Latkes from scratch are Hanukkah staple

— Latke recipes vary and each family has its own tradition, but for Cindy Flynn, made-from-scratch potato pancakes are the best.

“You can buy potato pancake mix in the Jewish section, but those are pretty awful,” said Flynn, a member of Congregation Etz Chaim in Bentonville. “You can also get them frozen.”

Flynn uses a recipe passed down from her husband’s grandmother. In addition to the standard potato and onion mixture, she adds zucchini.

Some cooks used mashed potatoes for their latkes but Flynn prefers to grate the potatoes, onion and zucchini.

“I like them to be more like a glorified hashbrown,” she said.

She squeezes the potatoes to eliminate as much liquid as possible and adds egg, flour and a little bit of baking powder to make the latkes lighter and fluffier. A pinch of salt and pepper and the latkes are ready to be cooked. Flynn uses a slotted spoon to scoop up a portion and slide it into hot oil. After cooking one side, she flips it and then sets it out to dry on brown paper bags.

“That’s the way Granny did it,” she said. “It keeps them crisper.”

Flynn said latkes are traditionally served with sour cream or applesauce. She makes her own applesauce, too.

The congregation has a big “Pot Latke” each year. The Flynn family also makes some at home one night during Hanukkah, cooking enough to ensure leftovers for the remaining days.

“It’s a big megillah and a lot of cleanup,” Flynn said.

Religion, Pages 15 on 12/08/2012

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