tackling latkes: sweet potato-scallion & potato, onion and apple

i've never made latkes before,

for the purpose of chanukah.

for my culinary school graduation,

i decided that one of my dishes for the

grand buffet, was going to be beet latkes.

when i was done shredding them,

the table,

my apron,

my hands,

the floor and the counters,

were stained red and i was already

over the project. by then, my chef

had convinced me that they could

be served at room temperature, so

that i did not have to struggle with

a la minute preparations - in retrospect,

that part was probably for the best - and

he had an idea that they should be served

over a bed of sliced, raw golden beets.

my memory of that day is this:

while others had the idea to create appetizers,

like, little savory cheesecake bites, cut into

precious squares, i just had to create not only

one, but three dishes, that involved persnickety,

time consuming steps. after making

teeny tiny chocolate tarts and lobster, corn

and chive shot glasses, i spent all afternoon

frying 150 beet pancakes, only to have the

people who ate them, complain that:

1) their fingers were stained

2) they were kind of cold and

3) they didn't realize the raw beets were for

pretty, not for eating.

i was over latkes.

but, then, this year, for chanukah,

i wanted back in.

i want to start making dishes that have

tradition to them and holiday memories

attached. i want to own a portion of the

jewish meals that my family will serve

year after year. i want to, one day, not

be shocked when i'm responsible for

producing an entire holiday meal

on my own.

my mom was thrilled.

my sisters were happy to still

have latkes.

i was kind of scared.

i was worried that i wouldn't

work quickly enough and that the

potatoes would brown. i was worried

that i wouldn't be a good enough

squeezer and that the latkes wouldn't

turn golden, because they'd be too

waterlogged. i was worried my family,

upon eating their first latke,

would turn to my mother, with pleading

in their eyes, and silently beg her to take

back latke making duties next year.

all of these fears - and the fact that i had to

work the day of our chanukah dinner (held

this past weekend, thanks my work schedule

this week) - convinced me to make the latkes a week

early, and pop them in the freezer, to give me

time to fix any mistakes.

i decided to make two latkes:

sweet potato latkes

from gourmet, that i've

been looking at for years

and

melissa clark's apple potato latkes,

featured one week earlier in

the new york times.

and then,

this happened:

(except for the facts that

-i confirmed that i have

a hot [and cold spot] on my burner

-i made myself cook in a freezing cold kitchen

with the windows open to eliminate the frying

smell from the start [didn't work]

-i should have followed my instinct and squeezed

the sweet potatoes before frying, even though the

recipe didn't instruct for that to happen

-it took me all afternoon to make the latkes

-i may have [literally] frozen my husband out of the kitchen,

and then demanded that he come back to help me

squeeze the potatoes, apples and onions quickly,

before making him help me find room in our jam-packed

freezer for 60 latkes)

the whole thing actually went ok.

sure, i've learned you can always squeeze a little bit

more, to really make sure all the liquid is out.

and yes, i'm now more willing to accept that

the first batch of latkes are kind of like the first pancake,

and will never go that well.

but, the latkes tasted like latkes.

in spite of my best efforts, the house smelled

like chanukah.

and this past saturday,

we reheated the latkes

at my mom's, until they were

crisp-on-the-outside,

creamy-on-the-inside.

i watched my family carefully -

no one seemed to be sending

out smoke signals for help.

they ate every single one,

erasing my

beet latke nightmare memories,

in the process.

sweet potato-scallion latkes

adapted from gourmet magazine

this recipe was very basic, and a couple reviewers had complained that they were bland. so, after grating the sweet potatoes, i stirred in a few healthy dashes of cayenne, cumin and coriander, which i think i actually was able to taste, subtly, in the finished product. i did not measure - i just shook in spices, until it felt right. as i said above, the recipe did not call for squeezing liquid out of the potatoes, but i think that was a mistake. i spent the whole time i was making these, trying not to notice the liquid pooling at the bottom. and, i doubled the scallions, but i think i could have tripled them (below, i've written as i made them - doubled).

i also made the decision to double this recipe, which was the right decision. the original recipe was supposed to make 28, but doubling it, i got 30. sure, maybe some of mine were big, but i don't think they were that big. below, is the doubled recipe.

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 bunch scallions, trimmed, cleaned and finely chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

ground cayenne

ground cumin

ground coriander

3/4-1 cup vegetable oil

in large bowl, stir together eggs, scallions, salt and pepper; set aside.

using box grater or grating attachment on the food processor, grate sweet potatoes; transfer to a dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. add grated sweet potatoes; sprinkle with flour and a couple healthy shakes each cayenne, cumin and coriander. stir to combine.

in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, heat 3/4 cup oil until hot, but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 2-3 tablespoons sweet potato mixture into skillet. flatten using back of a slotted spoon (i actually used the 1/4 cup metal measuring cup i was using). reduce heat to medium and cook 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown on each side, turning once. transfer to paper towel-lined plate or sheet pan. add remaining oil to skillet, if necessary.

to freeze: let cool completely. freeze in single layer 2-4 hours. transfer frozen latkes to a freezer safe resealable bag or container. to reheat: heat oven to 400˚f. heat latkes 10-15 minutes, or until hot and sizzling, turning once.

potato, onion and apple latkes

adapted from the new york times

for this recipe, i did something that i never do: i just trusted the recipe. i decided to make it the second i saw melissa clark tweet about it, i didn't bother to research if anyone else made it and i just went for it. it was kind of refreshing. i also doubled this recipe and made the latkes, larger than instructed, but somehow, got exactly the right number (36).

i think that my apples were small, and as i result, i didn't really taste that much apple, but i don't mind, and i would still try them again the same way. i used 4 onions, because they were tiny. also: because i was so nervous about making sure that the apples and potatoes, didn't brown, i asked larry to help me and we turned it into a very fast multi-step process. instead of shredding the onions, potatoes and apples at the same time, i shredded the onions first, squeezed them and then added them to the bowl with the eggs. then, i asked larry to shred and squeeze the apples while i peeled, shredded and squeezed the potatoes. we did not have anything brown, and i recommend it, but if you're cooking alone, there's probably no reason for my crazy version of operation shred and squeeze. (i also realize that my method added work, but it relieved stress, so i consider it a wash.)

here's what i didn't do: i didn't make the cinnamon sour cream that went with it (i'm not really sure why), and since i was making this recipe second, i opted to just keep using vegetable oil, instead of the olive oil.

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoons black pepper

2 medium yellow onions, peeled

4 golden delicious apples

2 large russet potatoes

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

vegetable or olive oil for frying

in large bowl, stir together eggs, salt and pepper; set aside.

using box grater or grater attachment on the food processor, grate onion. place onion in strainer; press on onion to release liquid. transfer onion to dish towel; squeeze out remaining liquid. transfer to bowl with egg mixture.

peel and core apples; grate apples. repeat straining and squeezing. transfer to bowl with onions; stir to combine. peel potatoes; repeat shredding and squeezing. sprinkle with flour and baking powder; stir to combine.

in large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1/4-inch oil, until hot, but not smoking. in batches of four or five, drop 3 tablespoons of latke mixture into skillet; press to flatten. cook 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown, turning once. transfer to paper towel-lined sheet pan.

to freeze: let cool completely. freeze in single layer 2-4 hours. transfer frozen latkes to a freezer safe resealable bag or container. to reheat: heat oven to 400˚f. heat latkes 10-15 minutes, or until hot and sizzling, turning once.

grilled scallions and scallion vinaigrette (with a sunny side up egg)

since changing jobs,

i've imagined all the things

that i'm going to do,

all the things that i'm going

to cook,

all the things that i'm

going to see and change

about my life.

i thought maybe i'd

finally get around to

making zuni chicken - and being

the kind of person who remembers

to buy chickens two days ahead

of time -

and rick bayless' 27-ingredient

mole. i thought that i'd just make

quick breads and muffins on the

weekends and spend my days

making stock. maybe i'd finally

start canning.

and, i did do some things

that are new, determined to

somehow show my appreciation

that i've regained several hours

each week.

i made a torte for

dinner (a torte! on a

weeknight!) and even added

the two tablespoons of mint

that i usually would have left

out because, ew, mint. i figured,

i'm trying to be a different

person in many other ways,

why can't i make myself be the kind

of person who likes mint?

it was ok.

but, still, i tried.

i stopped myself from insisting

that we go grocery shopping,

like we normally do on sundays

and instead, went to the beach

to walk along the boardwalk on

a surprisingly beautiful day.

and when we walked outside

to catch a dinner reservation,

i took the time to wait as larry

ran back in the house to get the

camera, so that i could snap a few

pictures of the gorgeous sunset.

but, i've remembered something.

i love cooking, probably more than a lot

of people i know. i love devoting time

to making crazy things that most people

would rather buy. i love serving food

to my family and my friends.

but - sometimes.

i'm not a cooking robot with one button

always set to cook. i want to be like other

bloggers i read and those on twitter who

cook from friday night to sunday night,

but i'm not. i still have a job that requires

energy, i still have a family that i want to

see, errands that i have to run, pictures

that have to be hung on the walls of the

house that we've lived in for a year and season

finales that i want to watch sometime near

when they originally aired.

these things - these are things i've

struggled with. i've always felt like if

i was truly as passionate about food

as i claim to be, i would want to live

my life in the kitchen, always. but, i'm coming

to understand that there are different

ways to love cooking and ingredients

and technique. and sometimes, that

means embracing the most simple of

recipes and appreciating them for what

they offer, too.

i've let myself buy store-made turkey

sausages, that larry tossed onto the grill

along with ears of corn. and last night,

when i got out of work way later than

i was supposed to, i embraced

the quick sandwiches that i made with

peppadews, shallots, capers, feta,

oil-packed tuna and lemon, instead

of the more elaborate dinner i had planned.

and, that's why i was drawn to this recipe

from the may issue of bon appetit.

it looked so simple, but so lovely.

and, i'll admit, even though i'm a little

embarrassed by it, i was intrigued

by the idea of microwave-poaching

the eggs. i'm not sure why i even considered

it - i'm a good egg poacher.

(lest you take me as insanely sure of myself,

let me explain -

i'm a pretty poor producer of

runny sunnyside up eggs,

eggs over easy,

pretty-looking hard-cooked eggs,

or even, fluffy scrambled eggs.

but, i can poach eggs, and i wave that flag, proudly.)

however, a lot of people struggle

with poaching eggs and i thought,

hey, if this mug in the microwave version works,

maybe it could be poached eggs

for everyone.

so, i chopped up two scallions, which

i whisked together with lemon juice and the really

exceptional olive oil that we hadn't used since

we bought it on our trip to temecula last year.

i tossed the rest of the scallions on the grill

and placed slices of a baguette under the broiler.

and, then, i cracked an egg into a mug filled with

1/2 cup water. i microwaved for 1 minute, just like

the recipe said. when it beeped, i checked the egg,

which was clearly still liquidy. i gave it 25 seconds

more and tried to gently pour the egg onto a slotted

spoon, before watching the white, still liquid, start

to slither out. i gave the mixture 25 seconds more.

again, still liquid, but i could see that the yellow

was more than set.

there was egg in the sink.

i had an egg ready to go in another mug

of water. for some reason, the egg shells

were on the counter. the scallions - charred

and on plates - were getting

cold and i was cursing. without thinking,

i turned the grill pan back on, and tossed fresh

eggs over the ridges, watching the whites run,

and continuing to curse. but, then, the whites

set and i gently lifted the bottom to make sure

it wasn't sticking. this "quick" dinner was

actually going to be ok.

i arranged the scallions on two plates.

i smeared a bit of ricotta over the toasted

bread and placed them next to the scallions.

when the eggs were ready, i carefully removed

them from the impractical cooking device and

used them to top the bread. and then i drizzled

both plates with a bit of the vinaigrette.

even, after all the cursing, they looked quite pretty.

pretty enough that i

insisted that we go outside,

so that larry could hold the plate

while i snapped pictures,

ignoring the neighbor's dog

barking up a storm at his

crazy new neighbors

who step outside in the evening

to take pictures of their dinner.

and, while as usual with eggs,

i could take or leave

the surprisingly set whites

surrounding a runny yolk,

i loved the seared scallions and the really simple

vinaigrette. i think that i

would enjoy them even more,

under a thick piece of pan-roasted fish.

but, that?

that would have been too complicated.

grilled scallions and and scallion vinaigrette (with a sunny side up egg)

adapted from bon appetit magazine

i think the stars of this recipe are the grilled scallions and the vinaigrette. the eggs were fine, but i think we all know how to make an egg. even though i coped by cooking the eggs on the griddle, feel free to make them in a pan, poach them or, i would think, even scrambled and served over toast would be nice. besides cooking the eggs on the griddle, i made a few changes: i increased the quantity of chopped scallions in the vinaigrette from one to two and used half a lemon, instead of just 1 teaspoon of juice.

also, i chose to toss a few pieces of a baguette under the broil for a couple of minutes (checking on them occasionally), until just golden and firm and then smeared them with fresh ricotta that we had in the fridge. the eggs sat nicely on top - but that's your choice.

2 bunches scallions

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 large juicy lemon, juiced

eggs, cooked to your liking (how many? i ate one, larry ate two - your choice)

toasted baguettes slices topped with ricotta cheese (if you like that kind of thing)

using sharp knife, thinly slice 2 scallions; run your knife over the sliced scallions a couple times to chop a bit smaller. place in bowl; whisk in olive oil and lemon juice. season gently with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. set aside.

place remaining scallions on a plate; drizzle with remaining olive oil and toss to coat. season gently with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. heat a grill pan (or skillet) over medium-high heat. place scallions on hot pan and cook 5 minutes, or until tender and slightly charred, flipping occasionally. divide scallions between two plates.

place eggs and bread (if using) on plates, if desired. drizzle with scallion vinaigrette.

shiitake turkey burgers with scallion-sesame mayo and pickled korean radishes

i saw a really delicious-sounding recipe

last weekend for shrimp burgers.

on wednesday, i really wanted to use

the pickled korean radishes

that i had just made for something

more than snacking.

so, i did the only thing that made sense:

i made turkey burgers.

clearly, burgers were on my brain

and i kept thinking about traditional

cheeseburgers (why? i'm not sure):

beef,

cheese,

ketchup

and, usually, pickles.

so, instead i strayed:

korean-inspired turkey burgers

(that quickly made the leap to asian

burgers when i started tossing every

sauce in my fridge into the bowl),

enhanced with shiitake mushrooms

and topped with a

sesame-scallion mayo instead of ketchup.

skip the cheese.

and instead of the cucumber pickles,

neon pink radish wedges.

i decided to wing it,

buying whatever looked good to me

in the produce department, from

gigantic shiitake mushrooms,

to scallions, a firm jalapeno

and knobby ginger.

when i got home, i diced the mushrooms,

and reasoned that in spite of the fact

that i just didn't want to dirty another

pan, i really should saute them first.

so, i heated a bit of oil, added the

mushrooms, followed by the ginger,

jalapeno and garlic, cooking them all until they

were just tender and fragrant.

as soon as the mixture was out of the pan,

i stirred in the scallions,

sesame seeds,

sriracha,

sesame oil

hoisin and

oyster sauce.

the made-up mixture was spicy,

and even though i reasoned that

all the turkey would mellow it,

i still opted to make a very

gently-flavored spread to

smear over the burger:

mayonnaise,

scallions,

garlic

and sesame oil.

it was...fine.

yes, on it's own, it was

ok. with the burger, it

was better. is it worth it

to make again? i really

don't know. i do know that

i wanted it to be fabulous.

but, sometimes, as in life,

things just aren't.

it was a good burger.

still spicy after cooking,

moist thanks to the mushrooms

and packed with all of my favorites.

but, i wasn't as original

as i believed i was.

while assembling, i

realized that they were a

clear imitations of one of my

very favorites: turkey meatball banh mi.

but, these tasted even better because we

ate them in the daylight.

and that?

that was fabulous.

shiitake turkey burgers with scallion-sesame mayo and pickled korean radishes

i made some interesting choices with these burgers. an avid lover of sticky sweet hoisin sauce, i added a spoonful before considering the consequences. it was already stirred in before i thought about the fact that these burgers were sure to burn, thanks to the sugars in the sauce. since i had already taken a wrong turn, i thought stirring in equally sugary oyster sauce seemed like a good idea. i also added in sesame seeds, which i loved - but i'm pretty sure some of those burned, too. at that point, the more the merrier, right? if you worry that the burgers charring a few minutes before they're finished will bother you, maybe think about removing these ingredients from the turkey and instead, adding the sauces to mayo. maybe.

a note about the toasted sesame seeds. i buy them from the asian markets, toasted, in large quantities and on the cheap. totally worth it.

scallion-sesame mayo

i think it's safe to say that you will have more mayonnaise than you need. that's ok - even not-so-exciting mayo has it's uses.

3 large scallions, trimmed and sliced

2 small cloves garlic, peeled and halved

2/3 cup reduced-fat mayo

1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

in mini food processor, pulse scallions and garlic 10 times, or until finely chopped. add mayo, sesame oil and a pinch of kosher salt. process 30 seconds, or until well combined, scraping down sides, if necessary. taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.

shiitake turkey burgers

2 teaspoons grapeseed or canola oil

6 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into 1/4" dice

1 (1-inch piece) gingerroot, peeled and finely diced

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced (use only half if you want to tone down the spice)

3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced

3 large scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 heaping tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon hot chili sauce, like sriracha

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 1/4 pounds ground dark turkey

4 buns, halved (it's a nice echo if they're sesame buns)

scallion-sesame mayo

pickled korean purple radishes, dried with a paper towel

in medium skillet over medium heat, heat oil 30 seconds, or until shimmering. add mushrooms; cook 2 minutes, or until softened, stirring often. add ginger and jalapeno; cook 1 minute, more. add garlic; cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. remove from heat and immediately transfer to large mixing bowl. stir in scallions, sesame seeds, soy, hoisin, oyster and chili sauces and sesame oil; season gently with salt and black pepper. let cool completely.

add turkey to bowl; using hands, mix just until combined. separate into four equal patties.

heat grill or grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. add burgers. cook 10 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, turning once. transfer to plate. place buns on grill and cook 1 minute, or until toasted and golden brown (do yourself a favor and check them midway through in case your grill runs hot).

to assemble: place one burger on bottom of each bun. top with pickled radishes. spread top bun with mayo and place on burger. if you happen to have made baked sweet potato fries during this whole thing - all the better. put those on the other side of your plate. you may find yourself thinking the scallion-sesame mayo isn't all that bad on the tip of a fry.