East Meets West

Today was our 9th wedding anniversary, and I woke to the aroma of potato latkes frying on the stove. Brandon made them just the way I like them, brown and crispy, with my favorite dipping sauce - soy sauce and minced garlic.

Given the latke's Jewish/German roots, soy sauce is a somewhat unusual dressing for this potato pancake, which is typically served with sour cream or applesauce. But I swear, I didn't make up the unique combo myself!

Growing up in Hawaii, my best friend was a hapa girl named Heide, whose mother was from Germany and father was Taiwanese. I never forgot those post-sleepover mornings, when we'd tear apart the pancakes with our fingers and dip them into little bowls filled with the murky, savory and slightly spicy mix of soy sauce and garlic.

Latkes and soy sauce exemplies what is best about Hawaii - it's colorful, mixed-plate culture.

By the time I thought to include Brandon's latkes in my blog, I'd already polished off the entire platter. Well, all but this lone pancake.