WTF ARE LATKES?

My coworker recently turned me on to SmittenKitchen.com, a food/cooking blog with gorgeous imagery and a seemingly endless supply of easy to follow recipes that would impress any dinner (or lunch or breakfast or snack) guest. Last night, Phil and I hosted an impromptu dinner party simply because I couldn't wait to make Deb's parsnip latkes with horseradish and dill sauce.

Grating the potato is easy. The parsnips? Not so much.

For crispy latkes, Deb of Smitten Kitchen recommends wringing out as much liquid as possible
from the grated veg.

I wish I had photos of the finished product, but frankly I couldn't wait to pop them into my mouth the instant they came out of the warming oven, so the few prep photos above will have to suffice. For more appetizing images, please refer to the recipe here.

What made this recipe so ideal for entertaining was that I could prepare everything ahead of time and then fry up the latkes while chatting with my friends in the kitchen. Served with ample dollops of horseradish sauce, a green salad, and a plate of cheese and crostini, these parsnip latkes made a scrumptious little meal, perfect for a rainy Portland evening.