Tasty Sides: Sweet Potato Latkes

I didn't celebrate Hanukkah until I met the hubby and even then it was more of a hey! Let's go eat some latkes sort of affair. Of course, as a convent school girl from Virginia, I hadn't eaten latkes before and let me tell you, it's a crying shame it took me 22 years to try them. Of course, my sister in law is Belarussian and she use to make potato pancakes, which are incredible, but they aren't latkes. They're in their own category and I plan on begging for the recipe soon.

...but back to the latkes. So, my first bite of crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside - sounds kinda like a cookie - salty, potato, onion goodness with a dollop of sour cream and applesauce was a lifechanging experience for me. How could the potato eating Irish not have come up with some sort of equivalent? If they did, then my grandmother certainly played dumb.

This past Hanukkah, we threw a party and then went to a party and then dinnertime came on Hanukkah Sunday and I was dying for some latkes. The hubby and I called every restaurant within walking distance to ask if they had latkes on the menu. We damn near got on the subway to go down to the East Village to Veselka's - no small feat from the Upper West Side - for the real deal, but alas we settled on Vietnamese take out.

Weeks passed and I continued to crave latkes and think about them and eat them in my dreams. I couldn't take it anymore and then night before Christmas Eve right around dinner time I declared I wouldn't be satisfied without a latke for dinner. We didn't have any potatoes or even parsnips or celery root, but my heroic husband did happen to find a large sweet potato languishing in the fridge. He said he'd make sweet potato latkes.

Mind you, I can't remember the last time the hubby cooked anything so I was dubious, but he set to work with a little of this and a little of this and an Oh, Sweetie, would you get me the last of that goat cheese in the fridge? And what came out of his frying pan is now my new favorite thing. We've had sweet potato latkes twice now since Christmas. They were a little chewy, a little crunchy with that lovely sweet potato brown sugar caramel and the hint of goat cheese was creamy and wonderful. Try it out!

Sweet Potato Latkes

(If you've never had a latke or if you eat latkes every single day, you'll think you've died and gone to potato heaven. These are great with smoked salmon or as a side to almost any meal - Pork Chops with Apples and Sage anyone?)

What You'll Need:

1 large sweet potato grated on the largest setting of your box grater

1 medium onion chopped

1 large egg

1/8 to 1/4 cup flour (we always use white whole wheat)

2-3 tbsp chevre - the really soft and creamy goat cheese

Set a large frying pan over a high heat and add enough olive oil to generously coat the bottom. Set a large mixing bowl out and add all of the ingredients. Mix together thoroughly.

When the oil is shimmering in the pan, take a small handful of the latke mixture and press it pretty tightly between your palms; gently place it in the pan. Repeat until the pan is filled, but not overcrowded. Cook until the latkes are nice and brown and then flip. It should be about ten minutes per side. If the latkes are browning too quickly or, of course, burning then turn down the flame a bit. Once the latkes are done, set them on a paper towel covered plate.

To serve, we like to eat our latkes with applesauce and plain yogurt. Any kind of tangy fruit compote would go beautifully with these latkes.

Approximate Dinner Cost:
Groceries: $4
Cost per Meal: Serves two to three plus a hungry toddler:)