Last night we had potato pancakes or latkes for dinner! We regularly had these while I was growing up. So recently, when my 18-year-old asked us to switch up what we were serving for meals, I thought this was a great opportunity to try them again.
But, I started to laugh as I grated the potatoes, thinking, “here I am, living in the upper mid-west, a Lutheran, and I am making latkes, not lefse!” We live in an area of the country saturated with Norwegians and the customs of that Scandinavian country! Common are the names, Hanson, Peterson, Olson, and more that reflect the norse heritage! Personal stories of making lefse are commonly shared like the one my friend told this morning over coffee. And, other accounts are readily available after being shared on social media.
We tried lefse when we first moved here, years ago. I have never tried making it – nor would I, as it is not my heritage and I am simply not motivated to try it. But, potato pancakes – sure. We are not Jewish either. But, I had potato pancakes growing up and thought I would give the meal a try, once again.
Food is not always about ethnicity. Food is about comfort, memories, & taste or yumminess. I served the latkes with applesauce, sour cream, and bacon. Enjoy the photographs of cooking the latkes, yesterday. They were delicious! All of us enjoyed them, except for the guy who asked me to change-up the menus! He barely ate his, citing a texture “thing”. Somehow, I don’t think the lefse would be any better received.
So, why would a Lutheran make Latkes instead of Lefse? Just because – it’s what I know (my own heritage/experience), I like the taste, it reminds me of growing up, and from what I’ve heard, Latkes are a whole lot easier than Lefse!
Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!
