December 14, 2009--An Overblown Latke

During Hanukkah I am known for my latkes. For the uninitiated, a Jewish version of the potato pancake.

Mine are famous within a very small circle because, I am told, they are lighter than one would expect considering they are starchy and deep-fried. I have been pressed for decades to disclose my secrets and have thus far resisted.

But considering the gathering years, here are two hints: add a little seltzer (club soda) to the mix of shredded potatoes and onions and instead of just including a few eggs as a binder and taste-enhancer, separate the eggs, add the yolks to the mix, and before folding in the whites, whip them so as to add even more air to the batter. And of course when shaping the balls, which you in turn flatten in the peanut oil, do not over-handle them. If you do nothing else, you will become known as a latke maven.

While thinking about my latkes, mulling whether or not to add some shredded raw beets to the mix this year to give the latkes a red-flannel look and to add a bit of additional sweetness, I was disturbed to read about the Hanukkah controversy at the White House. At the Obama White House where last spring the first-ever Seder was held.

The New York Times headline, "Washington Flap Over White House Hanukkah Party," caught my attention. I muttered, "Can't the Obamas catch a break."

Overhearing me, Rona asked, "So what's going on now? Did Sarah Palin accuse him again of stealing her ideas for his Nobel Prize speech?"

"Not that," I said, "Something even more preposterous. This time he's getting criticized for the Hanukkah party he and Michelle are hosting. It seems they invited 'only' 400 while allegedly George W. Bush each year invited 600 to 800. And, to make matters worse, it is alleged that the Obamas' invitation was only in English, not also in Hebrew. And they called the party a 'holiday reception,' not a Hanukkah whatever."

"You've got to be kidding."

"I wish I was. Really, what's behind this flap is the suspicion on the part of some that Obama is not 'good for the Jews.' Among other things, the complainers in the Jerusalem Post who wrote about this cited his opposition to Israel allowing more building in the West Bank and claimed that this so-called 'downsized' party reveals that Obama must be an anti-Semite or something."

"I can't believe any of this," Rona moaned.

"Former Bush official are of course chiming in, including Tevi Troy, the former Bush administration liaison to the Jews."

"Funny, I don't remember him ever liaising with us."

"To him people like us are goyim because we're critical of the Israel government and their settlement policies, among other things. But one thing Mr. Troy isn’t pointing out is that one year the Bush's Hanukkah party invitation didn't have a menorah on it."

"Really? What did it have?"

"A Christmas tree."

"Perfect!"

"What they’re not saying is that the Obamas actually invited 550 and during the Bush years no more than about 550, the same number, ever attended. To quote the Times story, Rabbi Levi Shemtov who oversaw the process of making the White House's kitchen kosher, ‘This is one big overblown latke. We need to save our communal kvetching in reserve for what's more called for and really matters.’”

“That just about sums it up,” Rona said. “First Obama’s critics said he couldn’t figure out what health care plan to support. Then they said he couldn’t make up his mind about what to do in Afghanistan and when he did they criticized him for that. Now they say he can’t even make a Hanukkah party. What next? I can’t wait to hear what they’ll say about Michelle’s Christmas decorations. They’ll probably accuse her of secretly slipping in a lot of Kwanza symbols. I give up.”

True, I thought, but enough about the Obamas' Hanukkah. Let's get back to what's really important--my latkes. What do you think about the idea to add beets? I think that . . .