happy chanukah, dear readers!

no i haven't disappeared, been working. i have had a ton of editing work to do, including revising some works previously posted here (DO take a peak at cafe deutschland, much improved) and observing the holiday of chanukah with my kinder. yes it is a minor holiday. yes, in these united states it is blown out of proportion by its proximity to christmas. yes, it has bought into commercialism. EFES, readers who know me, will sigh and say, to robyn it is an excuse to cook!

of course it is. isn't every jewish holiday "they tried to kill us. we are still here. let's eat." and do i feed? yes i do.

in addition to 'regular' latkes, the girls wanted spinach latkes. and i made apple sauce. but this year, i NAILED those latkes. NAILED them.

realizing that i cannot tolerate the smell of deep frying, makes me ill, dizzy, faint, i have spent years finding alternative ways to make latkes. when i lived in brooklyn, with an industrial strength exhaust hood over the stove, the deep frying smell was tolerable, but here? just cannot stand it. so. i have worked any number of ways to make latkes in the oven. and i have found the secret.

parchment paper.

i lined the pans (13" x 18", 1" high sides) with parchment paper. brushed the paper with olive oil. ladled tablespoons of latke batter onto the paper, 12 per pan. brushed the top with a bit more olive oil. 450 degree oven for about 12 minutes. turn the broiler on high to add a bit more color. perfect!

the parchment paper helps conduct the heat while protecting the bottom from excessive browning AND keeps them from sticking. i am hooked!

as for the recipe, what do i put in my potato latkes? this year: 5 lb yukon gold, shredded, excess water squeezed out. 1 medium vidalia onion. 5 medium carrots. 4 eggs. 1-1/2 or 2 cups matza meal. lots of garlic powder, salt, pepper. oh yes, diced the potatoes, cube the onion and carrots. shred the potatoes WITH the onion and carrot, so they are thoroughly blended. mmmmmm......

if you've never had spinach latkes, its just 2 bags of frozen CUT spinach (16 oz each), 2 eggs 1 cup matza meal, garlic powder salt pepper dash nutmeg AND the secret ingrediant: 1/2 vidalia onion not quite diced, caramelized. thaw the spinach over the stove or in the microwave, combine with other ingrediants, 'bake' as i did the latkes (or deep fry if you can stand it) and serve. these are extra yummy served with a small wedge of brie, or topped with shredded mozzarella. the heat of the latke will melt the mozzarella into it.

i am not going to bother to tell you how to make applesauce. okay i am. granny smith apples, peeled cored cubed. cinnamon. brown sugar. 1/4 cup water to coat bottom of pot and prevent sticking. simmer over medium flame. IF you are serving parve or milchtig, you can add a tablespoon of butter. unless your kids are vegans. in which case you have my sympathy.

so children, that is all for now, i have to get back to work. as i post revisions, i'll let you know so you can reread.

time to check the dance of lights out my window...