20 years ago this Christmas, after having worked a very gruelling and long day at the hospital, my Mother came home for some much needed relaxation and quality time with her family for the evening. 

As always she was greeted with love and open arms by my brother, father and I.  My brother, during casual conversation, alerted my mom to the fact that during school that day he agreed to prepare food for the following day's internationally themed holiday luncheon. 

A bit surprised, mom asked: "Oh really, what exactly did you say you'll be making?"  Well he hadn't specified anything; he only had chosen a country, which just so happened to be Israel. 

By this time it was already 8:30 p.m., nothing had been planned or prepped and the food was to be served the next day at school. Mom, being the superhero she always has been, had just so conveniently gotten that month's issue of Family Circle and it was all about holiday themes from across the world. As luck would have it she came across page 172 and the Latkes recipe was perfect; additionally it was even better since she actually had every single ingredient it called for. 

She stayed up all night cooking and exhausted but our hero mom sent my brother to school the next morning with what turned out to be the dish everyone could simply not get enough of. To this day, Latkes are served every Christmas Eve in our home and is a staple to one of our most loved holiday traditions.  

Potato Latkes

What you'll need:

• 2 lbs Idaho potatoes 
• 2 eggs
• 1 small onion, grated
• 1 container (8 oz sour cream)
• 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• Additional sour cream as garnish
• Vegetable oil for frying

How you'll do it:

• Pare potatoes.  Shred coarsley into a large bowl of cold water.  Drain; then rinse under cold water.  Squeeze firmly in a clean linen toweling to remove as much water as possible.
• Beat eggs in a large bowl until frothy.  
• Stir in potatoes, onion, sour cream, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper.
• Heat 1/4 inch depth of oil in large skillet.
• Working in batches to avoid overcrowding pan, carefully drop potato mixture by tablespoons into the hot oil.  
• Flatten with pancake turner to make even thickness.  Cook about three minutes or until golden on underside.  Turn and brown other side for another three minutes.  
• Drain on paper towel.  Serve with sour cream or applesauce if you prefer.

For my local restaurant recommendation, here is one to try out this winter vacation: Foodie's Feast and Haley's will help make sure your New Year's celebrations are unforgettable. Foodie's offers an excellent and delicious variety; offered both in-store and for catering services where you can choose from appetizers, soups, salads, sides, entrees, desserts and breakfast items.  Haley's is the perfect destination to find a great selection of wine, champagne, beer and you have to check out the tasty and convenient selection of pre-made cocktail mixers from Creative Juices.

Happy New Year!  See you in 2011.  Cheers!