On New Year’s Eve, my husband and I found ourselves discussing the blog, which naturally evolved into one of life’s big questions: If we could only eat two foods for the rest of our lives, what would they be? You know, the kind of profound conversation two people who’ve been together since they were 16 have over glasses of Taittinger and lobster pizza. Deep stuff. 😉

We couldn’t help but laugh at our decidedly unsophisticated answers, especially given how much I love to cook, how often we dine out, and how adventurous our palates are. Our choices could have been anything—from muhammara dip to lobster Thermidor, beef Wellington, or Sachertorte. But nope.

The Mister’s favorite foods are pizza and ice cream. When asked about mine, I answered—completely seriously—that my top two are potato stacks (my homemade version: sliced russet potatoes sprinkled with rosemary and salt, baked until golden brown) and McDonald’s fries. Apparently, I wasn’t supposed to pick two potato-based options, but I’m sticking with it! If I had to pick a second (non-potato) favorite, it would be duck confit—a crispy, juicy duck leg seasoned with salt and herbs.

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes, featuring my favorite food. It’s incredibly simple to make and perfect for this time of year. For the past three decades, I’ve made these every holiday season without fail. However, being sidelined by open hip surgery has kept me out of the kitchen this year, making me miss them even more.

I hope you’ll give them a try! We enjoy them in the traditional way with sour cream and applesauce, but they’re also a great canvas for creativity. Try making them bite-sized, topping them with sour cream and caviar—they make an elegant appetizer!

Latkes
Makes about 12 large ones or 24 small ones

Ingredients:

• 2# Russett potatoes, grated (about 4 large)
• 3 eggs
• 1 white onion, grated
• handful of fresh, minced chives
• ½C matzo meal
• 2t kosher salt
• neutral frying oil like canola oil

Topping Ideas:
sour cream & caviar
tzatziki with thinly sliced cucumber
smoked salmon, sliced red onion & capers

Directions:

Lightly whisk the eggs with a fork and set aside. Use a heavy skillet and make sure there’s enough oil for the latkes to not sauté. You want the oil a bit deeper for frying but since you’re flipping them they don’t need to float.

Shred the potatoes and onions. Top with salt, give a quick toss to combine and then let sit for about 15 minutes. Water will be released and it’s important to now squeeze out all the water from the potatoes and onions. Add the chives and matzo and gently combine. 

Heat the oil until ready to fry, somewhere between 360°- 370°. Test the oil by dropping a bit of potato and watching for the sizzle. If it’s sizzling, it’s ready. Spoon the potato mixture into the oil to form pancakes and fry until golden on one side, flip and fry until golden on the other side. Drain on a rack and then serve with toppings.

These are best eaten right away.

NOTE:
t = teaspoon
T = tablespoon
# = pound

Wine Pairing: Sauvignon Blanc or Champagne