POMMES ANNETTE

Just a quickie before I head off into the Wild West for a week of he-man, self-deprivation, eating-sticks-and-rocks in the frozen highlands of New Mexico, our most beautiful state. I've pretty much cleaned out the fridge of perishables, but there was this perfect potato in the fruit bowl—welll, not quite too perfect as it was turning green and starting to sprout. As my German grandma would say, "Diese Kartoffel ist noch essbar," and remembering Granny's frugality I decided to have it for dinner instead of throwing it out.

No, I really don't have a German granny. But Karen doesn't have a Jewish one either, and she has Hannukah parties all the same. This is going to be my tribute to both of our imaginary ancestors, with a froggy spin. Pommes Annette is a single-serving variant (okay, I just made this up now) on the classic Pommes Anna—made with one potato, salt, and olive oil. Yeah, I know butter is traditional, but I think olive oil tastes better, and you can throw in a wad of butter at the end for flavor if you absolutely must.

The Jewish angle is that this could be considered a version of Latke—eat it with applesauce if you like—in fact the potato I cooked was a remnant of those I had gotten for latkes during Hannukah. It's also super simple, fun to make, and it's very elegant to look at—just like Pommes Anna.

While the oil is heating in a skillet (preferably cast iron), cut the ends off the potato, peel and slice (a Benriner mandoline is great for this!). Spread out the slices on the cutting board and sprinkle with salt—just one side is fine. After making sure that the oil is sloshed all around the skillet, arrange the slices artfully. I like to start around the outside with the larger pieces, overlapping somewhat—the result is kind of chrysanthemum-like. It's got to be thin, because we're not going to turn it—it's going to cook through just from one side.

That's pretty much it. By the time the tater is fully cooked, there will be a very nice crust on the side that's down. If you're using cast iron, you may need to coax the browned slices off of the metal. [And if the skillet is not properly seasoned, you'll end up with crunchy mashed potatoes!] Flip it over onto a plate and eat.

Latkas - potato pancakes

Happy Hanukkah!
For those who may not already know this, Hanukkah is an 8 day festival of feasting. Tonight is the first night, and a Sabbath, and I've got my stepdaughters, so obviously I'm making latkas. Every year we have a latkafest: tons of latkas, served with sour cream & homemade apple sauce, accompanied by a green salad.
Latkas are simple to make, although there is a certain art to it. Some people like them soft, some crispy in consistency. Others like them mashed or shredded in texture. Plain or with onions & herbs? Mine are crispy, shredded, chocked with onion & sprinkled with herbs.

Tips: As I write, I'm frying up the latkas, since I actually want to spend time with the family, not in the kitchen frying at the last minute. They can be made ahead of time, then reheated in an oven, even refrigerated or frozen.
Use the following as a guideline. Much depends on the starchyness of the potatoes, so add flour as necessary. For a main course for 6 people I use about 3 lbs of potatoes.

Latkas
1 lb potatoes
1 onion
1 egg
2 tbs flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
salt & pepper
pinch nutmeg
herbs to taste: parsely, rosemary, thyme, sage...
oil for frying

Shred potatoes. Press into a colander, squeezing out as much water as possible (I do it by hand).
Add thinly sliced onion and all the rest of the ingredients.
Let sit while heating oil in a large pan.
With a slotted spoon, scoop out mixture, trying to drain any excess liquid (this is inevitable: if too liquid, add some flour, but not so much to make the latkas crunchy). Oil should be hot!
Place in oil, pressing gently (remember hot oil tends to bubble!) on the mixture. When edges brown, turn over with the aid of two utensils.
Place fried latkas on a dish lined with paper towels or brown bags to absorb excess oil.
Serve with condiments.

To reheat, place on a cookie sheet in warm oven.

HAMANTASCHEN-OZNEI HAMAN-Purim cookies

Purim is a Jewish holiday also known as the Feast of Esther. Jewish holidays follow a lunar calendar, so it usually falls in late February or early March (like this year: 2009 or 5769 by the Jewish calendar). Hamantaschen or the "pockets of Hamam" are one of the traditional treats made for Purim. These cookies are simple & can be made with any number of fillings (including any jam you like). In a hermetically sealed container they keep 5 days (if the kids don't eat them all) & can be frozen.

The basic recipe that follows is the one I've always made with my kids because it's very simple. This can be made in a food processor (metal blade) or by hand.

TIP: Any kind of butter pastry should be as lighltly kneaded as possible or it will harden.
Dough must always be refrigerated. This pastry dough requires at least 3 hours, so I often make it a few days ahead of time.

Pastry:
1 egg plus 1 yolk
4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsps baking powder
2 sticks of butter plus 4 tbsps
lemon zest

Beat egg & yolk. Set aside
Put dry goods in processor or large bowl.
Cut butter into small cubes & sprinkle over dry mixture. Either process or mix with a fork until the texture is crumbly.
Add beaten egg.
Blend until dough starts to form a ball. If still too dry, add a little lemon juice or water by the tsp.
Add zest.
Blend or knead into a ball.
Remove from bowl & flatten into a disc.
Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate.

Grease cookie sheet.
Roll dough out as lightly & thinly as possible.
Use a round cookie cutter or wine glass to cut out circles.
Put a heaping tsp of filling in the center.
Wet edges with water then pinch them towards the center to form a triangle.
Place on cookie sheet & refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to a medium-hot temperature.
Bake about 10 minutes or until golden.


Prune or dried fig Filling:
Blend the following ingredients in food processor or by hand.

1 cup pitted prunes or dried figs
1/2 cup raisins
4 tbsps walnuts (or other nuts)
4 tbsps jam (I prefer orange marmelade)