Taters!

I love potatoes. They are very versatile. I've had them boiled, broiled, crinkle cut, grilled, baked, sauteed, mashed... oops I should stop, I'm doing that Bubba Gump thing again, sorry.

One thing I hadn't ever had was potato latkes.

Ok, why was someone keeping these from me?

Potatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil- really can anything be bad about this?! Um, no.

They were super good. Jon wasn't nearly as impressed as I was, he said the seasoning needs some adjusting. To be fair, they do need some very small tweaks that I will take care of when I make them again. (They need more onion and garlic for our tastes, we are also going to add some season salt. No big deal.)

To my Northern friends- stay warm tonight and be sure to throw an extra log on the fire!

One last random side note: through the power of modern technology, I got to watch two beautiful black bear cubs be born today. I've been following Lily and Hope (along with the rest of the North American Bear Center) since last year. January of 2010 was a historic month for Lily. She gave birth to Hope on a live webcam. This was the first time the miracle of birth for a wild black bear had been captured on film in a black bear's den out in her natural environment. And now, one year later (the day before Hope's 1 year birthday) we watched Lily give birth once again. What will we learn this time around? I am excited to find out :)

Here's to you and your culinary adventures, friends. Cheers!

Two Potato Latkes
Serves 4 (2 latkes)
256 calories per serving

2 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup grated fresh onion
1 lb shredded peeled baking potato
1/2 lb shredded peeled sweet potato
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (about 2 1/4 ounces)
1/3 cup finely chopped green onions
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
Green onion strips (optional)

Preheat oven to 425°.

Drizzle a jelly-roll pan evenly with oil, tilting pan to coat.

Combine grated onion and potatoes in a sieve; squeeze out excess moisture.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine potato mixture, flour, and next 5 ingredients (through egg) in a large bowl.

Divide mixture into 8 equal portions, squeezing out excess liquid. Shape each
portion into a 1/4-inch-thick patty; place on prepared pan.

Lightly coat tops of patties with cooking spray.

Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Carefully turn patties over; cook 30 minutes or until lightly browned, turning every 10 minutes.

Garnish with green onion strips, if desired.