Why Love & Latkes?

So, why Love & Latkes?

A few different reasons and I (sadly) can’t take credit for the brilliance of the name - my friend Emilie thought of it. When she suggested it though, she had no idea just how brilliant it actually was for our purposes. I think she suggested it because we’re both Jewish (Em - feel free to correct me in the comments), but it goes way beyond that.

For starters and the main reason I loved the name instantly is because we’re actually getting married on the last night of Hanukkah next year - December 15, 2012. To celebrate this, we’re hoping to have all sorts of fun goodies, including menorah lighting, latkes and sufganiyot. Stay tuned down the road for how these ideas take form. The love part’s obvious and the other (less important) reason is that if I had to choose, I’d say latkes are one of my favorite Jewish foods. For the record, the others are bagels and lox and matzah ball soup (this is Oren’s number one, in case you were wondering).

Speaking of Hanukkah, today is the first day of Hanukkah 2011! In honor of that, below please find a great recipe for latkes.

Latkes (courtesy of The New York Times)
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
3 cups grated drained all-purpose potatoes
¼ cup grated onion
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons matzo meal, or as needed
Canola oil, for frying
Applesauce and sour cream for serving
*I like to add carrots to mine too

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs lightly. Add potatoes, onion, salt and pepper, and mix well. Stir in 2 tablespoons matzo meal, and let it sit about 30 seconds to absorb moisture in batter. If necessary add more to make a thick, wet batter that is neither watery nor dry.

2. Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is hot drop in heaping 1/8 cups (about 2 tablespoons) of batter, flattening them gently to make thick pancakes. When bottoms have browned, after 2 to 3 minutes, flip and brown on other side. Add oil as needed. Drain on paper towels, and sprinkle with additional salt to taste. If necessary, work in batches, keeping cooked pancakes warm. Serve hot with applesauce and sour cream, if desired.
 
For the New Yorkers out there reading this, this Grubstreet article lists the 9 best NYC latkes - I think my new goal is going to try all 9 before the end of the year (I don’t think I’ll make it, but it’ll be a delicious attempt).

Also, shout out to the best mom in the world - Happy Birthday Mommy, I love you!

Until next time (I’ll tell the not-to-miss How We Met story)!

Here’s to love...and latkes,
Steph

Introduction and a Little Story

Today is a momentous day - not only is it exactly one year until the day we get married, I’m also celebrating that by posting my first blog entry! On this blog, I’ll talk about everything wedding planning – from honoring tradition in a Jewish ceremony to putting together the perfect and uniquely “us” reception to navigating the world of wedding planning from behind my desk at TheKnot.com.

Yes that’s right; I work at TheKnot.com on our public relations team. It’s truly a dream job and I love every second of it. But how will it affect my planning? Will my insider information be a lifesaver or a burden? I’m guessing it’ll be a little of both, but only time will tell and you’re coming with me on the journey!

So to begin, I’ll start at the beginning. If you’re a friend, bear with me, you may have already heard this story, but it’s one worth repeating (I think, at least). This is the story of the night we got engaged…

I’ll start by telling you that my fiancé Oren is just perfect. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a man and so so so much more. I know every girl in love and about to get married probably says stuff like this and its cliché, but that doesn’t make it any less true. What makes Oren so perfect in this instance is just how much he considered what would make me happy when he proposed (other than that he was proposing, of course).

The date: September 24, 2011. The place: Oren’s house.

My parents and sister were in town visiting and we were going to Oren’s house so our families could meet each other for the first time. Serious business. After arriving and getting settled, Oren was helping his mom bring the food to the table. As we all sat, she realized she forgot something and asked Oren to go grab it. He handed me a serving spoon, put on oven mitts and brought a casserole dish to the trivet next to me on the table.

After that, he just kind of looked at me and I thought that he couldn’t grip the knob with the oven mitts. After quickly touching the top, I realized the pot wasn’t even hot. At this point, Oren just decided to lift the lid himself (I found out later, I was supposed to have lifted it).

Inside was a ring box! It took me quite a while to process exactly what was going on. But my mom says once I realized I turned bright red like a tomato (I do that often), and all I could say was “Seriously?” until finally Oren’s mom said “Yes, seriously!”

Back to my original thought about how perfect Oren is. He really considered that I would want to celebrate with my parents and sister immediately too, so he chose a night that would be special for both of our families. To top it off, the casserole dish has a special meaning too – it belonged to his grandmother. Aww! So yea, he’s a keeper.

Now that you know how it all started, I can’t wait to have you join me as we go through the planning process.

Until next time (when I explain the meaning behind Love & Latkes)!

Here’s to love...and latkes,
Steph