In celebration of the bright lights of Hanukkah, our popular holiday series, Cooking with the Stars returns. We are focused on the frying pan, sharing luscious latke and dessert recipes,  contributed by an extraordinary panel of 10 culinary stars.

Renee Chernin − Burmuelos, the Sephardic Hanukkah Dessert
Latkes, fritters, doughnuts, sufganiot cannot hold a candle to these sensational fried Sephardic Hanukkah treats. Since my mom made sure the food in our home was on the healthy side and a definite no-fry zone, it was always an exciting treat when my grandmother came over to make burmuelos. These are warm, crispy, fluffy, free-form doughnuts, a Sephardic Hanukkah treat.
TheKosherChannel.com

Feed me Bubbe −  Bubbe's Potato Latkes
Everyone has their own way of making potato latkes for Chanukah. I’m not one to say whose is best, but mine are pretty terrific. The secret is just to grate the potatoes and don’t remove the liquid, as so many people do. Just follow my recipe, and you, too, will learn to be a latke star in your own kitchen. I fry my latkes in plenty of hot oil until they are well browned and lacy at the edges. Pass the applesauce and sour cream! —Bubbe
www.FeedMeBubbe.com, author of Feed Me Bubbe (Running Press).

Susie Fishbein − Guacamole Latkes
Leave it to Susie Fishbein, author extraordinaire of the bestselling Kosher by Design cookbook series to share her own specially designed latke recipe with us – delicious, original and unique. With the addition of avocado, black beans, Jalapeño peppers for heat, and salsa as a topping, she has created a tasty Mexican inspired latke. Susie was recently recognized as a Kosher Pioneer.
KosherbyDesign.com, author of Kosher by Design

Masha Hershkovitz  −  Jalapeno Potato Latkes
Fuego Mundo, Atlanta’s newest, mucho popular kosher restaurant serves fresh, healthy Argentinean cuisine. Masha Hershkowitz, co–owner has shared the restaurant’s recipe for Latin style latkes. The secret to these unique latkes? Jalapeño peppers, whole wheat flour and caramelized onions.
FuegoMundo.com, Fuego Mundo South American Wood-Fire Grill

Sheilah Kaufman − Sweet Potato Latkes & Apple Cinnamon Latkes
These are my two favorites latke recipes that are not typical white potato ones. I always mix a mixture of traditional potato pancakes and Sweet Potato Latkes. I LOVE sweet potatoes and serve them with yogurt.  My friend and fellow cooking teacher and author Sherron Goldstein gave me this recipe many years ago. When teaching Hanukkah classes, I shared the recipe for apple cinnamon latkes during mother daughter cooking classes.
CookingWithSheilah.com, author of The Turkish Cookbook

Levana Kirschenbaum  − Vegetable Latkes and Burgers
Forget about those processed patties in the frozen section of your supermarket or health food store. Rather, make your own delicious vegetable latkes and burgers on Hanukkah or anytime with ingredients you like. I am sharing plenty of possibilities to play with. Latkes and vegetable burgers are quite versatile; For a Sephardi touch, season with paprika, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, parsley, cilantro etc Levana was recently recognized as a Kosher Pioneer.. LevanaCooks.com, author of The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen

Pam Reiss − Wild Rice and Mushroom Latkes
I don't know if I'd say that these are better than traditional potato latkes because there is something so perfect about the humble potato/onion pancake most of us grew up enjoying during Chanukah.  I will say that these are delicious and they feature an ingredient native to my little corner of the world, wild rice.The texture and nutty flavor of the wild rice work beautifully with the mushrooms.  Another food item found locally in abundance is freshwater fish – if you can get your hands on some smoked fish (whitefish, tulibee, goldeye or smoked salmon) if you can't, try adding a dollop of sour cream or crème fresh and a piece of smoked fish to each pancake. PamsKitchen.com, author of Soup A Kosher Collection

Alessandra Rovati − Frittelle di Zucchine (Zucchini Fritters)
Alessandra Rovati was born and raised in Venice, Italy, and has had a passion for food since a very young age.  Alessandra writes about Kosher and Jewish Italian food and teaches cooking; she also posts recipes and how-to’s, offering a glimpse of Jewish Italian culinary history. on her website. Dinner in Venice

Reyna Simnegar − Sour Apple Latkes, Kookoo sib’e torsh
I bet you never imagined Persian food could get as original as this! Talk about killing two birds with one stone! As you know, latkes are traditionally eaten with applesauce and sour cream…here is a latke with the applesauce included! These are absolutely delicious and, contrary to what one might think, they are savory with a hint of sweetness.
KosherPersianFood.com, author of Persian Food from the Non-Persian Bride

Tina Wasserman − Watch Tina demonstrate how to make potato latkes and homemade applesauce. She offers some of her Tina's Tidbits, including how to keep the potato mixture from turning dark. It is as if Tina is giving a cooking class - and what a class it is - Tina is a member of  Les Dames d’Escoffier, an International Culinary Society that honors women in the food and beverage industry.
CookingandMore.com, author of  Entrée to Judaism and her new book, Entree to Judaism for Families: Jewish Cooking and Kitchen Conversations with Children