very creamy and smooth too. If you ever come to NJ I will make you one for sure! Have a great weekend!

    Cynthia

    ReplyDelete
  16. Well, I'm neither Jewish nor Catholic, but potato pancakes were a staple at our house. I'm from Texas, so sour cream works, but never had them with applesauce. Fried pork chops? Years ago, but not so much now. Cheesecake - oh yum! I think these foods must be universal! I'm like Marilyn and need to be 5 feet taller to enjoy these fabulous foods now! Great post today..and I loved the decorative measuring spoons! lol

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love anything potato and I have made similar to these before. No Catholic or Jewish roots here, just German, Scottish and lots of English oh and Australian of course. I had no idea that cheesecake was Jewish! The tides are turning as far as fats are concerned, out with vegetable (seed oils) and in with lard and butter, olive oil and coconut oil, so enjoy your pork chops and bacon and butter - all good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I don't think I've ever eaten a potato pancake, but I've had Swiss Rosti (in South America) that seem quite similar and tasted scrumptious!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Yum! When I was pregnant with my second daughter I worked diagonally across the street from Ben's....need I say more? I was there for latkes and smoked meat a few times a week! Oh...and their cheesecake.....yum!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am doubled over with laughter from reading this blog....just wonderful!!! You def have a way with words. As Thanksgiving and Chanukah fall on the same day this year...your latkes will surely be on my table :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I haven't made those in years and I think I'd better pin this and try out your recipe!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Yum...I'm pinning these...:) Have a wonderful weekend!

    Blessings, Vicky
    Life On Willie Mae Lane

    ReplyDelete
  23. Love this post, you are so fun!
    And, you made me hungry!
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  24. Love these too! I once served latkes with my Easter brunch - talk about mixed messages!

    ReplyDelete
  25. I love potato pancakes. I rarely make them. Recently I had one that blue cheese in it. I wasn't too sure how I'd like it. It was delicious! I guess if you're going go for it go all the way!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'm 0% Jewish (but really think I should be) and I love all these things...except for maybe the chopped liver. Give me pickles and sauerkraut any day of the week. I had no idea cheesecake was Jewish. Now I really do wish I was!! Mazel tov! :)

    ReplyDelete
  27. This all looks mouthwatering! What's a few thousand calories? ;)
    Susan

    ReplyDelete
  28. Ohh I love potato pancakes too and make them in a very similar way! These look so good! I need to make some soon again too!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Dearest Suzan,
    Since you're not using those to-die-for measuring spoons, would you mind sending them over to Brittany?
    xoxo,
    Magali

    ReplyDelete
  30. No wonder you are so interesting and fun, you've got a lot of ethnicity mixed up in there and you embrace it all. :)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Yum, Mums Irish we grew up on potatoes, I haven't had these in years!

    ReplyDelete
  32. I cannot wait to try this recipe! It looks so good that I pinned it.Thank you so very much for linking up.

    I hope you enjoy a truly lovely fall season.

    ReplyDelete
  33. I've heard of potato pancakes before but I've never made them. Yours look like the best hash browns in the world! I'd be thrilled if you'd come on over to Pink Recipe Box and link up at Creative Wednesdays: http://pinkrecipebox.com/creative-wednesdays-with-pink-recipe-box-13

    ReplyDelete
  34. Suzan, HOW ON EARTH DID I MISS THIS POST??? I am so happy I found it, though...you've made a Jewish girl proud with your recipe for latkes, even though you served them with pork chops, LOL! But you made up for it with your "vey is mir!" I'm pinning this on my Jewish recipes board! If you lived in the states, you could celebrate Thanskigivukah! (First night of Chanukah is on Thanksgiving).

    ReplyDelete

Due to a large amount of spam ( that I'm tired of going back to posts and deleting ) I'll be using comment moderation from now on !!!
Can I beat these spammers at their own game? Probably not - but I'm going
to try my damnedest !!!
xoxo