Recipe of the week

During Hanukkah, the surest route to happiness is really good latkes, says Evan Bloom in Eat Something: A Wise Sons Cookbook (Chronicle Books). In our household, we combine Korean and Jewish tradition with this delicious variety.

Kimchi latkes

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and trimmed, with root end intact • 1 lb skin-on russet potatoes, scrubbed • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten • ¼ cup potato starch • ¾ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper • 4 scallions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish • 1 cup strained chopped kimchi • soy sauce • vegetable oil, for frying • sesame seeds, for garnish

• In a medium bowl, grate onion on the large holes of a box grater. In a second bowl, shred potatoes using same grater. Wrap grated potatoes in a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out all of the water over a sink. Combine potatoes with onion and fold together. Add eggs, potato starch, salt, pepper, scallions, kimchi, and a splash of soy sauce. Stir to combine. • Set a wire cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet and line rack with paper towels.

• Heat a cast-iron skillet over

medium-high heat and add oil to a depth of ¼ inch. When oil is hot, spoon in about 2 tbsp batter per latke, lightly spreading batter into a round. Cook, undisturbed, until golden brown and crisp on bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip with a wide spatula and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

•Transfer latkes to paper-lined rack, and season with another pinch of kosher salt. Repeat with rest of batter. Garnish with extra scallions and sesame seeds. Makes about 10 latkes.