Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Happy Hanukkah! This morning I decided to kick off Hanukkah with sweet potato latkes, sour cream, bacon - we're not really Jewish! - topped with fresh blackberry sauce. Riley pulled out his menorah; Dylan located his dreidel. So, I just need to remember to pick up some chocolate coins today. Okay, I already mentioned that we're not Jewish. But we  are  attempting to raise socially-aware citizens of the world who are not just tolerant of, but are knowledgeable about, religious and cultural differences. So, we celebrate Hanukkah...and a host of other religious holidays that have nothing to do with our personal beliefs or lack thereof. Mix together 1 shredded sweet potato, 1/4 C white whole wheat flour, dash of nutmeg, dash of ground ginger, splash of milk, and two beaten eggs. Heat oil in a large flat-bottomed pan. When the oil is hot, spoon 1/2 C of the sweet potato mixture into skillet, spreading into flattened rounds with a fork. Cook until undersides are browned, ...

Okay, so we're not Jewish. But we are attempting to raise socially-aware citizens of the world who are not just tolerant of, but are knowledgeable about, religious and cultural differences. So, we celebrate Hanukkah. Riley wanted a menorah as soon as he learned about Hanukkah in kindergarten; and every year I make latkes. I read that the secret to making the perfect latkes - golden on the inside and crispy on the outside - is the starchiness of potato. The best, supposedly, are the baking russets; the worst are boiling potatoes. I opted to use what I had: Yukon golds. They fall in the middle of the starchiness scale. This year I changed it up a little by adding shredded carrots, too. Delicious! Mix together shredded potatoes, carrots, diced onions and shallots, sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and beaten egg. Heat oil in a large flat-bottomed pan. When the oil is hot, spoon 2 tablespoons of the potato mixture per latke into skillet, spreading into 3-inch rounds with a fork. ...