In Seattle, winter mornings often greet you with rain outside the window.

It rained yesterday, and the day before that too. Checking the weather forecast has become a bit of a chore.

On days like this, I strangely crave foods that are fried and crispy.

Kimchi pancakes are great, and green onion pancakes are nice too, but today I decided to make potato pancakes with the potatoes and bacon I had lying around in the fridge.

When you think of potato pancakes, you probably imagine grating the potatoes, right?

However, I prefer to slice the potatoes thinly to make a style similar to American hash browns.

This way, every bite is crispy, and the process is much simpler.

The ingredients are pretty basic: 2 medium-sized potatoes, 2-3 strips of bacon, 1 tablespoon of flour, a pinch of salt, and some cooking oil.

First, peel the potatoes and slice them as thinly as possible. A mandoline makes it easier, but I just used a knife.

Some slices are a bit thicker, and some are thinner, but since this is home cooking, that's okay.

However, if the potato slices are too thick, the outside may burn while the inside remains undercooked, so it's important to slice them thinly.

I didn't soak the potatoes in water for long.

The starch left on the potatoes helps the sliced potatoes stick together.

If they're too wet, just pat them dry lightly with a paper towel.

Next, it's time for the bacon. Slice the bacon thinly, similar to the potatoes.

Adding bacon enhances the mild flavor of the potatoes with a salty and savory richness, so you don't need to season it much.

Add 1 tablespoon of flour and a tiny bit of salt.

Since the bacon is already salted, it's better to use less salt.

The flour helps the potato slices stick together to maintain the pancake shape.

If you add too much, it will turn into a flour pancake instead of a crispy potato pancake, so just use about 1 tablespoon.

Now, mix the potatoes, bacon, and flour evenly.

Heat a generous amount of cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then add the potato mixture.

It's important not to pile the potatoes too thickly but to spread them out thinly and widely.

This way, the heat can circulate between the potato slices, cooking them crispy.

Wait until one side is golden brown, then flip it over.

If you keep flipping it, the shape will get messed up, so you need to be patient. After flipping, cook until the potatoes are fully cooked and the edges are crispy.

When I took a piece from the plate, the edges were crispy like a chip, while the inside retained the moist texture of the potato.

The bits of bacon mixed in are a great complement.

Dipping it in a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar is tasty, but since it has bacon, I prefer to eat it plain.

Outside, it's still raining. Even though it's afternoon, the sky is gray, and it's one of those days when you don't feel like going outside.

However, after frying up a potato pancake in the kitchen and enjoying a warm cup of coffee, I felt quite good.

No matter how dreary the Seattle winter is, I think it's bearable with these little joys.

To think that happiness can come from just two potatoes and a few strips of bacon is surprisingly inexpensive.

Next time, I'll slice one more potato.

I thought it would be enough when making it, but it disappeared quickly while eating.