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Potato Pancakes
by Karon Szelwach Aronson, M.D., J.D (retired), from the August 2006 newsletter
When we cook or share a recipe we are invoking memories. For me, there is forever a poignancy associated with my mother and father with the memory of favorite foods—like potatoes—that permit me to touch the comfort of my childhood. How deeply imbedded family and friends are within the five tastes that give us the memories of life: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and pungent. When feelings for food fill our heart with family and friends, the desire for diversions or danger to take our breath away cease to be important because we are warm with the human touch.
Potato is perhaps the most versatile starch but nutritionists have maligned it lately because our common tubers contain little color. Newer purple gold and red varieties may change the perception of the potato as being without anything of value but calories.
What follows is a recipe for authentic potato pancakes using russet potatoes. They are delicious if not low calorie and perhaps after mastering the basic recipe you can experiment by adding potatoes with color.
Once I saw a recipe for potato pancakes with carrot grating added which made them sweeter. They are best served with the highest quality sour cream or applesauce because the potatoes take on the taste of the sour cream and sweet apples – taste memories for life.
3 cups peeled and grated raw potatoes.
Using the finest grate, hands rub the potato into the grate to give a liquid mash of sorts. Drain excess water if very wet.
Add one large or two smaller eggs well beaten
Add two to three heaping tablespoons of flour to soak up the water and make a thick batter.
Drop the mixture into ¼ inch of hot oil preferably melted shortening sticks. Test by dropping a bit of batter and watching it crackle and brown up. Spread mixture thickly and fry both side until crisp and golden brown. Drain on brown grocery bags and serve. Add more cooking oil as needed.
K.S. Aronson, M.D., J.D. is retired from the practices of medicine and law. She attended medical school in the early 1970s before nutrition was taught. She writes and watercolor paints.
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