Hanukkah 2020

The miracle of lights hits a little different this year. While we can’t gather in person, we will still light candles, eat latkes, spin the dreidel, and enjoy as much gin-and-tonicah or holiday nog as you wish.

Here are step-by-step instructions to making delicious latkes. It loosely follows Martha Stewart’s recipe, but freelances a little on the way.

Requires:

• two bowls, grater, cheese cloth
• 4 potatoes, 1 onion (makes four servings)
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp flour, 1tbsp salt
• vegetable oil, frying pan
• apple sauce, sour cream
• caviar if you’re fancy

A couple of tips:

• Make sure you have enough potatoes and oil. The miracle of the holiday is that the temple lamps didn’t run out, but these are so delicious you’re going to want to have extra. Bet on two or more potatoes per person.
• Get your potato-onion mixture nice and dry. This makes the fried latkes really crispy. Martha suggests using ice water to remove the starch, but I just use cheese cloth and hand strength.
• If you’re doing multiple rounds, you may want to make the mixture fresh each time. The potatoes turn brown quickly, and thee grated bits get hard.
• Make your pancakes pretty flat. Smash them down with a spatula if you like. Watch the oil splatter, and have paper towels at the ready.
• DO NOT pour starch water down the drain, even if you have a garbage disposal. This is a recipe for a plumbing problem, and no one wants to snake a drain the morning after.