Latkes

This is not my picture. I stole it from Marissa McClellan's latest post on Slashfood. (Will I get in trouble for using it? Who knows.) I made latkes two nights in a row; both times, we ate them so quickly I couldn't get a picture in. The following are quasi-recipes for 2 kinds of latkes (the second looked a bit like the picture above).

Potato Latkes

Grate a bunch of potatoes. We made enough for 4 people, and used maybe 5 medium yellow finn potatoes. It's best to use potatoes that are naturally delicious-- yellow finns and yukon golds are particularly sweet and tasty. Most recipes call for russets (or another starchy potato), but I prefer my latkes light and crispy. That way I can eat more of them. Sometimes I think of them as a vehicle for that annual combo of sour cream and applesauce. Mmmm.

So grate a bunch of potatoes and one very large onion (separately). Soak the potatoes if you want, but I don't think it's necessary. Salt them with about 1T kosher salt and let them sit in a colander for a few minutes. Then squeeze them in handfuls; get as much moisture out as you can. Squeeze the onion too, and mix it all together.

Beat an egg until frothy-- this will make your latkes even lighter. Gently mix the potato-onion mixture in with the egg. Here, many people add flour and/or baking soda. I think flour makes the latkes too heavy, but it does help hold things together. Baking soda prevents the potatoes from turning purplish; if you don't mind the color change, don't use it (I think it can be a bit chalky).

Form *small* patties and fry them in 1/4" hot oil (peanut oil or anything with a high smoke point works well. Please don't use olive oil). When you place the latke lump down, press it flat with a slotted spatula. When the edges turn brown, flip and cook the other side. Remove when browned and let drain on paper towels.

Curried Sweet Potato Latkes

Grate orange-fleshed sweet potatoes-- Garnet or Beauregard are the best. (Even the orange-fleshed ones are sweet potatoes, not yams. Watch Alton Brown's Good Eats on this. He finally convinced me.) Grate an onion too-- squeeze out the water and set aside. If this is going to take you a while, keep the grated potatoes in water so they don't change color. Be sure to squeeze them out well before mixing with onion and egg.

Beat 2 eggs until frothy with 1T flour, 2T curry powder, 1t cayenne, 1t brown sugar, salt and pepper. Mix with potatoes and onion. Following cooking directions above for Potato Latkes.

Just a clarification: These should be eaten with applesauce and/or sour cream. Not ketchup.