Dear friends,

I know that Hanukkah and Christmas often fall near each other on the calendar but on the same day?  Thank you Adar 2! If you are a member of a blended family, you might start out the day opening presents and end the day lighting candles and opening presents! No worries, you can make your latkes today and then freeze them until the 25th and then pop them in a hot oven to reheat and re-crisp those beauties.  Here are my most important Tina’s Tidbits related to latkes:

1. Always rinse and drain the grated potatoes to rid them of excess starch which makes your latkes gray
2. Grate your onions separately so you don’t lose the delicious juices
3. Drain your latkes ( or any fried food) on crumpled paper towels which provide more surface area to absorb the oils
4. NEVER refrigerate your latkes.  The oils get reabsorbed in the refrigerator and your latkes will not regain their crispiness.

With that basic info in mind, and with some Asian inspired recipes so you know it’s Christmas, I include Deep Fried Wonton and homemade fortune cookies that will provide a fun experience for the whole family.  And, instead of jelly doughnuts, why not create a Middle Eastern favorite, Zalabia.  I bet you didn’t know that our ancestors had the creative jump on Funnel Cakes!