Photo by Erielle Bakkum.
I’m a costume designer turned author-illustrator.
I love creepy, quirky stories featuring brave kids.
HOLIDAY FUN
Recipes
My family’s traditional latke (potato pancake) recipe is from a box! My grandmother Edith was an artist, a teacher and a busy mom of two boys: she didn’t have time to grate potatoes by hand!
Now, my family also likes to make latkes from scratch. We follow this recipe:
Mannis Family Latkes
INGREDIENTS
1 small yellow onion
1 pound russet potatoes
1 large egg
1/4 cup matzo meal or flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Peel the potatoes and the onion.
Coarsely grate them using the shredding disk of a food processor.
Scoop the grated potato and onion onto a triple layer of cheesecloth or dishcloth. Twist the cloth up into a bundle and squeeze as much liquid out of the bundle as possible. Let the bundle rest a few minutes and then squeeze again: you really want to get all the liquid out!
Mix with remaining ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes.
Pour 1/4” of oil into a large skillet and heat over medium heat. You can test the heat of the oil by dropping in a small bit of latke mixture. If it sizzles and turns brown right away, the oil is ready.
Scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of the latke mixture to make an oval shape and slide one at a time into the oil. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Fry until golden-brown, around 2 minutes each side. Keep adjusting the heat to assure uniform color and doneness.
Place the latkes on a few layers of paper towels before transferring to serving platter. You can keep latkes warm on a paper towel lined baking sheet in a 200 degree oven until you are ready to serve.
Enjoy with either applesauce or sour cream, or both!
HEY KIDS!
Grating potatoes and deep frying are projects to do with an adult!
Music
In our house, we also celebrate Christmas. We drink cocoa with peppermint whipped cream while we decorate our tree and listen to a mix of Hanukkah and Christmas songs. Enjoy!