In this weekly culinary column, I will be focusing on one dish – giving the reader a quick history of the dish, the classical preparation of it, and of course, my own spin on the classic.

This week I have chosen to cover latkes – a traditional side dish eaten during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. The oil for cooking symbolizes the oil that kept the Second Temple in Ancient Israel lit with its miraculous flame. Prior to the introduction of potatoes, latkes were made with a variety of other vegetables, legumes, starches or cheeses.

Classic Latkes

5 whole​Potatoes
1 whole​Onions, sliced
3​Eggs
½ cup​All purpose flour
1 tsp​Salt
¼ tsp​Pepper
1 cup​Canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and peel the potatoes. Once peeled, place potatoes into water. Slice the onion and set aside. Beat the eggs and set aside. Once ready to make latkes, run the potatoes across a box grater. Once potatoes are grated, add the onions and egg to the mixture. Season and add enough flour to allow the latkes to hold together. Place pan over medium heat and add about a ½ inch of oil to the pan. Allow the oil to heat and place roughly 2 oz of the potato mixture to the pan. Fry for several minutes on each side until golden brown. Place on a sheet tray with rack and place in oven for roughly 5 minutes to allow to cook through. Serve immediately with various jams or sour cream.

Jonathan’s Latkes

4 whole​Potatoes
1​Celery root
2​Carrots
½ cup​Scallions, chopped
¼ cup​Chives, chopped
3​Eggs
2 tbsp​Sea salt
¼ tsp​Pepper, freshly cracked
1 cup​Canola oil

Preheat oven to 350. Wash and peel the potatoes. Once peeled, place potatoes into water. Peel celery root and carrots, then set aside. Chop the chives and scallions, then set aside. Beat the eggs and then set aside. Once ready to make latkes, run the carrots, celery root and potatoes across a box grater in that order. Once the root vegetables are grated, place in kitchen towel and squeeze out the moisture. Once squeezed as dry as possible, place in a mixing bowl and add the eggs, scallions, chives and seasoning. Mix until fully incorporated. Place pan over medium heat and add about a ½ inch of oil to the pan. Allow the oil to heat and place roughly 2 oz of the potato mixture to the pan. Fry for several minutes on each side until golden brown. Place on a sheet tray with rack and place in oven for roughly 5 minutes to allow to cook through. Serve immediately with various jams or sour cream.

Whether you choose to prepare the classic, my twist or your own interpretation, remember that food is about bringing people together and that the act of cooking is about caring and as long as your heart is in the dish you prepare, the people you are cooking for will appreciate it (and you).

If you have any questions for me or would like to see me cover any particular dish in this column, feel free to write me, care of this publication. From my kitchen to yours, it is my pleasure to give you a peek into the mind of a chef. Thank You

Jonathan Jolicoeur is a chef at A Tavola – an Italian restaurant on Church Street in Winchester – which focuses on “farm to table” style of cooking. Jonathan was born in Somerville, lives in Woburn and has a degree from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts.