This Jew decided to make Italian inspired latkes from a recipe by Giada on Christmas Eve which coincidentally was also Hanukkah.  I brought these as an appetizer to my aunt’s house.   Giada’s recipe sounded too good to ignore! And while I have tried using zucchini and other vegetables for a healthier alternative to all potato latkes, I haven’t ever tried the rest of her suggestions.

I used very little rosemary in my version and instead opted for some fresh Italian parsley and basil.  Instead of standing over  pan frying individual latkes for an hour, Giada baked them!  This recipe couldn’t be more perfect for me.  It’s just too bad they didn’t come out as great as I anticipated!  (Note: Since I wasn’t serving them immediately I decided to do step 1 at home- put them in the frying pan to toast up the bottom and then put it on a baking sheet to bake when we arrived.  I think it would have been smarter to complete all the cooking at home and re-heat upon arrival.  This might just be a recipe to cook at home and eat at home!)

The latkes tasted delicious but were under cooked in the middle.  They did get crispy on the outsides (I was somewhat weary the texture wouldn’t be the same with out all the frying!).   My advice to you when making these, be sure your very large latke isn’t too thick in the pan or it will be hard to cook through into a nice crispy latke in the oven (the way I like them!).  It might have been better to start smaller in a trial run.  I also would recommend cutting them in somewhat larger pieces as they easily get messy when cutting into bite sized pieces.

I can’t wait to try these again!!

Giada’s recipe can be found here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/crispy-zucchini-and-potato-pancakes-recipe/index.html

Photo Above Courtesy of Snap Photography

In the picture below are original zucchini and potato latkes I made earlier in the week (without the Italian influence) and fried in a pan with extra virgin olive oil.  These easy latkes were made with potato, zucchini, onion, salt, pepper, flour, baking powder and egg. Serve with applesauce and/or sour cream, you can’t go wrong!