Tag: chanukah recipes

Chanukah Treats that Aren’t Donuts!

We’re halfway through Chanukah and the donut fatigue has set in! But don’t you worry – I gotchyu!!

First on the list, is definitely my pizza dough zeppole. It’s so easy, you don’t even need a recipe! I rolled out some pizza dough (Trader Joes!), then cut it into roughly square shapes, then deep fried until golden. I dusted half in powdered sugar and served with raspberry jam, and rolled the other half in cinnamon sugar and served with caramel. You’re welcome!

These cheese pancakes can also be called latkes, so you get your latke and “jelly donut” in one fix! Recipe here!

Fritters are always a winner, and this all-purpose batter can be used for anything from apples to persimmon (pictured), or Oreos to candy bars!

All-Purpose Deep-Fried-Anything Batter:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 egg
1 1/4 cups milk

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the wet to the dry and stir until smooth. Dip (almost) anything in the batter, shake off excess, and deep fry!

Yes! You are looking at JELLY DONUT NACHOS and they are a REVELATION!! So. So. Good. Fry up some wonton wrappers and dust in powdered sugar. Drizzle with jam. You’re welcome!

These jelly donut linzer cookies are SO. SO. GOOD. Get the recipe here!

These beer battered pumpkin rings are so fun! Get the recipe here!

HAPPY FRYING!

What’s your favorite non-donut Chanukah treat? Share it with me! Post a Comment

Lacy Latkes Tips & Tricks!

I’ll admit that I’m the first one to trash up latkes and have fun with them, but really, nothing competes with the classic perfect latke – if you get them right! There’s an art to the perfect potato latke, and I like to call them LACY LATKES for the shards of potato that crunch up between your teeth like crispy potato sticks! So how do you make these little bites of heaven? Read on!

• Use russet potatoes, they’re perfectly starchy!
• Place your potatoes in water until ready to grate so they don’t brown.
• Prep all your ingredients so that you can work fast!
• Alternate your potato and onion when you grate them, it keeps the mixture white!
• Grate your potatoes from top to bottom (or sideways in the food processor) for longer strands of potato = lacy edges!
• Squeeze your potato/onion mixture as dry as you can! Squeeze into a bowl so you can reserve the starch.
• Once the starch settles to the bottom of the bowl, discard the remaining liquid, and add the starch back in to the latke mixture for extra crispiness!
• Use a heavy bottomed skillet or cast iron pan.
• Add a carrot to your oil, it will keep it clean!
• Use plenty of oil, and get it nice and hot before adding the batter.
• Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the batter and flatten it out with the bottom of the measuring cup, so the edges spread out.
• Don’t overcrowd your pan, give the latkes plenty of room so they don’t steam.
• Leave the latkes alone! Don’t touch and let them develop a good crust! Flip and give the other side some time too!
• If the latke mixture starts to get soggy, give it a squeeze before adding it to the pan.
• Place the latkes on a rack set over a baking sheet to keep them crispy.

So you’ve made the perfect latke, now how do you top them? I put a Questions box on Instagram and here are some of the fun toppings that came in!

Sweet Chili Sauce
Sugar! (who knew?!)
Applesauce MIXED with sour cream!
Sour cream mixed with horseradish
Ketchup (!!!!!)
Tuna & melted cheese a la tuna melt!
Spicy tuna and spicy mayo
Truffle aioli
Sour Cream, pickled onions, capers
Poached egg (yes please!)
Cheddar cheese sauce
Beef fry and coleslaw
Labneh with garlic, dried mint, olive oil, Aleppo pepper
Garlic Mayo and shredded BBQ chicken or pulled beef
Cranberry Sauce
Greek Yogurt, Lox, Dill
Pastrami and sautéed onion
Sriracha
Guacamole
Tzatziki
Ranch Dip
Caviar and creme fraiche

Other Latke Recipes:

crispy rice latkes
salami potato latkes
sabich latkes
falatkes (falafel latkes)
poutine latkes
confetti latkes
butternut squash latkes
cheese latkes

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Tempura Green Beans

Happy Fryfest you guys!!!! Chanukah is upon us and it’s time to heat up your cast iron skillet because latkes, and donuts, and funnel cakes, oh my!!

I love a good fryfest and it’s that time of year when calories don’t count (right?)! Tempura fried greens are literally my FAVE and after seeing a friend have them recently at Soho Asian Bar & Grill in Florida (where I first had them), I decided to fry up a batch myself!

Tempura fried anything is super simple to do and requires very minimal ingredients! As long as you get your temp right (I recommend a deep fry thermometer for frying!), you’ll be on your way to crispy deliciousness.

Keep in mind that having your oil too cold with result in greasy food, and having it too hot will result in burnt food! So get that temp accurate! (that works for donuts, funnel cakes, deep fried oreos or anything else you want to fry for the holiday!)

And once you have that fryer working, feel free to tempura fry everything in your produce drawer! Because if it’s veggies, it doesn’t count right? Right?

HAPPY FRYFEST!!!!!!

Related Recipes:

cranberry sriracha green beans
fritto misto
beer battered pumpkin rings
zucchini parmesan chips

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Crispy Rice Latkes

Call ’em crispy rice latkes, call ’em snap crackle and pop cakes, call ’em crispy crack or even tahdig – just do yourself a favor and make them, ok??

These leftover sushi rice cakes were a total afterthought the morning after a make-your-own-sushi-roll for dinner night. I usually just stir fry my leftover rice and top it with a runny egg for breakfast the next morning but this time, I decided to crisp it up into what basically turned into a crack cake. It’s tahdig on steroids and solves the soggy latke problem, because even hours later, the latkes remained super crispy.

I think my biggest problem was what to top them with but I solved it pretty fast because runny eggs are my jam, especially when they are jammy soft boiled ones. But honestly, the options are endless. Lox and creme fraiche if you’re feeling fancy. Caviar if you really want to take it over the top. Some tuna tartare if you want to go Asian, or some sesame pulled beef if you’re feeling meaty.

And if you really want to be fancy, mix the scallions INTO the rice before frying. Or add any fillings of your choice. ENDLESS. OPTIONS.

Chanukah has been so good to me. It gave me life (I was born on the 5th night), and it celebrates my Anniversary (I got married on my birthday). I’ve always felt a special connection to the holiday of fried food, donuts and wine + cheese and I secretly wonder if it’s one of the reasons I was born with the foodie gene!

This Chanukah is especially momentous because I get to share the holiday with so many of my fans and followers at my local book signings in Williams Sonoma and Bloomingdales! I could not be more excited to share some of my favorite Chanukah recipes in some of my favorite stores. I am feeling so. very. blessed. Thank you all for making this year so special to me!

Wishing you and yours a very Happy Chanukah!

Other Latke Recipes:

salami potato latkes
sabich latkes
falatkes (falafel latkes)
poutine latkes
confetti latkes
butternut squash latkes
cheese latkes

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Salami Potato Latkes

If there’s anything my blog is known for, it’s probably my drunken hasselback salami. Clearly people like the stuff. They like to hang it, they like to dry it, and man do they like to eat it!


If I’m ever in need of a fun recipe idea, I can just stick salami in there somewhere and chances are, it will go viral. My salami babka from last year was such a hit that Abeles & Heymann decided to print it on their actual packaging and, come on, how many of you have NOT tried the hasselback version, even the stores are selling it now! What is it with Jews and salami?


Well, I don’t know, but I’ll tell you this – I’m knee deep in cookbook editing and when I realized that Chanukah was just a few days away, I knew I had to come up with a latke recipe, and pronto. I’ve always got A&H salami in the fridge, and when I opened the door for some inspiration, it hit me. Why not add it to my potato latkes for some seriously salty delicious flavor? I decided to try grating it in my food processor so I could incorporate the salami in fully, and it processed really well! The result is a super fun take on a traditional latke that you will truly enjoy.

Unlike other traditional Jewish foods, I find that people are really purists about their latkes. They don’t want to sub sweet potatoes for potatoes, they’re not interested in the healthier baked versions, no. They want crispy, fried potato latkes that leave your fingers all greasy and your house and clothes smelling like Chanukah.

So here’s the thing: these latkes are a fun twist on the traditional, but they still respect the humble potato latke and they taste pretty classic too, except for some hints of salami.

And if you’re wondering why there’s a carrot in my frying pan, it’s the most brilliant frying hack ever! Somehow the carrot soaks up all the gunk in the oil and it keeps your oil clean throughout frying. You must give it a try!

Happy Chanukah and of course, happy frying!

This post is sponsored by Abeles & Heymann.
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Other Latke Recipes:

sabich latkes
falafel latkes
poutine latkes
confetti latkes with harissa sour cream
butternut squash latkes
cheese latkes with raspberry sauce

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