Latkes Lusi (Provided photo — Yvona Fast)

December creeps in.

Gray penetrates, permeates —

we search for light.

December days are short and dark. We welcome the Festival of Lights.

In Jewish synagogues, the Ner Tamid or Eternal Flame burns continually, reminding us that God is ever-present. Today, the lights are electric, but this eternal flame was once maintained with a cruse of olive oil.

Hanukkah commemorates the military victory of Judah Maccabee over the ruling Greek Syrians and the miracle of the small cruse of oil that burned for eight long days when there was only enough to last for one day. The holiday celebrates God’s protection, kindness and blessing. In honor of that sacred olive oil, lights are lit on the menorah. Each day, another candle is lit until eight are lit on the eighth day.

Hanukkah oil burns so bright

chasing away the dark of night

reminding us of victories past,

we know this darkness will not last.

That is also why Hanukkah is celebrated with food fried in oil. This holiday tradition dates back to the 14th century. In Israel, sufganiyot, or jelly donuts, are common.

Sephardic Jews made leek fritters, or keftes de prasa. In Italy, Ricotta pancakes were common. When Jews migrated north from Italy, they made buckwheat pancakes and carrot fritters. When potatoes arrived in Europe in the 19th century, potato latkes became common Hanukkah fare.

Chanukah candles represent the Jewish traditions and values that the ancient Syrian Greeks sought to destroy — and that the Maccabees fought to preserve as they fought off persecution to win their freedom. This Hanukkah, let your light shine bright. Stand up for your values. Protect light and freedom for others. Choose hope and action.

Gloomy, gray wintry days call for comfort food. Fritters — leek, potato, carrot, sweet potato — fit the bill.

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Keftes de Prasa (Sephardic Leek Latkes)

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Ingredients:

3 leeks (about 1 pound)

1 teaspoon salt, divided (or more if you wish)

2 large eggs

1/3 cup bread crumbs or matzoh meal

A few grinds of pepper and turmeric, optional

2 to 4 Tablespoons fresh minced parsley, optional

2 to 4 Tablespoons finely minced and toasted walnuts, optional

Directions:

Cut off the root at the bottom of the stem and the tough green leaves at the top. You can use a good amount of the tops, just stop when they are really tough.

Slice leeks into rounds. Separate the rounds and rinse several times in a bowl of water until you are confident that all dirt and sand are gone.

Place leeks in a saucepan; cover with water and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until soft and tender, but not mushy — about 10 minutes.

Drain in a colander. You can reserve the water for soup to make another day if you wish.

Cool the leeks until you can handle them, and squeeze out any liquid with your hands. You should have about 1 1/2 cup. Or, put the leeks away until you are ready to mix and fry them later in the day (or even the next day).

Break the eggs into a large bowl. Add the remaining salt, pepper, turmeric (if using), bread crumbs, parsley, and nuts; stir to combine. Fold in the cooked leeks. Leave to rest for a few minutes to give the bread time to absorb the egg and form a mixture dense enough to shape into small patties. If it still seems too moist, add a bit more bread crumbs to bind the ingredients together.

Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a large skillet over a medium-high flame.

When the oil is hot (but not smoking), gently spoon one or two tablespoons into the pan and try to shape it to be round. Cook 3-4 minutes or until golden, then flip over to brown the other side. Be sure not to crowd them in the pan. Repeat with remaining mixture until all the batter is used up. Remove with spatula and drain on paper towels. Taste one and adjust salt if necessary.

Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 2.

Keftes are delicious plain, but you can also serve them with a tart smear of plain Greek yogurt or sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Option: For a crisper crust, coat each kefte with additional bread crumbs before frying.

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Hanukkah Latkes

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Ingredients:

About 4 cups shredded vegetables — these can be potatoes but you can also use sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, or a combination

1 medium onion (about 1 cup grated)

2 eggs

1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, to taste

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, to taste (or a bit of cayenne)

3-6 Tablespoons matzo meal or flour

Oil for frying — about a half cup

Directions:

Peel or scrub the potatoes and grate (I use the grating attachment of the food processor). Transfer to colander. With your hands, squeeze out excess liquid, then place in a bowl. Grate the onion using the steel knife of the food processor; stir into potatoes. Beat eggs with salt and pepper, and stir in. Stir in matzo meal or flour until it all holds together, to achieve desired consistency.

Fry on hot oil, using about an eighth of a cup of batter per pancake and flattening with a spoon. When the bottom is crisp and brown (about 3 minutes) flip and cook the other side. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve fresh and hot, with toppings of your choice and a fruit salad; serve soup as a first course if you wish to make it more of a complete meal.

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Baked Carrot Fritters

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Avoiding fat this holiday season? Try these carrot fritters.

Ingredients:

8 medium carrots (about 3/4 lb.)

1 cup minced fresh chives

1 cup minced fresh parsley

3 eggs (or equivalent flax eggs)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/3 cups flour (half whole wheat)

1/3 cup almond meal

2 oz. finely grated feta cheese

1 lemon

Directions:

Shred carrots into a large bowl. Stir in chives and parsley.

Beat eggs with salt and pepper; stir into carrots. Stir in flours and feta cheese. Mixture should be sticky.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Form golf-size balls with hands. Arrange on parchment paper and flatten on cookie sheets.

Squirt a little lemon juice over each, being careful to catch the seeds.

Bake in preheated oven until they’re golden brown, 10-20 minutes. Flip, squeeze lemon juice on top of each patty, and bake until golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for five minutes before serving. Serves 4 or 5.

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Author of the award-winning cookbook “Garden Gourmet: Fresh and Fabulous Meals from your Garden, CSA or Farmers Market,” Yvona Fast lives in Lake Clear and has two passions: writing and cooking. She can be found at www.yvonafast.com and reached at yvonawrite@yahoo.com or on Twitter: @yvonawrites.