Light on labor … and heavy on taste

Last week, my husband Jerry underwent some minor oral surgery. The surgeon advised that he eat a decent amount before since he wouldn’t really be able to chew much afterwards. By the time he got to her office he was stuffed and it reminded him of the time his first son was born, on the last day of Chanukah in December 1981.

His wife, at the time, started labor on a Friday. Having been through Lamaze classes (I would have loved to have witnessed that!) he knew he had to eat before, because he would be right at his wife’s bedside throughout labor, with nothing to eat for an extended period of time — or so he thought.

So he had a huge meal Friday night — his along with his wife’s, as she couldn’t eat. A few hours later, she was still in labor but not ready to leave for the hospital, so he commenced to eat what was to have been their lunch for the next day. As her labor pains intensified, his eating quickened. Still at home Shabbat morning with nothing left to eat, he spent the day eating huge bowls of cereal and anything else that was edible. Tell a child of a Holocaust survivor that he might go hungry and there is no stopping him. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, let’s just say he was overstuffed.

With suitcase in tow they both got into the car and were finally on their way. When Jerry turned down Avenue N off Ocean Parkway, his wife asked where he was going. “Just going to pick up my mom, on the way to the hospital,” Jerry answered matter of factly. To which she answered, hysterically, “You’re what? Are you kidding me? Your mom is coming with us?”

“It’s her first grandchild, she’s a Holocaust survivor, it will mean a lot to her,” he said, starting to realize that maybe he should have okayed it with her first, but too late for that now.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, all of Jerry’s friends who were residents at the hospital came by to say hello, and then the icing on the cake: about five hours into heavy labor, there was a knock at the door. Jerry quickly walked outside so that the mom-to-be wouldn’t see his mom, all 5 feet of her, 5’6” if you include her bouffant hairdo, standing in front of him clad from head to toe in surgical scrubs, the gown, head covering, and booties over her shoes.

“Mom, what are you doing here? You can’t come in now, she’s in heavy labor,” Jerry said. His mom replied, “Tante Ruchel brought you fresh Kaiser rolls with butter, cheese danishes and delicious rye bread. You must be really hungry.”

Jerry tried as tactfully as he could to reason with her, that this was a very bad time. “Very nice, how ungrateful are you? Do you know Tante Ruchel trekked all over the neighborhood in the freezing cold to pick up all your favorites. And now you’re throwing me out,” she uttered as she stormed down the hall. Meanwhile his wife kept on asking Jerry, “Who’s there? Who are you talking to? What’s going on out there?” Even Jerry understood that less is more.

Soon after, his beautiful son Yoni was born and he bounded down the hall to tell his parents. On the way there, he passed a room that was overflowing with people watching TV and cheering. Turns out they were watching the Jets-Bills playoff game. Being a huge Giant’s fan and hating the Jets, and being it was almost the end of the game, he decided to watch for a few minutes.

Unfortunately, it looked like the Jets were going to win. It was 1st and goal, one yard line, then 4th and goal. Everyone held their breath and then Richard Todd threw an interception and the Bills won. Jerry erupted in applause. The entire room turned towards him and he sheepishly said, “I just had a baby boy,” and ducked out of the room and to the family waiting area to tell his parents, and to his surprise, all of his aunts and uncles who had gathered, waiting for the news. What can I say, they were a very close-knit family.

Later that afternoon, he sat with Yoni in his arms and watched the Giants win their first playoff game in years. He sat there thinking about what an amazing day it was. The Jets miraculously lost their playoff game, the Giants defeated the hated Eagles, he was able to continue his eating frenzy, and, oh yes, he also had his first child.

It doesn’t get any better than that!

With that said, this Chanukah, enjoy latkes that are light on Labor, but heavy on taste.

Baked Potato Latkes

Ingredients:

6 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

2 large or 3 medium onions peeled

2 teaspoons pink sea salt

1 tsp fine ground black pepper

3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

6 eggs

6 tablespoons olive oil (2 tbs for each batch of latkes you will make)

3 Half sheet pans (1 for each 12 latkes you will bake)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and hand grate the potatoes and onions and place in a large bowl. Separately, mix the salt, flour and baking soda. Lightly beat the eggs. Mix all ingredients together.

Spread the olive oil on a baking sheet. Scoop 1/4 cup batter and place on baking sheet for each latke, and press flat with a spatula.

Bake 35 minutes. Flip and bake 12-14 more minutes.