Happy Hanukkah!

In honor of the first day of the festival of lights, here are recipes for two traditional dishes.

Sweet Potato Latkes

Ingredients:
2 medium yellow onions
3 Yukon gold potatoes
3 sweet potatoes
2 tbl. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
vegetable oil

1. Grate the onions and potatoes into a large bowl, grating down the length of the potato to get long strands.
2. Wring out any access liquid.
3. Toss the mixture with the flour, salt and cayenne then stir in the egg.
4. Warm ¼ inch of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
5. Spoon about ¼ cup of the mixture into the skillet, pressing lightly to form pancakes.
6. Cook, turning once, until golden. Enjoy!

Recipe yields about 8 latkes.

Potato Latkes

Ingredients:
1 lb. potatoes
½ cup onion, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp. salt
½ to ¾ cup olive oil

1. Peel potatoes and grate them into a large bowl of cold water to soak. Let them sit for one to two minutes then drain well in a colander.
2. Spread potatoes and onions on a paper towel and squeeze them together to wring out as much liquid as possible.
3. Transfer potatoes to a bowl and stir in the egg and salt.
4. Heat ¼ cup oil in a non-stick skillet over moderately high heat until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Spoon potato mixture into the skillet, spreading it into pancakes.
5. Reduce heat to moderate and cook until latkes are browned (about five minutes), then flip them over and brown the other side. Add more oil to the skillet as needed.
6. Spread on a paper towel to drain and season with salt.
7. Serve with sour cream or applesauce and enjoy!

Recipe yields 12-16 latkes.