I’m the kind of person who goes down to the kitchen every morning and opens all the shades. No matter how late I’m running, daylight needs to be seen first thing. I almost feel claustrophobic with the window shades closed. My kitchen windows face east, and on many mornings, we can still see the sun rising; it’s a simple treat that deserves to be pointed out and savored.

I guess I’m into appreciating the simple things in life. And what do you know, this applies to food too. I’m talking about pleasures like drinking a coffee in silence, or enjoying fresh, hot chicken soup. Or opening a pomegranate with large, bright, juicy seeds. And, of course, this time of year, biting into a golden, sizzling latke.

It’s not about the pursuit of perfection or about the overindulgence of anything gastro, but about the realization that something so simple can be underrated. I see this as an extension of appreciating everything in Hashem’s world. This is what goes through my mind when I make the foods that are 100 percent not innovative, but just done right — and thoroughly enjoyed by all. It’s similar, in my mind, to admiring a perfect and beautiful apple.

Sina Mizrahi’s column, Side by Side, is centered around this idea. The simple foods deserve some attention, and at the top of that list is obviously potato latkes. There are simple techniques that make a basic recipe shine. Make it the way you enjoy it, or pick one
of Sina’s delicious methods and run with it!

CHANIE NAYMAN
Food Editor, Family Table

Applesauce a Day

Making homemade applesauce? Place peels and cores from the apples into a mesh bag (you know, the ones used for soup) and add that to the pot before you cook your applesauce. It will contribute to the flavor and even the color of your applesauce.

Oven-Frying

When oven-“frying” latkes or schnitzel, preheat your baking sheet with a thin layer of oil on the bottom, then add your latke batter or breaded chicken. BTW — don’t do this with a disposable baking sheet!

Tip: When I’m done making latkes (or deep-frying anything), I pour the oil into a deli container and throw it out. Pouring oil in large quantities down the drain is never a good idea.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 720)