Latkes!!!! And Unique Gifts for the Holidays!

Hi everyone!

The holidays are around the corner which means for those of us who are Jewish, we better get on the ball! I am re-posting my healthier latke recipe-divine!!!

BTW, have you checked out the hilarious video I just made with Brooklyn Beats’s Joey and Freddy??? Here is the link!:

Brooklyn Beat’s Joey and Freddy with alma as the guest!!

I would  also like to highlight some special places that help those in need as you search for gifts.

It can be a challenge to get an appropriate gift for a child with special needs.  Here is a website that gives some ideas for gifting:

http://www.lovethatmax.com/2012/12/gifts-that-benefit-kids-and-adults-with.html

I also want to give a shout out to Course Horse because they donate a TON of meals  during Thanksgiving to those in need in NYC. You should know about them!

Searching for a foodie gift that keeps on giving this Holiday season? One great idea is to look past the gadgets, gizmos and other accessories and provide an experience that will stick with them for life:  give a cooking class!

 CourseHorse is a new website that makes it easy to find, compare and enroll in all different types of cooking classes – from traditional preparation, to pie/dumpling/cheese and cupcake-making, beer brewing, wine-tasting, knife skills and more. The site features thousands of classes from hundreds of top schools and is completely free to use. This year, they’ve put together a gift certificate that allows you to give a specific class, or a designated monetary value for use on any future class. So browse cooking classes and give your food friends/family a gift card that will keep on giving this year. Some class ideas are listed below:

1 large carrot,1 large beet, one medium sized parsnip, one large Yam, all grated in a food processor or hand grater and separated in their own bowls
1 medium onion, finely chopped or processed in a food processor
4 rounded TBS flour
2 beaten eggs
pinch baking soda
pinch of salt (more to taste after they are done)
2/3 cup canola oil
12″ frying pan (I use cast iron)

In one big colander, add shredded yams and beets and 1/2 the onion. Press out as much of the liquid as you can. Transfer to a large bowl and add one beaten eggs and stir to combine. Then in another colander or same one rinsed out, add the shredded parsnip and carrots and the other 1/2 of the onion. Drain liquid and add one egg and stir. Transfer each mixture to their own bowls.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add 1/2 dry mixture to each bowl of wet and stir until combined.

On a cutting board or plates, mold some latkes, I do 3-4″ wide, about 1/2-3/4″ thick.

Place skillet over medium to high flame. After a minute or two, add the oil. Let heat up for a few minutes and when you throw in a piece of the potato and it sizzles, you are ready to fry!

Place in as many latkes as will fit in the pan by sliding them off the plates with a spatula, allowing an inch or so of space in between so you have room to flip them and so the temp. of the oil won’t go down too much. This higher temp.will also keep the latkes from getting overly greasy and soggy.

Line a plate with paper towels. Fry for about 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and then place on paper towel lined plate. Eat immediately with the traditional sour cream or applesauce or any other condiment. In my house it will most certainly be sour cream and ketchup, although I also tried them with my apple cider reduction which was phenomenal…

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