Let’s get this out of the way up front; I’m a shredded potato latke man. Ground up or processed potatoes have their loyal following, but for me, it just doesn’t taste the same. And frankly, fried baby food sounds nasty.

Latkes have a reputation for being messy, time-consuming, and labor-intensive. I have a few tips I’d like to share with you to help you keep your latke-making adventures, quick, clean and simple.

Latkes should be enjoyed at least once during the holiday. They’re not the healthiest, but they’re certainly among the yummiest. As my friend Fred defined them, calories are a unit of measure of flavor.

The hardest part about making latkes is keeping your family’s hands off of them while you’re cooking them.

(more…)

    This is extensively used as a meal accompaniment in many Sephardic Jewish households, as it goes with most dishes. For a dairy meal, serve a sauce of yogurt with herbs.

This recipe serves: 6 people

Ingredients

3 cups frozen broad (fava) beans

2 cups basmati rice

2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons fresh dill

Garnish: 2 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil

Method

      1. Rinse the rice several times and then leave to soak for 2 hours.

      2. Defrost the broad beans and remove the outer skin.

      3. Drain the rice. Place in a saucepan and add sufficient water so that it covers the rice by the length of your thumbnail!

      4. Add the salt and begin to heat. Once the rice starts to swell and comes to the surface, add the broad (fava) beans. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8 minutes or until soft.

      5. Place the lid on the saucepan, turn the heat off and leave for 8 minutes.

      6. Stir in the dill and drizzle a little vegetable oil on top.