“The Monty Pickle Show” is the first-ever series aimed at introducing kids to the Jewish experience.
A kosher dill with a lot of personality, Monty Pickle has a YouTube channel, where there are videos of him performing the new Hanukkah song “8 is Great” with Kosha Dillz, as well as cooking episodes: solo and with celebrity chef Duff Goldman.
“Duff taught me everything from rolling the matzo balls and popping them in the stew to adding a little bit of seasoning,” Monty Pickle told the Journal. “That guy knows lots and lots about cooking, and he’s a good pal.”
The goal of the show is to get kids and their parents laughing out loud together and celebrating being Jewish.
“Monty’s amazing,” executive producer and co-creator Halle Stanford, told the Journal.
A primetime and children’s Emmy award-winner, Stanford, who produced content for the Jim Henson Company for more than 30 years, served as an EP on celebrated kid’s programs such as “Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock,” “The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance” and “Harriet the Spy.
“I was really thinking a lot about children – Jewish children and non-Jewish children – getting to know the Jewish experience,” she said. “What better way to introduce them to it all than through an amazing pickle puppet.”
Stanford teamed up with former “Sesame Street” EP and creative director Benjamin Lehmann and world-renowned puppeteer Victor Yerrid to create Monty. Then went out and recruited colleagues from the kid’s content world, including Emmy-nominated children’s TV showrunner and writer Elise Allen, Emmy Award-winning producer Jill Hotchkiss and Emmy Award-winning producer, Jewish educator and founder of Hebrew Helpers Todd Shotz, to bring him to life.
Stanford grew up in a household of food lovers, but said her love of the Swedish Chef that really got her into cooking.
“The Swedish Chef on “The Muppet Show” made me laugh so hard; he was my first cooking show, [he was] before The Food Network,” she said. “For me, there’s always been this theme of puppets and food in my career and in my life.”
Like the Swedish Chef, Monty has tons of personality.
“I think that kids not only love food, they love seeing how food is made,” Monty said. “I think kids and adults like a little peek behind the curtain.”
With a sensitivity to pickle ethics, a wink and a laugh, Stanford and Monty shared a recipe for pickle latkes.
“There are two main ingredients: pickles and latkes,” Monty said.
Well, maybe there is a little more to it. That recipe is below.
Monty and Stanford are great fans of food, entertainment and education … and one another.
“Halle is one of the most amazing and prolific producers in Hollywood, in family entertainment; her list of credits are ridiculously long,” Monty said. “When she asked me if I wanted to make a show with her that is all about Jewish culture and spreading Jew joy, I said, ‘Sign me up.’”
“There’s a lot of children’s media that does celebrate Jewish characters,” said Stanford, who created the show, “Sid, the Science Kid;” the first Jewish preschooler. “And you can even think of your favorite episode [in a specific show.]”
However, Monty hosts the first actual series that dives “deep into the pickle barrel of all kinds of Jewish cultural experiences,” she said. “There’s this opportunity that The Monty Pickle Show gets to fill, and we feel so privileged to be the ones bringing it to the table.”
Learn more at TheMontyPickleShow.com, subscribe to @MontyPickleShow on YouTube and follow @MontyPickleShow on Instagram and @Monty_Pickle_Show on TikTok.
For the full conversation, listen to the podcast:
Watch the interview:
Monty Pickle’s delightfully tangy, crispy twist on the beloved potato latke – with a double dose of dill pickle magic!
A Message from Monty Pickle: Happy Hanukkah, pickle pals! Monty Pickle here – former cucumber, current Jewish pickle, and culinary visionary. Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Monty, pickle latkes? Has the brine finally gone to your head?” To which I proudly reply: Absolutely not! But even if it had, it would only make me more delicious! I may be a pickle, but I know we make everything better! Especially when it comes to Hanukkah! So, crank up the frying pan (or the air-fryer), grab some sour cream, and prepare yourself for crunch-induced, dill-lightful, enlightenment!
Makes ~12+ Latkes
Ingredients
Latke Batter:
4 large russet potatoes, peeled
1 yellow onion
⅓–½ cup minced dill pickles (add more for extra pickle punch)
2 Tbsp pickle brine
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons of matzo meal or ¼ cup potato starch
1 ½ tsp kosher salt (reduce to 1 tsp if pickles are very salty)
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp celery seed (optional but deliciously pickle-y)
For Frying:
Vegetable oil (for pan-frying)
Cooking spray or a bit of oil (for air-frying)
For Serving:
Sour cream or Greek yogurt
Fresh dill
Extra chopped pickles or relish
Instructions
- Grate the potatoes and onion:
– Option A: Box Grater (classic). Grate potatoes and onion on the large holes of a box grater.
– Option B: Food Processor (quick and easy). Chop potatoes and onion into chunks. Run through the shredding disc of a food processor.
- Squeeze out the moisture – cheesecloth method:
– Transfer the shredded mixture to a large piece of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel.
– Gather the ends, twist tightly, and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
– Let the liquid sit in the bowl for 2 minutes.
– Pour off the liquid but scrape the white potato starch from the bottom back into your potatoes; it’s a built-in binder.
- Build the batter – pickles are added LAST:
To the bowl of dried potatoes, add eggs, matzo meal/potato starch, pickle brine, salt, pepper, garlic powder and celery seed. Mix thoroughly; mix with your hands for best results. Now, gently fold in the star of the latkes – the minced dill pickles – so they stay bright, crunchy and full of zing.
- Choose your cooking method
– Option A. Traditional Pan-Frying (classic and crispiest).
- Heat ¼ inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Scoop spoonfuls of batter into the pan, flattening gently (a pickle jar is a great tool for this!)
- Fry 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crisp.
- Drain on a rack or paper towels.
- Sprinkle with a pinch of salt while hot.
Option B. Air-Fryer (lighter but still crunchy)
- Preheat the air-fryer to 380°F (193°C).
- Lightly spray the basket or line with air-fryer-safe parchment.
- Scoop 2–3 tbsp of batter for each latke and flatten (again, with a pickle jar!) to about ½ inch thick.
- Spray or brush the tops with a thin coat of oil.
- Air-fry 8–10 minutes, flip, lightly oil again, and cook 6–8 minutes more until crisp and golden.
- Salt lightly after cooking.
Note: Smaller latkes crisp better and brown more evenly in the air-fryer.
- To serve, top warm latkes with a mixture of:
– A dollop of sour cream
– Fresh dill
– Extra chopped pickles or relish
– A squeeze of extra pickle brine (if you’re brave like Monty)
Eat with great relish while watching your favorite Monty Pickle videos.
Debra Eckerling is a writer for the Jewish Journal and the host of “Taste Buds with Deb.” Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform. Email Debra: [email protected].
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source jewishjournal.com ’
