Potato Pancakes

The house guests are here, and as always have requested a dinner of latkes or potato pancakes.  This is a last-minute high-labor dinner (4 people) that is economical and delicious and requires no preparation beforehand.  Resolve not to leave the kitchen, hell, don't leave the stove during the intense time that you're frying the pancakes.


Any cookbook should have a recipe.  I combine several recipes, using seasoning from one, onion from other, Bisquick from a third.  We like our latkes well-seasoned and thin and crisp.  I use the grater on the Cuisinart to grate the potatoes, and then wring out the excess moisture in a muslin towel.  Chop or grate the onion fine.  A clove of garlic is not necessary but ads resonance.


I like to serve thick-sliced bacon, sour cream and applesauce with the pancakes.  Something for everyone.  Fry up the bacon before you start on the latkes, and make sure your oven is on low with a heatproof platter therein.  Two skillets or grills make the process go much faster, but you really have to concentrate.


I also serve buttered broccoli (something green) with the pancakes, but that's just me.  A tossed salad would also work, but then you are setting yourself up to fry and toss at the same time, unless you have a kitchen helper who can take the salad chores off your hands.  The broccoli can be steamed early and reheated without any harm done.  For heaven's sake don't serve it half raw.


I use canola oil and butter with maybe a bit of bacon grease.  Suit yourself for the frying oil, but olive is not recommended.  Keep stacking the pancakes onto the heatproof platter in the oven until they're all done and everyone can eat together.


We are having fresh pineapple for dessert.  I'll post a photo if we happen to think about it before the platter is empty.  They're dynamite.


The Cheeseparer  

Winter is the Time for Cheap Eats

Along with snow, cold temperatures, icy roads and sidewalks, wet boots and mittens, winter offers possibilities for eating on the cheap.

First there is soup, made-from-scratch soup: pea soup, bean soup, lentil soup, chicken and noodle soup. Soup with sausage, soup with cabbage. Dark chili, white chili. Yum! Don't stop there, think of hearty stew! Nourish yourself and your family.

Beef stew, pork stew, goulash, coq au vin, and my god, there's pot roast! And ribs! When meat is on sale, stock up, especially the BOGOs. The Russian dish, bigos, is a winter dream as is the Russian soup, Shtshi. (google it!) Those Russkies know a thing or three about hearty winter fare.

Most of these dishes make a big pot or casserole and won't break the bank if you consider the number of portions and the fact that all you need is maybe a salad and some homemade bread. If you feel lazy, make biscuits out of Bisquick. Be creative. Corn bread is great with chili. Find the 300 year old recipe with no white flour and no sugar. It rocks!

Shop the specials! The photo is Boeuf Bourgignon, AKA Burgundy Beef, an excellent and reasonable choice for a dinner party. I cut up a roast that was on sale instead of buying the more expensive cut of meat. A dish for 8 cost about $20.00 including the wine. I only needed noodles (cheap) and a salad (red leaf lettuce and home made dressing) to complete the meal. Dessert was a home made mocha cake that I only had to buy a small bar of chocolate and some yogurt to make. Look around the pantry and use what is on hand.

Appetizer was bacon-wrapped breadsticks, another cost-paring choice. We have noticed that the burgundy cheese balls coated with almonds are almost always cheaper than anything else at the cheese counter. They're tasty, too.

Eating well is the best revenge. Cook from scratch. Less salt, less chemicals and better taste.

The Cheeseparer