On the fifth night of Chanukah a green latka we eat. Made from zucchini, a spectacular treat. Mixed up with egg and matzo meal fine. Spiced to perfection it tastes so divine.

Fried until crispy with a perfect green sheen. These latkas I tell you are fit for a queen. Eat them plain or with a savory dip. You must enjoy them hot so decide very quick.

That's all for tonight, let's meet again soon. Good night my dear friends goodnight my friend 🌒 moon.

Latkas: Night #4

On this forth night of Latkas,
A sweet treat we do eat.
Made from orange carrots,
and potatoes sweet.

Seasoned with pepper and garlic too.
Mix with egg,

 and fried,

A sweet treat for me and you!

The third night of Latkas

Happy Chanukah 🌃 night number three,
Tonight we have a new kind of latka,
This one is dairy,
It's made of mozzarella and broccoli.

Boil the greens,
And wring them out dry.
Mash them and mix them,
With cheese and then fry (or bake).

For dinner tonight, homemade 🍕 pizza pie.
Served with a dollop of sour cream, you should give it a try.

If you missed the last two nights, click previous post below. And remember to subscribe so you never miss an update. See you next time.

Night Number Two: Apple Latkahs

On the Second Night of Chanukkah Something Sweet: Apple Latkahs

Start with freshly peeled Granny Smith apples. Grate them using your preferred method either by hand with a simple box grater or food processor. We opted for the electric version.

Add a little egg and some brown sugar. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and fry until golden brown. They will look like this.

Served up with a savory dinner of fried rice towers, broccoli, steak cut sweet potatoes, Chicken nuggets, and medium steak strips. Served on your finest China or festive disposables. The choice is yours.

I hope you give this a try and let me know how it goes.

Eight Nights of Latkas

Happy Chanukah night number one, 

We fried up some latkas, Some plain, and some fun. 

Stay tuned right here, for seven more nights, 

We'll have eight types of latkas, We'll enjoy with delight. 

Potato Latkas, Beet Latkas served with applesauce

On Chanukah we celebrate the victory of a small raggedy band that defeated the great Greek army, many years ago. We eat foods cooked in oil to commemorate the miraculous 🕎 menorah staying lit for eight days with only one days worth of oil.

Latkas are served with applesauce

On the first night of Chanukah I present to you traditional potato latkas and beet potato latkas. Served with applesauce and a side of chicken noodle soup.

Chicken Noodle Soup with carrot celery and summer squash

What is you favorite latka flavor?

Not your average Kreplach

On our last visit to Singapore my wife sat down with my grandmother to discuss traditional family recipes. We watched as one was prepared in Nana's kitchen and wrote this down. A similar recipe can be found in The Iraqi Cookbook - (302 color pages) along with many other good ones for you to try.

1) Boil potatoes. Mash and let cool. Season with salt and pepper. Mix in one egg (you don't want a loose dough).

2) Separately brown some ground beef and season to your liking (you can use any meat e.g. lamb or poultry). Allow to cool.

3) Take a portion of dough into your hand make a depression and put in some of the meat mixture.

4) Roll the sides up until your meat is covered by the dough.

4a) Optional: Use your favorite breading to coat your potato chops of a roll or sprinkle.

5) Fry in hot oil until golden brown and crispy.

6) Enjoy while hot! The soft and creamy mashed potato exterior with breading and the savory ground beef inside is an explosion of great taste of yesterday waiting to be enjoyed.

If you noticed my grandmother doesn't give amounts or quantities because that would require you to weigh each potato and adjust according to the weight of the chicken that you brought home from the market. Hope you enjoyed.

Share one of your family heirloom recipes below!

Slow Cooker Shepard's Pie - make it ahead

Tomorrow's dinner made tonight.

Sometimes in the kitchen prep is the way to go. Actually, the kitchen is only as strong as the prep cook. With the wife starting a new job tomorrow and us both having off today it was a perfect night to cook two dinners.

Tonight we had mini burgers aka sliders, pretty mixed rice, sweet potatoes, and steamed corn on the cob (off the cob was also available).

All that left making tomorrow's dinner ahead easier. A surplus sized ground beef mixture makes the perfect base for slow cooker Shepard's Pie. Green beans go next. Drizzle that with basil marinara sauce and finely chopped onions. Finally for the upper most layer a buttery well seasoned mashed potato blend.

Put on the lid. Let sit overnight in the fridge and plop it in the Crock Pot (we have a tiny one) base on low before heading out for the day. If you get home early you can put it on high approximately four hours before dinner.

Update tommorow when it's ready. Good night. Sign up for notifications so you never miss a meal.

[Update: final pictures added]

While waiting to serve I tossed a few spinach leaves on top for good measure. I added shortening on top to make the potatoes crispy but I added to much. Just a bit should do it. The potatoes were slightly creamier than expected but overall I would call this recipe a success.

I present to you Sideways Shepard's Pie.