Family Meal Plan: Petite Parsnip Latkes + Spiced Apple-Pear Sauce + Cinnamon Sour Cream

Petite Parsnip Latkes

Happy & Healthy Cooking,

Fun-Da-Mentals Kitchen Skills

• chop :

  to cut something into small, rough pieces using a blade.

• drop :

  to let a small amount of solid or liquid food drop into another food or onto a pan to cook, like dropping a spoonful of batter onto a baking sheet or skillet or letting a bit of extract or food coloring drop into a mixture.

• fry :

  to fry in a pan in a small amount of fat.

• grate :

  to reduce food, like a carrot, to very small shreds or pieces of the same size by rubbing it on a tool with an outside surface that has holes with cutting edges (a grater).

• juice :

  to extract or squeeze out the juice of a fruit or vegetable, like a lemon, orange, or carrot, often cutting open or peeling the fruit or veggie first to access its flesh.

• knife skills :

  Bear Claw (growl), Pinch, Plank, and Bridge (look out for trolls). 

• measure :

  to calculate the specific amount of an ingredient required using a measuring tool (like measuring cups or spoons).

• sprinkle :

  to scatter small drops or particles of an ingredient evenly or randomly over food. 

• whisk :

  to beat or stir ingredients vigorously with a fork or whisk to mix, blend, or incorporate air.

History of Latkes (Potato Pancakes)!

• Latkes (LOT-kehs) or potato pancakes are commonly associated with the Jewish cuisine of Eastern Europe. They may go back to sometime in the Middle Ages (476-1453 CE). Cheese latkes were primarily eaten until potatoes arrived in Eastern Europe in the 1800s, and then potato latkes became more widespread. 
• Latkes are primarily made with grated or puréed potatoes, onion, egg, flour or matzo meal, and kosher salt and fried in oil. They can also be made with sweet potatoes, zucchini, carrots, cheese, or legumes. Sour cream and applesauce are common toppings. 
• Latkes are eaten during Hanukkah as part of the tradition of eating foods fried in oil during the festival. Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem. Candles are lit each of the festival's eight days to commemorate the miracle of one day of consecrated lamp oil lasting eight days.

Let's Learn About Hanukkah!

• Hanukkah (HAHN-uh-kah) is a festival (the Festival of Lights) celebrated for eight days in December from the 25th day of Kislev (on the Hebrew calendar). It commemorates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 165 or 164 BCE after Antiochus, a Syrian king, had defiled it. The Maccabees, led by warrior Judah, revolted against Antiochus and reclaimed the temple.
• Hanukkah or Chanukah is a transliteration of a Hebrew word and translates to "dedication" in English. 
• While restoring the Temple, the Maccabees found only enough oil to kindle its lamps for one night. According to tradition, that small amount of oil miraculously burned for eight nights until more could be procured. That's why Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration.
• On each of the eight nights, one candle on a nine-branch "menorah" is lit until the end of Hanukkah, when all eight are burning. The ninth branch, above or below the others, is the "shamash" or "helper" flame, used to light the others. Traditionally, oil is supposed to be used for lighting these flames. These days, candles are usually used instead.
• The candles are lit, starting from the right. The newest candle is lit first. Jewish families say a series of blessings as they light the candles and sing songs like "Ma'oz Tzur" (Strong Rock), "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel," and "Oh Chanukah." 
• On Hanukkah, it's traditional to eat lots of "sufganiyot," a jelly donut. Because of the crucial role that oil plays in the holiday, fried foods are a major food group during these eight nights, hence the beloved jelly donut. Latkes, or potato pancakes, are also very popular.
• Hanukkah is not really about presents. Purim (which commemorates the story of Esther in early Spring) is Judaism's gift-giving holiday. However, Hanukkah's proximity to Christmas led many Jewish people in the Western world to start exchanging gifts around the same time as their Christian friends and neighbors. In some families, one present is given each of the eight days.
• Playing "dreidel" (DRAY-del) involves more than just spinning tops. The game of dreidel is actually a means to an end—winning "gelt," coins that are either chocolate or (if you're lucky!) real money. It's one of the more authentic things you can do at your Hanukkah party since the game's been played for centuries.
• Each side of a dreidel has a Hebrew letter: nun, gimmel, hay, and shin. The four letters are an abbreviation for the Hebrew phrase "Nes gadol haya sham." That means, "A great miracle happened there," referencing the miracle of the oil in the temple.