I have never set out to make potato latkes before, but I do obsess over them. With a dollop of sour cream or a poached egg on top — swoony swoon swoon! So when I got cooking together with Alison Cayne, the foodie and mastermind behind Haven’s Kitchen, we knew her award-winning latkes — a recipe rooted in simplicity — would take center stage!
Ali and I first met about a year ago when we organized a meeting at Haven’s to discuss our mutual swoon affair surrounding the kitchen and food. And, I was immediately captivated by this whip-smart, savvy New Yorker and mother of five. She uses very few ingredients in the meals she creates and places supreme importance on their quality. She also holds aesthetics just as high on her radar as I do. Umm…have you seen the breathtaking Haven’s space she designed herself? Or the swoon-worthy kitchen in her West Village townhouse?!
We got to talking food, design, community and connectivity, and what grounds us in this fast-paced world. What should have been a 15-minute meeting turned into hours, and what could have been run-of-the-mill pleasantry developed into something far deeper. We have cooking in common and SO much more. I am grateful for her inspired perspective, particularly in promoting a sustainable food system and the importance of buying from farmers as much at possible.
Beyond that, I’m also ridiculously grateful for this potato latke recipe, a classic family Hanukkah dish. It’s oh-so-simple — just a handful of ingredients — proof that less truly is more.
Snoop Ali’s latke recipe and swoons Q+A below!