Sweet Potato Latkes

• Ingredients
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

1) Combine ingredients in a large bowl - it is important that there is enough egg & flour that the latkes will stay together but not too much that they overwhelm the natural flavors of the sweet potato

2) Cover bottom of frying pan with oil and heat.


3) Spoon out about two tablespoons and press together with hands, making a small pancake and drop into hot oil.

4) Press down on latke with slotted spatula and let cook 1-2 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and do the same for the other side

5) Remove from pan and place on top of paper towels to drain off excess oil

Serve with sour cream and applesauce!

Asiago Cheese

As I begin to explore my palate in a more methodical and examining way, I constantly reminding of something that I have always known about my tastes - I like cheese. Hard, soft, sharp or mild, I like cheese. But if asked to name my favorites I jump to the standards Brie & Parmesan. This can't be right, can it? Can my favorite cheese be some of the most common cheeses out there? Can I even name any others? Or describe flavors and textures? These questions have led me to a simple conclusion: It's time to explore and pay attention :)

Asiago. /ɑːsiˈɑːɡoʊ/ (gotta love my IPA :p ) This Italian cheese originally hails from the province of Vincenza and apparently comes in a couple forms (according to my favorite source, Wikipedia), either fresh or aged. The fresh cheese being hard and smooth in texture and used for a variety of things from sandwiches to being melted in a dish. And then their is aged Asiago, or Asiago d'allevo. The flavor of the Asiago d'allevo is reminiscent of Parmesan and has a crumbly texture and used in salads, sauces, and pastas. The cheese that I've tried is of the former.

I wish I had decided to write this post before I disposed of the packaging, so I have no idea how the producer described their cheese - or even who the producer was.

I however was thrilled by the sharpness of the cheese and the small kick it has - my roomates were not please by its smell :) I enjoyed my Asiago melted over cauliflower and broccoli, sliced with prosciutto, and plain with crackers.

Overall a cheese that I would definitely recommend, and might even choose as a staple cheese to keep in my kitchen because of its wide variety of uses! I'm going to be sad when I finally finish this wedge.

Bitochki

Ingredients

1/2 stick butter

Large Onion, finely diced

3 slices bread, stale

1/4 cup milk

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground veal

1 teaspoon salt - to taste, I don’t use any because of the butter

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley, fresh

2 teaspoons finely chopped tarragon, fresh

Juice of 1 lemon

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg, light beaten

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tbl paprika 

1) Saute onions in butter until clear.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

3) Soak the break in milk and then squeeze so it is almost dry.

Combine the veal, beef and bread in a large bowl, breaking up the pieces of bread.

mix in salt, pepper, parsley, tarragon, lemon juice, garlic, and egg

mix bread crumbs and paprika on a plate, or shallow dish

Assemble meat balls by shaping the meat into balls with 1 inch diameter, roll meatballs first in the sauted onion from step one and then in the bread crumb mixture

8) place assembled meat balls in a baking dish lined with tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes, or until brown. Rotate at least once.