The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is approaching, starting Dec. 7 and ending Dec. 15. The main dish made on Hanukkah is latkes, a pan-fried potato pancake. The pancakes use oil, which symbolizes the miracle of the purifying oil burning in the temple for eight nights.

The origin of the latke goes back to the days of Christopher Columbus. While Columbus was sailing the ocean blue in 1492, the Jews were expelled from Spain, and they migrated to Italy. In Italy, the exiled Jews introduced their cheese pancake to the Italians.

The latkes changed from cheese to potato pancakes in the mid-1800’s. Jews in eastern Europe started to make latkes out of potatoes because they were cheaper and easier to store than eggs. These eastern European Jews were often very poor and could only afford potatoes.

Here is my Grandma Selma’s famous recipe for latkes.

Ingredients
12 potatoes (about 4 pounds of Russet potatoes)
2 medium onions
3 large eggs
⅓ c. matzo meal\
2-½ teaspoons kosher salt
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1 tablespoon baking powder
Approximately 2 cups of any high-heat cooking oil

Instructions
(Note: Prep all ingredients and get ready to move fairly quickly once the potatoes are grated because they can turn a darker color.)
1. Chop onions in a food processor with the knife blade, pulsing on/off until onions are in small pieces. Alternatively, use a hand grater. Drain the chopped onions in a large colander with a plate underneath to catch excess liquid.
2. Peel the potatoes and then grate them in a food processor with the shredding disk. Place grated potatoes in the colander with the onions. Drain off extra liquid. (The key to crispy latkes is to remove excess liquid.)
3. Coat the bottom of two large, heavy fry pans with oil. Place the pans on the stove with medium heat. Make sure the oil doesn’t burn.
4. Combine all ingredients (except oil) in a large mixing bowl to form the batter.
5. Have the heat on the stove as high as you can without the oil splattering (usually medium to medium-high heat). Run one test pancake in each pan to check the oil temperature.
6. Spoon batter into the hot pans, making small, round, thin, flat circles. Cook until dark golden brown on one side, and then flip and cook until brown on the other side. Cook in batches, and add more oil to the pan as needed. As the latkes are made, more excess liquid will accumulate in the bottom of the batter bowl. Avoid using the excess liquid; a slotted spoon can help.
6. Place cooked latkes on cooling racks covered with paper towels. Serve warm or reheat in a 350 degree oven on baking sheets until warm and bubbly, about 10 minutes or less. Serve with applesauce, sour cream, or sugar.