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Spring pancakes

A moment before going into the operating room, sometime in Israel in the 1950’s, Grandpa Yano turned to the Master of the Universe and asked God to watch over him.
[additional-authors]
March 12, 2015

A moment before going into the operating room, sometime in Israel in the 1950’s, Grandpa Yano turned to the Master of the Universe and asked God to watch over him. In exchange, he solemnly vowed, he and his family members would obey the commandments as his father’s father’s father did for generations before him in Europe. 

Upon his discharge from the hospital, healthy and in one piece, still overcome by the miracle he had been granted, he rushed to fulfill his promise to the Holy One, blessed be He. Grandpa Yano and Grandma Ilkeleh threw out all their old pots, pans, dishes, and silverware and koshered the kitchen, which had known more than a few treif days. Ever afterwards, they were careful about separating milk and meat, and tucked away in the overhead storage space, they kept a set of Passover dishes.  

Every year, a package of walnuts sent via airmail from Slovakia landed in their village by way of the red mail truck; it heralded the return of spring. The walnuts, still in their shells, were sent by the neighbors Grandma Ilkeleh and Grandpa Yano had left behind in 1949. When Mom and her brother were given white shoes and white holiday clothes as presents, it was a second sign that Passover was on the way –the time had come to roll up sleeves because the regular tableware needed to be changed over to Passover dishes. 

The ritual took many hours. First, they emptied the kitchen cabinets and washed the shelves well, rooting out any and all forbidden crumbs. They took down the Passover dishes from the overhead storage space and packed away the regular dishes into boxes for the remainder of the holiday. At the end of this changing of the guard, dog-tired and utterly done in, they sat down for the traditional lunch of Passover Eve. Since the pots were already full of delicacies being cooked for Seder, it was only a light meal – well, as light as their meals ever got.

In those early days, right after the formation of the State of Israel, the village was filled with honking geese. On the eve of the holiday, Grandma Ilkeleh amazed everyone by sautéing livers, soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, accompanied by downy hills of mashed potatoes: the first taste of Passover. 

Amongst the Festival of Freedom's delicacies, along with the Maceszos Kávé, Maceszgombóc and Maceszos Tojás (coffee with matzo, matzo balls and matzo brie, respectively) that made their exodus from Egypt – in Hungary, at least – are Kremzli, or latkes (pancakes). Minus the Menorah, the spinning top, and the can of oil, in and around Budapest they fry potato pancakes for Passover, as well. Grandma Ilkeleh did this, too, with or without King Antiochus of the Chanukah story. Because who says miracles only happen on Chanukah?  

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons goose fat
  • Sugar to taste
  • Ground cinnamon to taste
  • 4 tablespoons ground walnuts
  • Lemon zest
  • 10 tablespoons matzo flour
  • Oil
  • Powdered sugar

 

Beat the eggs and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well to make a uniform batter. 

Form patties and fry in oil until golden. 

Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve. 

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