Always Looking for a New Spin on Latkes

I think food-wise, Hanukah is my favorite holiday.   After all, who doesn't love fried potatoes?  But I have an even more specific tradition... a platter of many colored and flavored latkes....

UPDATE:  my take on the NY Times recipe - Potato Beet Latkes to add to my rainbow.

My standard...a trio of... Potato Latkes - naturally!  Curried Sweet Potato Latkes - everyone loves them, but not nearly as much as potato.  They're gone in a minute any other time of year, but on Hanukah... not even tried until we've all had our fill of potato!  Zucchini or broccoli latkes add a hint of green for a sneaky way to add some more vitamins to the mix of oil and eggs.

But I still want more color on the platter!  And I'm excited to say that I found a recipe on NY Times.com  for Red Flannel Laktes with a single beet to turn them a glorious shade of red.  Guess who's coming to the table this year!

Another tradition... terrible photo, but you won't find a better recipe for BBQ Brisket anywhere.  It's a perfect side to the starring latkes.   I know... strange to have latkes ... humble potato, sweet potato or zucchini... being the focus, and the meat etc., taking a back seat.

No time to do the three stages of marinating and cooking this year, my side... will be my cousin Sonia's Swedish Meatballs.  Sonia is actually Swedish and married to my cousin Steve, now lives in Florida, but wherever she is in reality... she's at our table every Hanukah!

As for dessert... being raised during the 1950's in Montreal, my family and all of our friends were Ashkenazi - European Jews and it wasn't until I was an adult that I was introduced to Sephardi Jews from Spain, North Africa and the Middle East and their wonderful food traditions... we just gorged on latkes and waddled home when we were stuffed.  Sufganiot or doughnuts stuffed with jelly was completely unknown.   To this day, I leave the making (or buying) of those to others if they choose.