The eight-day holiday of Hanukkah begins Sunday evening, Dec. 18. Fried foods and foods prepared with oil commemorate the Hanukkah miracle, and so do candles lit in a Hanukkah menorah.

Hanukkah, which means “dedication,” refers to the purification of the Holy Temple and the rekindling of the Temple’s Eternal Light after Ancient Jerusalem was liberated from invaders. The story goes that a jar with enough olive oil for the light to burn for one day miraculously lasted for eight days.

Potato latkes, part of the culinary legacy of Ashkenazi Jews from Central and Eastern Europe, are popular Hanukkah fare. When I was growing up in the U.S. and Yakir in Israel, our mothers fried potato pancakes in vegetable oil. Since olive oil has become a pantry staple, more and more people use it to fry their latkes.

Sweet potatoes, which can be used in similar ways to potatoes, are favorite winter vegetables, so it’s only natural that they are incorporated into Hanukkah meals. For our Sweet Spicy Vegetable Tzimmes we cook both tubers together for a variety of tastes, textures and colors.

Sweet Potato Fritters with Clove Syrup

When deep frying, never leave the pan unattended. If the oil starts to bubble up towards the top of the pan, reduce the heat immediately.

Yield: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes/yams

6 cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Clove syrup (see cook’s note)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

2 tablespoons whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, sifted

2 large eggs

PROCEDURE

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put sweet potatoes in a roasting pan in one layer; rub with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until they can be pierced easily with a fork, about 50 minutes. Leave until just cool enough to handle.

2. Make syrup.

3. Peel still-warm sweet potatoes with a paring knife. Cut them in pieces. Put in a large bowl. Mash thoroughly with a potato masher. (You need 2 1/4 cups.)

4. Put mashed sweet potatoes in a small saucepan. Cut 2 tablespoons butter in 4 pieces; add to pan. Add milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, sugar and cinnamon. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until milk and butter are absorbed. Remove from heat; let cool.

5. Make dough: Cut remaining butter in 4 pieces; put in a small saucepan. Add 1/2 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Heat over low heat until butter melts. Raise heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Remove from heat, add flour all at once; stir quickly with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat mixture over low heat for 30 seconds. Remove from heat; let cool for 5 minutes. Add 1 egg. Beat it quickly and thoroughly into mixture; it will look separated at first but beat until egg is completely blended in. Beat in second egg. Transfer dough to a bowl.

6. Add mashed sweet potato puree in three portions to dough, beating after each until mixture is smooth. Line trays with paper towels.

7. Pour oil into a deep fryer or deep heavy 3-quart saucepan; do not fill more than half way. Heat oil to 360 degrees on a frying thermometer. If a thermometer is not available, test by adding a scant teaspoon of sweet potato mixture to heated oil; when oil is hot enough, it should bubble vigorously around batter.

8. Take a mounded teaspoonful of batter; with a second teaspoon, slide it gently into oil, forming a rounded fritter. Do not crowd pan. Fry fritters over medium to medium-high heat until deep golden brown on all sides, about 3 minutes, turning them if needed. Do not let oil temperature go above 370 degrees. It’s OK if temperature goes down after you add batter; fritters are fine when fried at range of 330 to 360.

9. Transfer fritters to paper towel-lined trays. Serve as soon as possible, while warm or at room temperature. Drizzle with syrup.

Cook’s note: To make clove syrup, put one 8-ounce piloncillo sugar cone (available at Latin American markets) in a small saucepan with 1 cup water, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 whole cloves, 2 two-inch strips lime zest and 6 three-inch strips orange zest. Cover and cook over medium heat, turning and tapping cone occasionally with a wooden spoon, until boiling. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until cone dissolves, about 6 minutes. Uncover and cook until syrup is thick enough to lightly coat a spoon, about 10 minutes. Strain if desired.

Sweet Spicy Vegetable Tzimmes with honey citrus sauce and hot pepper olive oil. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Sweet Spicy Vegetable Tzimmes

Honey and chili oil give this casserole pizzazz.

Yield: 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 ounces baby potatoes, halved

6 ounces baby Japanese yams, whole

1 carrot, sliced diagonally

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

8 pearl onions

8 cooked chestnuts

5 dried figs, halved

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed  lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1/8 teaspoon hot pepper powder

2 tablespoons dried cranberries

Chili olive oil (for drizzling)

PROCEDURE

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine potatoes, yams and carrot in a 6-cup casserole. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and pinch of salt. Roast uncovered for 20 minutes.

2. Peel pearl onions: Cut off pointed ends, put onions in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Drain; rinse briefly. Squeeze each onion from root end; onion will pop out of its skin. If root stays attached, cut it off.

3. Add onions to casserole. Roast for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender when pierced with a paring knife.

4. Slice yams. Return to casserole. Add chestnuts and figs and mix gently with vegetables.

5. In a small cup mix orange juice, lemon juice and honey. Stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil, hot pepper powder and salt and pepper to taste. Add cranberries. Pour sauce over vegetables. Bake covered, stirring once, for 10 minutes or until vegetables look glazed.

6. Serve hot, drizzled with chili oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Serving Roasted Fall Vegetables with a garnish of fresh rosemary sprigs. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Roasted Fall Vegetables

For Hanukkah we roast potatoes and sweet potatoes with other vegetables and fruity extra virgin olive oil.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

8 ounces fingerling potatoes

1/2 Delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds removed

4 ounces pearl onions, peeled (See Sweet Spicy Vegetable Tzimmes, Step 2)

About 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 baby yams

3 rosemary sprigs, plus more for garnish

PROCEDURE

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Halve potatoes lengthwise. Cut squash in 1/2 inch slices

2. Transfer onions, potatoes and squash to a large, heavy baking dish. Spoon 2 tablespoons olive oil over them; sprinkle with salt. Rub vegetables to coat with oil. Spoon 1 teaspoon olive oil over baby yams, rub until coated and add to dish. Add rosemary sprigs.

3. Roast 15 minutes. Turn vegetables over. Roast 15 more minutes. Remove yams, cut in thick diagonal slices and return to pan. Drizzled yams with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast vegetables 10 to 15 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife.

4. Serve drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper and garnished with rosemary sprigs.

Olive-Oil-Fried Potato Latkes are transferred to paper towels to remove excess oil. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Olive-Oil-Fried Potato Latkes

Serve with applesauce and with sour cream or yogurt.

Yield: 4 appetizer servings

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 1/3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4)

1 medium-large onion (8 ounces), peeled, halved

1 large egg

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, more if needed

PROCEDURE

1. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line a plate with paper towels.

2. Mix flour, baking powder, salt and white pepper in a small bowl.

3. Peel potatoes. Using coarse grating disc of a food processor or large holes of a grater, grate potatoes and onion, alternating them. Transfer mixture to a strainer. Squeeze by handfuls, removing as much liquid as possible.

4. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Mix in egg. Add flour mixture; mix well.

5. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a deep, heavy large skillet over medium heat. Slide 1 heaping tablespoonful potato mixture into pan. Flatten with back of a spoon to a thin pancake, about 2 1/2 inches. Add more pancakes without crowding. Fry until crisp and golden brown, about 4 minutes per side; turn carefully. Transfer to paper towels. Stir batter before frying each batch. Reduce heat if necessary so latkes don’t become too dark. Add oil to pan if needed; heat it before adding more latkes. Keep them warm on baking sheet in oven. If last few spoonfuls of batter are watery, leave liquid in bowl.

6. Serve hot or warm.

Peruvian Potato Patties are topped with with Chicken Salad and garnished with tomato, avocado, hard boiled egg and cilantro leaves. (Photo by Yakir Levy)

Peruvian Potato Patties with Chicken Salad

Flavor these with aji amarillo paste — a yellow pepper paste available in jars at markets that carry South American ingredients; or make yellow pepper puree (see Note).

Yield: 6 appetizer servings

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup finely chopped red onion

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, divided

2 cups diced cooked chicken

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 to 3 teaspoons Peruvian yellow pepper paste

2 hard boiled eggs, halved

4 grape tomatoes, quartered

1 avocado

Cilantro leaves (garnish)

PROCEDURE

1. Put potatoes in a large saucepan. Cover with water by 1 inch; add pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain; leave until cool enough to handle.

2. Chicken salad: Combine red onion and 1 tablespoon lime juice in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes. In a medium bowl mix chicken and mayonnaise. Add onion mixture and 1 tablespoon lime juice; mix well. Add cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Peel potatoes while fairly hot. Cut in chunks and put in a large bowl. Mash thoroughly, one or two at a time, using a potato masher, not a food processor.

4. Add olive oil to potatoes; mix well. Add 2 tablespoons lime juice, 2 teaspoons pepper paste and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add more pepper paste or salt if needed.

5. For small patties use 1/4 cup potato mixture; for larger ones use 1/2 cup. Roll between your palms to a smooth ball. Put each potato ball on a plate. Flatten each ball to a thick patty.

6. Assemble shortly before serving. Serve potato patties at room temperature; serve chicken salad cold or at cool room temperature.

7. Cut eggs in small pieces. Slice avocado; halve or quarter slices.

8. Mound 1/8 cup chicken salad on each small potato patty or 1/4 cup on large ones. Garnish with tomato, egg and avocado pieces and cilantro leaves.

Yellow Pepper Puree: Remove core and seeds from 1/2 yellow bell pepper. Broil pepper, skin side up, on foil until skin blackens in spots, about 5 minutes. Enclose pepper in foil. Let cool. Peel with paring knife. Puree with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil; add hot pepper sauce to taste.

Faye Levy is the author of “1,000 Jewish Recipes”