My mother made latkes once a year for tradition's sake, using the recipe in the Temple Beth El "Measure for Pleasure" cookbook, circa 1958. The temple ladies devoted two pages to jello molds, an entire section for kugels, but one entry for latkes contributed by "The Committee." Three grated potatoes, baking powder, salt, a little grated onion and an egg. The latkes of my childhood were flat and crunchy, but they weren't very pretty. This updated version is still traditional, but it has a silky interior, a crunchy crust and holds together beautifully in the frying pan. I've also made these with caramelized onions and garlic. The bite of the raw onion here is a more traditional taste.

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