Latkepalooza

by Debra Auspitz

With the holidays approaching, the ever-present Christmas foods are all around us: candy canes, gingerbread houses, eggnog and everything else that makes you think "ho ho ho." Christmas' perky kid sister, Hanukkah, doesn't have quite the same massive industry to churn out the goodies, but non-Jews and Jews alike still have a staple Hanukkah food to celebrate (and no, we don't mean those chocolate coins). We refer, of course, to the latke, the sometimes crunchy, sometimes deadly solid potato pancakes that fill people's homes with the smell of grease around the holidays. Though latkes usually share some basic characteristics -- made from potatoes and eggs, served with apple sauce or sour cream -- the latke has branched out over the years, to the point where there are hundreds of recipes available. Whether you differ just in your preference for crispy or mushy, or you add entirely different ingredients, there's a latke recipe out there for you. To prove this point, the Gershman Y is hosting Latkepalooza, a hilariously named ode to the potato pancake. Chefs from all over the city will gather to face off with their various latke recipes. You may have already sampled the latkes from some of the restaurants included, like Jones, where potato pancakes are a regular staple of the home-style menu, while others seem more intriguing choices: We can't wait to taste the latkes created by the folks at Plough and the Stars or Joseph Poon (pictured). Aside from the grubfest, the event will feature music, holiday-themed shopping, craft projects for the kids and an interactive presentation by Theater Ariel. Latkepalooza promises to create, in total, over 2,000 latkes made from 400 potatoes. Let's hope they don't run out of oil

Latkepalooza, Sun., Dec. 14, 2-5 p.m., $4-$8, Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St., 215-446-3027.