Like all latke recipes, the success of this one lies in getting as much liquid out of the potatoes as possible before frying. Try placing the grated spuds in a clean kitchen towel and ringing it out.

Lorenza Pintar grew up in Italy not knowing she was Jewish. But every year, Hanukkah dishes like latkes would appear on the table briefly in the winter — topped with cheese.

After Liz Neumark's daughter Sylvia passed away as a child, Liz created a non-profit in her honor. She also started an annual latke festival as a fundraiser. She shared this recipe with us.

Fried tostones are part of Joel Linkewer's family Hanukkah celebration. Be sure to buy green plantains for this recipe.

Sriracha creme fraiche offers a mix of heat and tang to these sweet potato latkes. If you can't find creme fraiche, sour cream will also work.

This recipe from Sasha Shor combines chunks of potato laced with flakes of white sturgeon, capers, and dill. “My husband thinks this tastes like the perfect version of a bagel with the works,” she says.

After WWII, Elizaveta Vigonskaia's family lived through a famine in Ukraine. Her mother would fry potatoes in fish oil in order to keep them alive. Today, there's bounty in her life; she tops her latkes with rich braised short ribs.

Joel Linkewer's family moved from Belarus to Chile, then on to Puerto Rico and finally settled in Miami. They celebrate Hanukkah with blintzes, ceviche, and tostones, bringing together the many strands of their journey.

Food writer Vered Guttman’s grandmother would make these Iraqi beef filled potato dumplings every Hanukkah, when she hosted the whole family for a party.

The buttery dough and creamy, but spicy chickpeas in this Hanukkah recipe from food writer Vered Guttman reminds JFS culinary associate Manami Takashina of Indian chole bhature.

The brisket recipe in chef Michael Solomonov’s family has evolved with each generation. His grandmother made hers with Heinz Chili Sauce and his mother added coffee. Michael uses espresso and dried apricots in their place.

Spicy ceviche, fried green plantains called tostones, and potato blintzes are part of the Hanukkah menu in Joel Linkewer's family. Their recipes reflect the family's long journey from Eastern Europe to South America and finally to the U.S.

Sivan Kobi, whose grandparents and father were professional bakers, fries her sufganiyot until they are perfectly golden and fluffy. You can fill the ones in her recipe with strawberry jam, chocolate spread, Nutella, or custard.

Every winter, Julia Silverberg Nemeth's mother Edith would fry these doughnuts for the family. A Holocaust survivor, Edith hid their Jewish identity from Julia.

In Copenhagen on Christmas, Margit Sheftelowitz's mother would host a special family dinner. Borrowing from Danish Christmas customs, she made this rice risalamande and hid an almond in it. Whoever found the almond received a special gift.

Chef Nir Mesika's grandmother learned to make these fritters in Egypt from a Muslim neighbor who fried them during Ramadan. When Nir was growing up, his grandmother made the recipe for Hanukkah.

These Italian fritters are laced with raisins, grappa, and lemon zest. Note, the batter will need time to rise, so be sure to start this recipe in the early afternoon if you're hosting an evening Hanukkah celebration.

These doughnuts use baking powder instead of yeast, making them quick and easy to prepare for a crowd. Be sure to top them with with a generous dusting of powdered sugar and serve with jam or creme fraiche.

Apples are dipped into batter and fried in this recipe from Lorenza Pintar's family. You will want to have a candy or frying thermometer on hand for this one.

This 100-year old recipe comes from cookbook author Bonnie Stern's aunt Lil, who always made the cookies for Hanukkah. In place of a cream cheese dough, it opts for a yeasted dough and a filling not of jam or chocolate, but meringue that becomes slightly chewy when it puffs out of the dough.