Brisket, Latkes & Applesauce, Oh My!

This is my third holiday season with my fiance and each year he has slowly been introducing into some of the traditions of Hanukkah. The first year was the eight days of gift giving (which he REALLY enjoys!), the second year we bought a small menorah and lit the candles each evening. This year I decided that on the last night of Hanukkah I would try my hand at making a few traditional Jewish dishes, namely Brisket, Latkes and Applesauce all of which turned out superbly.

For the brisket I modified a slow cooker recipe that I found in a Jewish Cookbook, Jewish Slow Cooker Recipes : 120 holiday and everyday dishes made easy by Laura Frankel. The latkes that I made resemble hashbrown patties and were super easy to make. To serve with the latkes I made homemade applesauce which was beyond anything I've ever done before and so easy that I've decided to never by store bought applesauce again. 

Happy Holiday Cooking Everyone!

Latkes

Potato Latkes

Ingredients

6 large baking potatoes, peeled and shredded
1/2 onion, sliced into thin strips (optional)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 eggs
1/2 of veg. oil (or enough to have about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of oil at the bottom of the pan.
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Peel and shred the potatoes. This is where a salad shooter pro would come in handy, but if not a good old cheese grater using the largest holes works fine as well.

In a large, deep skillet, heat oil on medium heat until just hot enough so that when water is flicked into the pan it pops and sizzles. It is important in this recipe to make sure the oil does not get too hot, or you may burn the latkes.

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Using a large wooden spoon, scoop out a small amount of the potato mixture and place it in the oil. Flatten it out into a round patty. Wait a minute for the oil to heat up again and place another spoonful in the oil. Repeat as many times as necessary for the pan to become full.

The latkes will take about 3 minutes per side to cook, or until they are golden brown.

* To keep latkes warm and crisp, line a lipped baking sheet with tinfoil and place a gridded baking rack on top. Place the latkes on the baking rack and place them in a oven warmed to 200 degrees.

Things I'll try next time

* Instead of using onions, I used onion powder because Aaron hates onion. I also omitted the garlic, but will also try it next time.

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Slow Cooker Applesauce

Ingredients

6 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker. On the low setting let cook for 6 to 8 hours, stirring after 5 hours and then again before serving. I was able to keep it in the fridge in a covered container for a few days (it didn't last very long!).

Things I'll try next time

* I used granny smith apples that had been on my counter for a few weeks and they worked just fine. I may add more apples or cut down on the sugar a pinch because it was very sweet.
* If I use a sweeter apple like a honey crisp or a pink lady I may cut back the sugar even more.
* I served these on the latkes, but they also worked great as a topping for ice cream or oatmeal.

Creating the Perfect Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a big deal for me. It is one of those holidays that centers around the kitchen and where I can try out new recipes on unsuspecting friends and family!

For me, a great dinner party starts with a plan. Anyone who knows me knows that I am a hyper-organized person and usually can be found with list in hand. For the second time this year I have tried out a new organizational technique: printing out a cooking plan that includes all the recipes I'm going  to prepare, in the order that I will be making them. I then store them in plastic sheet protectors and use them to refer to during the cooking of my holiday meal.

This turned out to be a useful tool for a few reasons. First, it was easy to create a shopping list for what I would need for the dinner when all of the ingredients are printed out for me in one place. Second, having the recipes on hand, in one place, made it easier to keep track of what I still had left to do. I would simply use a dry erase marker on the sheet protectors to cross out steps as I went. Thirdly, I often get asked for copies of my recipes and hey, I just happen to have a handy printed out copy to hand over right then and there.

Sure, I may have gotten a few askance looks from friends and family, many of them shaking their heads in mock pity over my apparent "going over the OCD deep-end" moment, but that sure didn't stop any of them from enjoying the sumptuous banquet I laid out for them!