Our middle son turns 12 today! His request for a special breakfast: draniki. Dra-what? He's taken quite an interest in geography, and recently has researched Belarus. Draniki is a Belarussian potato pancake. The recipe he presented me was simple: grated potatoes and onions, with salt, pan-fried. Okay.
Now, my normal recipe for potato latkes is includes eggs and flour, without draining the potatoes. This time, I drained the potatoes, then poured off the liquid, and mixed the thick potato starch that sunk to the bottom as a thickener. The idea was not my own, but indicated in the recipe as an option. I love learning new things in the kitchen.
I've been cooking since my first cooking class (given by a friend of my mom's) some 40-ish years ago. Try it, grate potatoes, drain the liquid, then see the off-white substance at the bottom of the bowl or glass. The consistency is that of corn starch and water. The draniki were a bit gummier/chewier than my usual potato pancakes but still crisp and delicious, served with sour cream per Belarussian tradition (and apple sauce, per family tradition).
Finding my happiness certainly involves cooking.
No comments:
Post a Comment