Chanukah!

[mamadeb]

As you can see, I have my Chanukah icon out for the holiday.

My own menorah is ready for the lighting, but I'm waiting for jonbaker because I want to light with him the first night.

I have a (still slightly frozen) london broil in the broiler, I have a bag of spinach all rinsed and ready to go. I just need to slice up some garlic for it.

And. I was going to go to a local supermarket and pick up some store-made latkes. Really. Or maybe make roasted potato wedges, which would go very nicely with the steak.

Instead. I made latkes. I wasn't going to on the theory that there's no point for two people, but. I bought two nice-sized redskin potatoes, and a very small yellow onion. Why? Because I wanted latkes and because I can't make myself buy something I can make so easily. I just took out the fleishig handgrater because latkes should be handgrated. (Unless you're making them for a crowd, of course. Then food processor all the way.) Grated both potatoes and the onion,added salt, pepper, matzo meal and an egg - and not one bit of my precious flesh, either. And I shall fry them in safflower oil and they well be delicious.

I do not have applesauce, but I'm not sure applesauce goes with steak. Huh. I do have apples. And time....

And a saucepan of cut up apples and water.

Comments

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

I have boxes of Maneschewitz latke mix, because I am lazy like that. Also, if you're me they turn out better that way. No latkes tonight alas, but at least they weren't sold out of candles at the grocery store -- this is very important when the leftover candles from last year are standing up like this:

((((

in their box ... in the nice, warm furnace room.

But there *will* be latkes Thursday.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

You do what works best for you.

And the applesauce came out pretty darn good given that I haven't made it since seventh grade.

Gerald Ford was in office at the time.

My husband is amazed.

[dine.livejournal.com]

mmmmmm, latkes! I don't have the ingredients to hand, but I'm guessing I'll be making them in the next couple days, now you've inspired me

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

They came out *so* well. Lacy at the edges, crisp outside, soft inside...

:) Two potatoes made six latkes.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I was going to ask why the fleishig grater? In case of fingers?

*is ignorant shiska*

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

You mean "shiksa". I know, it's not a common letter combination in English. And it's fairly derogatoy, unfortunately.

No, it's because I use my dairy box grater for cheese, and I was making these latkes for a meat meal.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

d'oh! I knew I'd misspelled it.

And I know it's derogatory, carrying a secondary meaning of "slut." I used it a bit tongue in cheek. What else do you call someone who writes smut professionally?

[amoeba-j.livejournal.com]

I'm always so impressed to read your posts about making festival meals :) I wish that I was better in the kitchen, but alas it's not meant to be -- I set off my smoke alarm the last time I tried to make latkes ;)

anyway, happy Hanukkah!

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

My husband was very impressed, too. He was still talking about it this morning. "You made such a nice dinner. And from scratch!"

*beams*

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Just out of curiosity, what's a london broil?

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

It's an American style cut of beef. Unlike most such, it's not from any particular part of the cow - this happened to be from the shoulder - but it can be any middling tender muscle. It's generally a thick (2-3 inches) boneless steak which is usually broiled (hence the name) instead of grilled or roasted. It's served in slices cut across the grain, which is why it doesn't have to be very tender. In return, of course, it has more flavor than a very tender cut.

The "London" part is pure marketing, which is why I didn't capitalize it.

In this case, I dusted it with a steak spice mixture a friend of mine puts up and put it under the broiler. *Perfect*. Didn't even need gravy.

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Half answered, thank you very much! But the supplementary question is, what does broiling entail? We used to do it because Lewis Carroll refers to it but we don't any more, and I haven't a clue! We fry, grill and roast, and if the meat is likely to be tough pot-roast, but that's basically it for the UK.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

Broiling is cooking at a very high temperature (500°F) with the food (usually, although not always, meat) very close to and below the heat source.

US gas stoves (ranges? Cookers? Ovens?) have a small compartment under the main oven and the gas jets called "the broiler." I've never used an electric oven, but I think they have theirs on top because that's where the heating element is. Also, some gas ovens have an extra electric element for that same purpose.

Since it requires heating the entire, often empty oven and bending very low, it's not uncommon for people with adequate worktopspace to purchase a separate electric broiler oven, which is more energy efficient (heating a much smaller space, all of which is used) and easier to use.

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's what we call grilling. Older cookers had the grill between the oven and the burners; newer ones had "eye-level grills" like the one I have at the moment, above the burners so I can see whether the food is done easily. It's a gas cooker, so it's a really ferocious blast of flames. It's my preferred method of doing toast, besides being the only way I know of cooking Welsh Rarebit.

[ailsaek.livejournal.com]

Sounds like fun. We had take-out last night cos I was utterly wiped, but at least my dish was falafel, so it was properly deep-fried.

[mamadeb.livejournal.com]

There have been years when I've served such classics as refried bean tacos. (Hey - *OIL*). :)

Happy Chanukah!