THE Annual Latke Competition

Every year for about the last 10 years I have hosted my favorite event of the season. My annual potato latke competition. What a better way to pay tribute to the humble potato, Judah Maccabee and the story of Chanukah. My friend Ari says that every Jewish holiday can be summed up this way...

They tried to kill us, we won, lets eat!

Now I would love to insert the photograph here of me making my latkes, or images of me announcing the winner. But I wasn't even there. two things happened this week which prevented my obsessive documentarianism. 1. a surprise visit to the emergency room and 2. I was having way too much fun at the party to think about it. Which was very freeing, cause ever since I started blogging, my whole life became about taking my camera with me EVERYWHERE!. So, it wasn't even until today that I sat down and thought to myself. Holy ^%$*. I forgot to take pictures! Kinda cool.

Here is how it works. You can enter your potato latkes in one of two categories. 1. The most traditional latke (which essentially only has about 4 ingredients, potatoes, onions salt and flour) and 2. the most gourmet latke. The sky is the limit and you can see from some of the descriptions, that is no exaggeration. Nancy and Marty made what I call kitchen sink latkes. Their's is the one in the middle written with red marker. But what stood out were their sauces. Mushrooms fried in (oy gavult) bacon, and a lovely horse radish and sour cream sauce. But sauces aside the latkes that won were entry #2, by Carrie and Mira and family. They were the best textured, the least oily and the most crispy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I entered entirely organic latkes with sweet pototoes and dried cherries with a goat cheese cardamon, cinamon and maple syrup sauce. Very delicious! but even I had to vote for #2. This year NO ONE entered a traditional
latke.In the gourmet category, the creativity was amazing, delectable and incredibly varied. Walter's latkes were literally like breakfast pancakes, and Lewis and Sandi's latkes had chocolate in them!

Every recipe gets a number so you don't know who made them, and then everyone gets to vote by secret ballot, and there better be prizes! You can't rely on competative spirit alone. This year the prizes were organic chocolate, Damn Fine Decaf from the Ideal cafe, Burts Bees lip
balm AND a Shiatsu massage by the best in the city, Miss Natalie Ryan.

 

 

This is the winning recipe!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought a great photograph would have been a picture of the aftermath of 50 people in my little house! oy vay it was such a mess, but a happy mess. We drummed, sang songs, we lit the menorah, played the didgerdoo and ate ourselves silly. My mom brought over this chanukah themed ginger bread house, and I am not sure what to call it. Do any one of you out there have any ideas for what you would call this mixing of cultures? I thought about the Chrismikkah Cottage, What would you call it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On a final note. When ever I write the word potato, I always think of Dan Quail!

Happy end of Chanukah Everyone!