One of the wonderful things about the Jewish culture is its rich culinary tradition. Recipes are lovingly passed down from generation to generation, so that every family seemingly has its own variations on the same common themes. Latkes, or fried potato pancakes, are the traditional food of Hanukkah. (Who doesn’t love a holiday dedicated to foods fried in oil? You’re also obligated to eat jelly donuts. Yum!) Now I’m only Jewish-by-marriage, so my basic potato latke recipe actually comes from a little Chanukah book my mom bought at Crate and Barrel one year. But hey, it works! Now I know better than to tinker with classics, and I always make a plain white potato latke. But I like to add sweet potato latkes sometimes too, and these ones are gussied up a bit more with a little carrot and ginger. You could add parsnip or really any other root vegetable you have on hand. Enjoy these for Chanukah or just breakfast this weekend.

Happy Chanukah!

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 carrots
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup matzo meal (or flour)
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• oil for frying (I use peanut oil)

Instructions: Peel and grate the potatoes and carrots, then place in a large bowl. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl, then add to the shredded vegetables. Add matzo meal (or flour), ginger and salt and stir until just combined. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drop sweet potato mixture by heaping tablespoon full into the oil. Cook until edges appear crisp, then flip and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Outsides should be golden and crisp. Remove and place on paper-towel lined plate to drain. Serve warm, with homemade applesauce. Enjoy!