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ByJenniferGraue FortheSanJoseMercuryNews There are certain sym- bols of Hanukkah that ev- eryone knows. There's the menorah, of course, and the dreidel. And then there's the latke, that quint- essential food of the Festi- val of Lights — a mixture of potato, onion and a lit- tle binder that magically transcends all cultural di- vides. There may be some- one somewhere, who does not love potato pancakes, but we doubt it. Latkes are simply sublime. Still, for something so seemingly simple, making a perfect latke is no small feat. So we've turned to two Bay Area cooks whose re- fined technique and cre- ativity has made them bona fide champion latke makers. With their tips and tricks in your arsenal, making po- tato pancakes, whether for Hanukkah or just a simple weeknight dinner, can be a whole latke fun — if you'll pardon the potato pun. Napa's Jamie Brown- Miller won this year's Manischewitz Cook Off with her recipe for waffled latkes with matzo fried chicken. San Francisco resident Josie A.G. Shap- iro was crowned Chicago's latke champion in 2008, when she lived in the Windy City. (She was also the 2013 Manischewitz Cook Off winner for her recipe for faux pho.) And while others, per- haps fueled by a desire to be daring, different or pa- leo, are making latkes with foods such as zucchini, sweet potatoes and even beets, both Brown-Miller and Shapiro are sticking with the humble potato this year. "Potatoes are given a bad rap," Brown-Miller said. "They're the boneless, skin- less chicken breast of the tu- ber world." Shapiro's devotion to the potato is based largely on tradition and childhood Hanukkah celebrations. Championships aside, Sha- piro says her mother, who lives in Oakland, is still the premier latke cook. And Shapiro has strong opin- ions on the topic of latkes. "I'm a crispy latke per- son, not a big cakey one," she said. "Both have their merits. There's no bad latke," she adds, perhaps to appease those of the cakey persua- sion. Shapiro's secret to a per- fect latke starts with the potato. She uses the russet, partly because that's what her mother uses, but also because it's high in starch content, which is crucial to crispness. She also uses a cheese- cloth to wring as much wa- ter out of the grated potato as possible. But here's the real secret: She catches that liquid in a bowl and lets it sit for a few minutes. Once the starch settles out, she carefully drains the liquid off and adds the starch back into the potatoes. The other key to Sha- piro's success is covering the potatoes with a cheese- cloth soaked in lemon juice, which keeps the grated po- tatoes from turning brown or gray — something that happens quickly when they're exposed to air. The trick makes for a more at- tractive latke. Brown-Miller didn't grow up Jewish, but her interest in the potato pan- cake started young. She made her first latkes for an elementary school his- tory project on Russian culture. After a previous unsuc- cessful run at the Manisch- ewitz Cook Off, Brown- Miller knew what she had to do to win. "I had to bring some- thing buzzworthy," she said, "that could be executed per- fectly." During a long day of rec- ipe testing last winter, she hit upon the idea of putting the Manischewitz latke mix into the waffle iron and cre- ated a kosher version of a top food trend: chicken and waffles with a surprise punch from Sriracha, added to both the syrup and the batter. She knew she had a win- ner when her husband asked her to add the dish to her regular dinner rep- ertoire pronto. Brown-Miller says not being Jewish actually may have helped her in the cre- ative process. "I think any- time we are entrenched in our own culture, we tend to be myopic about our food," she said. Shapiro admits to be- ing a pretty strict tradi- tionalist with her latkes at Hanukkah, topping them with homemade apple- sauce and sour cream or perhaps smoked salmon, crème fraîche and chives for a brunch. "I'm more freewheeling at other times of the year, and I'll be more creative," she said. She recently developed a recipe for an Indian-in- spired salmon masala and mint chutney to go with latkes for a weeknight meal. Both women are advo- cates for serving the latke well beyond just the eight nights of Hanukkah. They use them as part of their regular dinner rota- tion because they're quick, easy and pair well with so many other foods. They're also a nice alter- native as a base for cana- pes, as Brown-Miller dis- covered: "I get sick of put- ting things on bread slices, and puff pastry gets all over my carpet." Brown-Miller suggests doing rolled latkes stuffed with chicken pate, apple- sauce and a brown sugar balsamic glaze for a cock- tail party. If you're making latkes for a crowd, Shapiro ad- vises making them ahead of time, freezing them and then reheating them in a 425-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, so you can min- gle with guests, instead of spending all your time with a frying pan. They may be deeply in- tertwined with Hanukkah traditions, but latkes de- serve love, regardless of sea- son or religion. "No one has a trademark on the fried potato," Shap- iro said. "Get some pota- toes. Get some salt. Fry it." HOLIDAY SEASON Some latke love for Hanukkah MARKDUFRENE-BAYAREANEWS GROUP Crispy Little Latkes with smoked salmon and asparagus. By Ivan Moreno The Associated Press DENVER Powdered alcohol hasn't even arrived in stores yet, but states already are moving to ban the product touted by its inventor as an easy way to mix a drink on the go. Colorado is the latest state considering prohib- iting "Palcohol" amid con- cern it will increase under- age drinking. The product is mar- keted as an ounce of rum or vodka in powdered form, which is then added to water. Each serving is the equiv- alent of a shot of liquor, ac- cording to Lipsmark, the company that owns Palco- hol. "I think being proactive and jumping out in front of the problem is probably the right thing to do," said Chris Johnson, executive di- rector of the County Sher- iffs of Colorado. "It really doesn't have any place in our society, powered alcohol. We have enough problems with the liquid kind." Johnson said he fears powdered alcohol will make it easier for children to "sprinkle it on top of their Wheaties for breakfast" and increase the potential for al- cohol poisoning. "It can be a very danger- ous thing," he said. The company's website notes various instances where they argue the prod- uct would be convenient, in- cluding on flights and as an antiseptic on remote loca- tions. Palcohol's creator, Mark Phillips, said he thought of the idea because it would be easier to carry powder for a drink during a long hike or other outdoor ac- tivities. MIXED DRINKS Po wd er ed a lc oh ol ? No t so f as t, l aw ma ke rs s ay FOOD » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, December 17, 2014 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B4