Potato latkes

Cathy has inspired me to write the latkes recipe down. Also, I've been sick with a cold for a few days, so the question of what to do while in La Puente is moot. I suppose there's no better place to be sick than in my Mae's house, though. I can make my own jook rice porridge and watch the entire season of Ugly Betty online. Then, when my Mae comes home from work, she can put the back of her cool, small hand on my forehead and arm and fuss over me. It's kind of nice. I just finished Wicked which was quite enjoyable and much more philosophical than I had expected -- I can't imagine how a musical could properly capture the story, just as it's hard to imagine how a movie could capture Running With Scissors.

So, back to the latkes -- I started with an Epicurious recipe but tweaked it according to tips I've heard. I also hate following recipes to the letter and encourage you to riff at will.

3 lbs. russet/baking/Idaho potatoes
1 1/2 yellow onions
2 tsp. salt
A few heaping tablespoons of flour
3 eggs
Black pepper
Corn oil, peanut oil, canola oil or other frying oil
More salt

1. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate a potato. Then grate a little onion. Toss together. Alternate like that until all the potatoes and onions have been grated. (This keeps the potato from oxidizing and turning rusty or black. Neat, huh?)
2. Add salt and toss around.
3. Working a handful at a time, squeeze all the moisture you can out of your potato onion mixture.
4. Beat the three eggs and pour into the potato onion mixture. Toss.
5. Add flour and pepper and toss some more.
6. Heat up your oil. It's ready when you stick a chopstick in and tiny air bubbles start fizzing up like champagne.
7. Make 3-4 inch patties about 1/4 inch thick and slide into the oil. (Resist the temptation to make your patties too thick or wide.) Flip after you can see the edges turning golden brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.
8. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle more salt on them and serve immediately with sour cream, applesauce, or condiment of choice.

I like serving straight out of the frying pan. I suppose you can keep them warm on a rack in a hot oven if you want to serve them all at once, but that's not as good as serving fresh from the oil and eating them while standing over the pan. My cousin's husband's family has a tradition of shrimp cocktail on Christmas; so so far, we've got two appetizers down for our Christmas traditions. Another five years and maybe we'll get a whole meal together.