Moosewood Mondays : Potatoes Latkes

As an Italian, I have very mixed origins : my last name, Maovaz, always requires some spelling, as my mother's (Delcroix).

My Grandfather was born in what was then the Austro-Ungarian Empire, has become Jugoslavia and now is Croatia, on my mother's side her grandparents came from Belgium.

My nonno Maovaz was Buddist but none of my ancestors was Jewish that I know of.

In Rome there is a big Jewish Community, actually is the oldest in Europe, dating back to the II century B.C. and, as you can imagine Roman Jews eat pasta and not Latkes !

I'm very interested in the Jewish world as in the Jewish Cuisine, but, I must admit, these fritters are so good my children deveaured them without much interest in their origins !

The recipe calls for rutabaga and beets as well but I have never seen a rutabaga in my life and beets are no longer around.

Please visit Natashya to see what wonders she came up to !

RECIPE

(from Moosewood Restaurant Celebrates)

3 cups peeled and grated Russet Potatoes

1/2 cup grated onions

2 eggs lightly beaten

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspon ground black pepper

1/2 cup peeled and grated rutabaga (I skipped this)

1/2 cup peeled and grated beets (I skipped this too)

1/2 cup chopped parsley (no green things wanted)

2 Tablespoons fresh dill (same as above)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Line a colander with paper towels. Place the grated potatoes and onions in the lined colander and vigorously press out as much liquid as you can, until the grated potatoes are somewhat dry. This will help create crisp latkes.

Transfer the grated potatoes and onions to a large bowl and stir in the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Divide the mixture among three smaller bowls . Mix the rutabaga into the first bowl, the beets into the second and parsley and dill into the third.

Preheat the oven to 200°.

Warm the oil on high heat in a large cast iron skillet until a drop of batter sizzles. Drop the batter into the skillet and fry until both sides are crisp.

I Heart Cooking Clubs : Spud Week - Bacon and Pancetta Potatoes

You see I learned a new word : spud !

It sounds like Pippi Longstocking' secret word but simply means potatoes (or not?).

I really wanted to cook with Giada these last weeks so I choose a simple and delicious (I imagine since I'm on a diet ...) dish which my bacon lover Carlo would eat.

Please visit my colleagues on the blog and check our future chef !

The recipe can be found here or read on

RECIPE

• 4 thick-cut slices bacon, roughly chopped
• 2 (1/4-inch thick) slices pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and pancetta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon and pancetta are brown and crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and pancetta pieces to paper towels to drain. Add the potatoes and garlic to the pan. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are golden and cooked through, about 20 to 25 minutes. Add the thyme, cooked bacon and cooked pancetta to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Transfer the potatoes to a large serving bowl and serve immediately.