Tuesday, January 24, 2012

I Fried!

I had come across Busy in Brooklyn's recipe for cheese latkes, and decided I was going to make them for a family Chanukah brunch. This was major, since Ma doesn't quite trust me with the stove ever since I melted a Tupperware lid in 1998.

My nephew can't process gluten, and I thought I had a more pleasant alternate flour in the house (like almond meal), but I was stuck with garbanzo bean flour.  

I decided to try it anyway.

I whisked the flour, eggs, and cheese together, and tasted it. It was nasty; the bean flour tasted distinctly like bean flour.  

"I have to chuck this," I said with despair to Ma, who was prepping the fish. 

"You'd be surprised what sugar can do," she said.  

I added the sugar, a dollop of vanilla sugar and a dash of vanilla extract. The next taste was somewhat improved, but not amazingly so. 

"You'd be surprised what frying can do," Ma said. 

With despair, I warmed up the pan, unwilling to put good ingredients in the garbage. 

Luke arrived, arms laden with children.  

"Oooh, cheese latkes!" He plucked one, fresh from the pan, and popped it into his mouth. I winced. 
http://www-tc.pbs.org/food/files/2011/12/Cheese-Latkes-Wide-602x451.jpg
Via pbs.org
"Man, these are good!"  

My eyes widened in shock. 

The nephew with celiac disease loved it, and kept scurrying into the kitchen for more; he usually has to be begged to eat anything.  

Another nephew, scrawny from disinterest in food, crowed merrily that he could eat ten more plates of these. 

I stood for two hours, frying steadily; as soon as a latke was taken off the fire, it was claimed by greedy hands.  

When I finally sat down, the last latke was being fought over. 

And I felt great. There is such satisfaction in making something that everyone loves and is pretty nutritious, since garbanzo bean flour is high in fiber and protein, and I used the tamest of cheeses, cottage.

"Can you make this again?" the nephew without digestive upsets begs. 

"You betcha!" I assure him.  

Behold, future dates! I can fry!

15 comments:

Yedid Nefesh said...

yum, now im craving latkes :)

Princess Lea said...

Next time I make them it'll be with white bean flour - 8 g of fiber per 1/4 cup!

Mystery Woman said...

They look really nice, too!

Princess Lea said...

I hadn't taken a photo of them when I made them, but these look pretty close.

I gotta make me some more.

Oh, and I added a dollop of ricotta because I had some available, and it melted so prettily inside.

Chanalesings said...

Yasher koach on sticking it out!

Princess Lea said...

I shall be a cook one day!

FrumScienceGeek said...

you should send in a letter to Busy in Brooklyn telling them to update the recipe

Anonymous said...

they look delish! good for you! rachelli

Princess Lea said...

FSG: With the bean flour and the dollop of ricotta? Hers was great as is - I just went a little Dr. Frankenstein. Mine, I suppose, is simply gluten-free friendly.

Princess Lea said...

Rachelli: Mine weren't as pretty as the ones featured on PBS, but who knows, with practice . . .

Rachel said...

Btw, there's something about kids who can't have gluten. They like lots of things. My nephew is allergic to gluten and tree-nuts and I find it a fun challenge to make exciting foods he can eat. Even if they don't work out, he loves them anyway. Maybe the idea of it being "special food just for you" lends itself to enjoyability. Anyway, his favorite of my creations are chocolate caramels, peanut chews and Chex Muddy Buddies.

Princess Lea said...

Chocolate . . . caramels? (Homer drool). I totally need that recipe!

My nephew actually doesn't like being singled out, so he doesn't enjoy the "specialness" if it. Because everyone else was fighting over what he could eat made him happier.

Usually I have to BEG him to try something.

Rachel said...

Here's the recipe I got from a friend: http://www.oedilf.com/db/Lim.php?VerseId=304144

I follow this but replace the molasses with more corn syrup. They are heavenly. Here's a pic of how they turned out: http://goo.gl/JkPhT

Princess Lea said...

Wow! Those are gorgeous!

Molasses is great because it has all sorts of vitamins and nutrients regular sugar doesn't.

Thanks for the links!

SiBaW said...

Yum. I think this reinforces the sentiment that everything fried is awesome. :-)