POTATO PANCAKES
(placki ziemniaczane)
Travel around and you’ll hear different names for these tasty little treats… Jewish-Latkes, Czech- Potato dumplings, Lithuanian -Zeppelins. The traditional Polish recipe comes from the Gwizdaly village in the Mazovia region of Poland.
When I think of potato pancakes, I think of my godfather, Uncle Joe. One bite and my mind drifts back 50 some years. Like most of my cousins, I worked for my Uncle Joe at his fast-food restaurant. An old custom was to eat potato pancakes on Fridays, a day when all good Catholics abstained from meat, which included his famous hot dogs. So, Uncle Joe offered his recipe at the restaurant every Friday, and people would come from near and far to partake of this special meal that was served with a choice of sour cream or apple sauce.
Every Thursday, you could find Uncle Joe in the back of his restaurant, bent over his huge grinder, making a giant batch of these simple yet delicious delicacies. My Uncle Joe developed his love of cooking while he served as a mess cook in the army on the front lines in Korea. It was easy for him to transfer his cooking skills to his profession when he returned from the war made all the easier without the need to dodge bullets or incoming artillery shells. I pride myself on my work ethic, and they came from my godfather, Uncle Joe.
My recipe mimics Uncle Joe’s: ground or shredded potatoes and diced onions seasoned to taste and formed into patties with egg and a bit of flour. I freeze them. When you get them home and are ready to use them, thaw them and fry them in oil on both sides until they are golden brown. They can be served with sour cream, applesauce, ketchup, or even maple syrup.
Jedz dobrze, przyjacielu… eat well, my friend!
3 Latkes for $5
6 Latkes for $8
12 Latkes for $15
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