throw a dumpling party.

my family has been throwing a dumplings of the world party every year around christmas for the past few years now, and it is probably the best tradition in the world, even better than the afikomen. and now all of our secrets are published in the violet's winter issue, which came out yesterday! 

so if you feel like sinking your hands into some dough and throwing your own dumpling party, read my article which is somewhere in the middle of the issue*. and if you don't feel like sinking your hands into some dough and throwing your own dumpling party, you are a silly face pumpkin pants and i should reevaluate my friendship with you. just kidding. but seriously.

{in it you will find recipes for...}

samosas

soy chorizo empanadas

chicken potstickers

honey + ricotta + caramelized onion pierogies 

*obviously don't stop there because the other articles in this issue are so beautious and amazing you should read them all.

-yeh!!!

pimp my latke

{ways to jazz up the ex-boyfriend latke, or any latke, really.}

the salmony spud: top them with sour cream and salmon, finish with pepper and scallions.

the morning after, or, what to do with leftovers the next day: refry them or toast them, add a poached egg, salmon, salt, and pepper.

b.l.t.l.: if you're feeling extra unkosher, add a few handfuls of chopped bacon to the potato mixture. fry. top with mayo, a tomato slice, and butter lettuce.

asianized: to the potato mixture, add a few stalks of chopped scallions, some kimchi, a drizzle of sesame oil, and ginger.

baked: yep, it's sacrelige, but it will also make you feel less dead after eating five. i baked mine on parchment at 375 for about 25 minutes, flipped them over, and then stuck them back in the oven for about 25 more minutes. 

-yeh! 

recipe: ex-boyfriend latkes

a few years ago i dated a human whose legacy lives on in two tasty ways: his mom’s meatless meatballs and his dad’s latkes. his dad’s latkes were perfect. crispy on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside. i remember being in shock when i first had them at his family’s annual hanukkah party because not even the best delis could make them this good. and since then i haven’t had the pleasure of post-break-up latkes {has anyone?}.

but then last week i decided that if i’m going to throw a kickass how the mensch stole christmas party, i need to make good latkes. so i sat and thought about ways to get the recipe. do i just try to shoot in the dark and try to recreate them? do i hope that a letter from ex-boyfriend magically arrives at my doorstep saying hey! no worries that you didn’t wish me a happy birthday for the third year in a row, but i thought you’d like my dad’s latke recipe!? do i straight up ask him? 

i asked twitter what to do

and secretly i hoped that maybe one of my twitter followers who knew my dating history would pass on the message and eliminate my needing to ask. but that didn’t happen.

so finally i just sucked it up and facebooked the man. i know, this is a really anticlimactic ending to a not-really-climactic story. the point is i got the recipe, a bit of jewish guilt, and THE BEST DAMNED LATKES I EVER DAMNED MADE. 

{now i wonder what kind of karma i have to acquire in order to get his mom’s meatless balls recipe.}

ex-boyfriend latkes! 

{makes about 18. and i’m going to eat five because i earned them.}

to be real, this recipe is simply based on ex-boyfriend's dad's recipe because he didn't have exact measurements.

ingredients

5 medium russet potatoes

1 medium yellow onion

salt + pepper to taste {i use about 5 large pinches of salt}

the juice of 1 lemon

6 egg whites

1 c all-purpose flour

oil, for frying

apple sauce + sour cream, for serving

directions

shred potatoes and onion using a food processor or mandoline. add salt and squeeze out as much moisture as you can by pouring them into a cheese cloth and squeezing over the sink. place in a large bowl, add pepper, lemon juice, egg whites, and flour. mix well.

heat about 1/4" oil in a large pan over medium high heat, and then scoop spoonfuls of mixture {i use an ice cream scoop} into the pan. flatten a bit with a spatula, and brown on both sides.

remove from the pan and pat off excess oil with paper towels. serve with apple sauce and sour cream.

roommate patrick did an instagram of me excitedly mandoline-ing:

come back for my next post, "pimp my latke," in which i put up photos of fun variations on the ex-boyfriend latke.

-yeh!

hanukkah?? already??!!

this weekend i will be in the kitchen trying to perfect my ex-boyfriend's dad's latke recipe {...don't ask} and possibly testing out donut recipes in preparation for my how the mensch stole christmas party next weekend. i'm also going to need to get my crafty pants on to make a menorah, because this apartment don't got one! i simply can't wait. hanukkah is, like, my fourth favorite. 

-yeh!!