Latkes and Lebkuchen

As midwinter celebrations are universal and thrive in an increasingly multi-cultural society, it seems appropriate to recommend together recipes that might otherwise seem to be strange bedfellows. Or tablemates. I may be straining the metaphor here, but the following are chosen not for poetic alliteration alone. The latkes are tender, versatile little health-burgers, and lebkuchen has to be one of the oldest of traditional holiday cookies. They were my father’s holiday nostalgia—no cookies in hand were ever as good as those remembered from his youth on his grandparents’ farm in the Beechwoods.

Vegetable Latkes
From “Country Home’s Holidays at Home”

1 medium zucchini, shredded
2 medium carrots, shredded
1 egg
3 tbsp dry curd cottage cheese
3 tbsp matzo meal
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking oil
Sour cream for garnish (optional)

Place the shredded vegetables in a steamer basket; cover and steam over boiling water until tender, about six minutes. Drain well.

Beat egg in a medium bowl; stir in the rest of the ingredients.

Heat a lightly oiled skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add one rounded tablespoon of the mixture at a time, spreading each patty to a two-and-one-half-inch circle. Cook about four minutes or until golden, turning once.

Serve with sour cream. Makes 10 latkes.

Lebkuchen (German Honey Bars)
From “The Joy of Cooking”

Warm in a large saucepan:

1 and 1/3 cups honey or molasses
¾ cup sugar
Add and melt:
3 tbsp butter

Sift together and add:

2 cups sifted all purpose flour; enough to make a semi-liquid dough
1 tsp double acting baking powder
½ tsp baking soda

Add:

½ cup blanched almonds
¼ cup each chopped citron and candied lemon or orange peel
¼ tsp ginger
½ tsp cardamom
2 tsps cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
Add 1 and 1/2 to 2 more cups flour.

The dough should be sticky to the touch. You may age the dough overnight, refrigerated and covered or pat it out at once into a one-fourth inch thickness in a buttered pan. Bake about 25 minutes in a preheated 350 oven.

Cut into squares. Ice or glaze if you desire.

Eat well.