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CHARLOTTE KULA: You ask many people what they remember about Hanukkah, they won't tell you the historical story or the theological prayer. They'll tell you they remember their mother making potato pancakes.

WOMAN: [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]

BETH FRIEND: In the course of raising six boys, Charlotte Kula has had a lot of experience in creating the tastes, sounds, and smells of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Hanukkah has seasonal origins in the winter solstice, but the tradition of eating potato pancakes stems from its historical origins. The holiday marks the story of the successful Jewish revolt against the Hellenistic Syrians who occupied the land of Israel around 165 BCE.

There is a miracle associated with this victory. When the temple in Jerusalem was to be rededicated, only one cruse of sacramental oil was found. Although this was supposed to burn for only one day, it miraculously lasted for eight full days.

And so the central ritual of the holiday is to kindle lights for eight successive nights. And there is a long-standing tradition of eating dishes cooked in oil, especially potato latkes, latke being the Yiddish word for pancake. Along with MPR's Mindy Ratner, I went to Charlotte Kula house on Humboldt street in Minneapolis one afternoon when she was making a batch of potato latkes.

CHARLOTTE KULA: All right, we're beating in then the 3 eggs and 2 tablespoons of flour and a 1/2 a teaspoon of salt.

BETH FRIEND: I must note here that many people insist on using matzo meal instead of flour.

CHARLOTTE KULA: By the way, people are talking so much about osteoporosis. And beating and peeling potatoes using your hands and your body is really good for you. And maybe we're just not using our bodies enough for these things. So I want to plug the use of the body for making pancakes.

BETH FRIEND: The two main ingredients, the potato and onion, have to be grated. You need about 2 cups of grated potatoes for this recipe. Now, people claim that you can use a food processor for the grating, but Charlotte, like many others, sticks to the old fashioned hand grater using the side with the larger holes. In the time it takes you to get the food processor out of the cabinet, assemble it, clean it after using it, and put it back, she says, your hand grating would be done. But also there's the anti-stress argument.

CHARLOTTE KULA: And I think that we need time to just stop. And the grating potatoes for the few minutes it takes sometimes gives you some of that time.

[GRATER SCRATCH]

MINDY RATNER: Who gets to do the onion, I wonder?

BETH FRIEND: Ah, the onion, the controversial part of the recipe. How much is enough? 1 large onion for 6 potatoes, like my cousin Rochelle's recipe?

I know a lot of people who consider that ratio unacceptable. At least 2 onions for 6 potatoes, they say. Charlotte loves onions, but she's married to someone who can't stand their smell so she's had to moderate her lust for them.

CHARLOTTE KULA: But I think onion really does give flavor to the pancakes. And I'm more for more onion than less, but I think that's a personal thing. No one ever died from too much onion.

BETH FRIEND: The debate notwithstanding, we can go on to combine the potatoes and onions with the egg, salt, and flour mixture.

CHARLOTTE KULA: Meanwhile, the oil on the skillet is heating.

BETH FRIEND: Add more flour or matzo meal to the mixture if needed, enough to bind it. You should be able to make a patty and drop it into the frying pan. Charlotte prefers the spoon it in approach.

CHARLOTTE KULA: The oil should really be hot. That way your pancakes won't stick. Now, I've got it on high, but I'm going to drop that a little in a second or two once my pancakes are in.

BETH FRIEND: Time to let the latkes fry to a golden brown, or if you like, a dark, crispy brown.

CHARLOTTE KULA: I know you girls can hardly wait to eat it because I'm going to let you have it with some hot drinks. These are not fattening. It only depends what else you've eaten today that will make them fattening. They're very--

BETH FRIEND: Fattening, schmattening, who cares? As soon as the latkes are done, drain them on paper towels and you're all set. On top of them, you put applesauce or sour cream. That's it.

This is the final moment of truth, right? Mindy's going to take the taste of her first latke.

MINDY RATNER: It looks gorgeous. It smells gorgeous.

[CRUNCH, CHEW]

And the taste is fantastic.

BETH FRIEND: It's great. It's great. This is Beth Friend. Happy Hanukkah.

WOMAN: [NON-ENGLISH SINGING]