New Year's Eve: Latke Board

New Year's Eve 2025 is right at the top of my list of most memorable year-end celebrations. And for all the wrong reasons. Somehow, I picked up a nasty case of food poisoning, and by the time that midnight rolled around, I had all the classic symptoms.

The cautious drive home down the slippery butte in the icy and misting rain-fog-snow mess was excruciating as I fought back wave after wave of gut wrenching nausea. I finally got to sleep around 0300 and when I awoke the next morning, I had strained the ribs on my right side. Fun times.

I should have known something was up earlier; I did not even feel like taking photos which is uncharacteristic.

Small Potato Latkes for NYE Caviar

We made plans with Rob and Dyce to have caviar and Champagne at their house to ring in the new year. All of us really like caviar and I happen to like latkes with my caviar, although the more I think about it, really great potato chips are fantastic and so much easier. In any case, a couple years ago, I came up with an idea for New Year's along the lines of a charcuterie board: a latke board. I had never heard of or seen anyone doing any such thing, but when I typed the phrase into my handy dandy search engine, up popped thousands of photos of people who beat me to the punch.

This reminds me that there is little truly original thought in cooking; dishes are built from a long lineage of precursors. Long ago in my restaurant days, a line cook from another restaurant angrily confronted me outside my restaurant, accusing me of stealing a dish from the menu at his restaurant. As busy as I was, I did not have the time or the energy to look at another restaurant's menu, let alone steal a dish.

I believe that it might have been some kind of beet and goat cheese salad. Because people have been putting beets and goat cheese as long as there have been beets and goat cheese, I am certain that it was not original to either the young cook's restaurant or mine. It was on thousands of menus long before our two.

In any case, my latke board idea reminds me that two people can come up with the same idea independently. My idea was to make several different kinds of latkes, a few pickles, and a few spreads, all of which would work with caviar.

Shallot Pickles and Cucumber Pickles Curing

My Latke Board
Potato, Celery Root, and Sweet Potato Latkes
Cucumber, Shallot, and Cornichon Pickles
Smoked Trout Mousse, Saffron Aïoli, Horseradish-Dill Sour Cream
Smoked Salmon and Caper Mousse

If you can name a root vegetable, I have made latkes from it, and likely fries and chips, or for you Brits, chips and crisps. Of the three vegetables that I picked for this latke board, potatoes will always be the best, but celery root latkes are equally phenomenal. The little sugar in sweet potato latkes is interesting, but makes the latkes want to stick to the pan and want to burn before they are done. Reducing the heat is necessary for making sweet potato latkes.

Latkes with smoked trout mousse was a regular feature of the lunch menu at the restaurant for many years, probably a decade. Ultimately, I believe it was a series of fad diets that did them in. For many years, the ladies who lunch would not order anything fried, no matter how tasty. In any case, apparently I had a reputation for making latkes, as the following cute "diploma" will attest. My oldest daughter, then but a tiny girl, awarded me a "specialty in making potato pancakes." How cute is this!?!

Chef's Diploma with
Specialty in Making Potato Pancakes

For caviar for the restaurant, I always bought from Browne Trading Company in Maine. I still buy from them, but the retail prices are a shock after paying wholesale for decades. Rob bought caviar from a company that is new to me, OM. Their ossetra and Browne's Siberian Supreme malossol were the best of the bunch.

We All Bought Caviar

Potato Chips, Best Vehicle for Caviar

Being the designated driver, I could only but sip a little of the delicious Champagne on offer at Rob and Dyce's. I managed to photograph the two that we bought so that I could remember them. The Gonet-Médeville is a lovely blanc de noirs. The André Clouet "Chalky" looks pretty gimmicky in its white wrap, but it is a fine 100% Chardonnay blanc de blancs. I like it, but I like many others better.

Here's hoping that 2026 proves better than New Year's Eve's inauspicious start.

An Improv Sunday

Sunday was a bit of a strange day. It was too hot to go outside, Ann still wasn't feeling great from her bout with this cold that I had last weekend into the early part of this week, and no wine in preparation for my 14-hour fast for bloodwork on Monday morning. Our usual Sunday routine of coffee on the patio in the morning and wine on the patio in the afternoon was shot to hell. But I guess that was OK because neither of us was feeling up for much, with Ann still reeling from her cold and me feeling like I got punched in the face after a brutal, brutal Saturday night at the restaurant.

But it got to be noon and we needed something to eat. In what would become the theme for the day, I scrounged the cooler and pantry for stuff for breakfast and came up with this delightful mess for breakfast. This is the kind of thing I would serve for brunch, if I ever did brunch at a restaurant, which I have vowed never, ever to do.

Black Bean, Potato, and Egg Mess

This particular mess is fried redskin potatoes cooked with onion, black beans, jalapeño, garlic, and cilantro stems and bound with a few fresh chicken eggs, garnished with grape tomatoes, cotija cheese, and more cilantro.

Continuing the improvisational theme for an early Sunday dinner before starting my fast, Ann had some zucchini in the fridge, which I made into traditional latkes. I guess I can add that to my list of vegetables from which I have made latkes. They were really good, tasting like a combination of latke and fried zucchini.

Zucchini Latkes

In the afternoon, I also made Ann some eggplant "meatballs" to eat during the week (eggplant, onion, garlic, rosemary, basil, egg, panko, and cotija). I cooked the onion until it was browning around the edges, then added the rosemary and garlic and let that cook for a minute, and then added finely diced eggplant. I added bits of water as necessary to steam the eggplant and to let me scrape up the fond from the bottom of the pan. Once the eggplant was soft, about 12-15 minutes, I folded in the basil and seasoned the eggplant. After cooling for a minute, I put it in a bowl with some panko, a bit of Cotija cheese, and an egg. Mixed, the eggplant sat on the counter for five minutes to cool at which point I made it into meatball shapes and put them on a greased sheet tray in a 350F oven for 30 minutes to set.

July 4th Weekend

Friday night July 3rd was about as brutal as it gets at the restaurant. Most of the time in the restaurant business we wish for more customers, but not so Friday night. The entire crew was wishing that not another person would come through the front door. I don't remember getting home or showering or falling asleep, that's how tired I was. Ann says she put my phone on the charger and turned off the light. I have no recollection of this. Not a good way to start a weekend and a surefire indicator that I will be a zombie come Sunday.

Fortunately, Saturday night July 4th was a lot easier and after sleeping like a dead thing on Friday night, I actually had some steam left on Saturday night to watch the fireworks in our neighborhood with Ann.

Neighborhood Fireworks

One of the (very few) benefits of living in a neighborhood of upwardly mobile rednecks is that with their disposable income and pyromaniacal tendencies, the fireworks shows are pretty damned awesome as they all try to outdo each other! The poor dogs, on the other hand, did not have a good night.

Come Sunday, after a decent night's rest on Saturday night, I was somewhat refreshed. Nothing like ten years ago or even five, but all things considered, I was a lot more functional on Sunday than I imagined I would be, even though I got up long before I wanted to. The dogs have no concept of sleeping in or any idea how tired I might be and my lovely bride has the amazing ability to keep on sleeping even through a hurricane, where the slightest noise will awaken me.

At 7:15am, the brown dog decided enough was enough and came and rousted me out of the bed. Her usual MO after she decides that I am ignoring her stomping and huffing about is to paw me like she is digging for China and lick me until I relent and take her out and feed her. So while Ann slept, I ticked several yard work items off my list and was relaxing on the patio when she joined me about quarter to ten, coffee for the both of us in hand, bless her.

After a half an hour or more of chit chat, she went inside and returned with a cookbook, Deb Perelman's Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, one of her favorites. She sat down to browse and was soon enthusing loudly about certain dishes. Yes, food really is a primary topic of conversation at our house. When she said, "I really would love some latkes right now!" I told her I would be right back and returned with a plate of red onion and chive latkes made from red potatoes with the skins still on.

Red Onion and Chive Latkes

By this time, Carter was awake and joined us on the patio. I made a dozen latkes; he ate six and would have eaten more. Latkes are old hat for me: we used to make them every morning for our lunch menu at the restaurant. And I have made them from all manner of vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, turnips, daikon, carrots, and parsnips. I am sure I missed a few.

In the afternoon, it had gotten a bit too warm to be outside so we had gone in to watch a bit of television. Once again, and apparently apropos of nothing, Ann said, "I wish I had some guacamole!" so I went up to the store and scored four beautifully ripe avocados. Once it cooled down outside, I made guacamole and Ann opened a bottle of Vinho Verde and we took both out on the patio to relax. Although we had different plans for dinner, neither of us were hungry post guacamole.

Guacamole

Vinho Verde Seems Just Right for Guacamole

While we were out on the patio talking, looking at our gardens, and watching the birds on the feeders, we saw this big buck rabbit who kept trying to line up a doe (right on the tree line). I assume that he was ultimately successful. She wasn't cooperating, but she wasn't protesting either.

Rabbits, Acting like, um, Rabbits

The whole time we were outside, I kept thinking how wonderful it was to be sitting outside in the late afternoon in July, especially given how brutally hot our summer has already been.

Brunch: Chile Verde on Green Chile Latke, Poached Duck Egg

My kids have always claimed that breakfast or brunch is the best meal that I make. I don't do it that often because the thought of eating at anytime within the first couple of hours after I awake is unbearable. But Ann asked me to make brunch on Sunday and so I did, at 1:30 in the afternoon!

Chile Verde on Green Chile Latke, Poached Duck Egg

I have always been a huge fan of breakfasts in New Mexico, which often include chile, either red or green, or for those people who cannot make up their minds, both. When thinking about brunch food, my mind always heads to the Southwest and today was no different. I decided to bring my pork chile verde to a latke, but change up the latke by adding diced poblano chile to it. My answer to the question "Red or green?" is green for most dishes.

Layered from the bottom: green chile latke, carnitas, poached duck egg, tomatillo salsa verde, and cilantro.

One other thing about the latke: I've started leaving the skin on the potato in recent months. I just grate the potatoes skin and all.

Thanksgiving 2012

I did something different this year for Thanksgiving: I closed the restaurant on the Wednesday before. The paltry amount of business that we have done historically the night before Thanksgiving has never made it worth the aggravation of being open. And so, the whole crew took a much needed break. The luxury of having two consecutive days of not having to go to work is something that very few people can appreciate and is something that I was super thankful for this Thanksgiving, that and the opportunity to get in the kitchen and cook with my wife. I haven't been able to say that before, have I? This is the fourth Thanksgiving we have cooked together, but our first since getting married back in September.

Gracing our table this year were Bob and Mary, Donald and Terry, and Mark and Kelley.



Donald Decorating his Cake

Queen of the Ball!

Bob in Great Spirits

Admiring Mark's Apple Pie Handiwork



Mary Helping Herself to Ann's Delicious Dressing

The only person I couldn't photo was Terry. He kept hiding in the one corner of the kitchen where there wasn't enough light to shoot him.

Sweet Potato Latkes: So Easy, So Good!



Sweet Potato Latkes with Horseradish Cream/Smoked Salmon

These latkes didn't photo so well in the very low light, but they were delicious. Topped with horseradish cream cheese and pepper-crusted hot-smoked salmon, they were devoured very quickly.

Turkey and Black Truffle Rillettes under Duck Fat

I decided to make turkey rillettes this year for an appetizer. I made turkey stock from bits and pieces of turkey: necks, wings, and a couple of drumsticks. From the gallon and a half of stock, I took a quart and reduced it to something less than a cup: let's call it a five-fold reduction. In this highly reduced stock, I poached the livers from two turkeys along with a shot of cognac, some shallots, and thyme. The stock and livers went into the blender to become liquefied. After I shredded all the meat, I poured the stock over the meat and mixed in black truffles, butter, and duck fat. Seasonings are salt, white pepper, thyme, and nutmeg. I put the rillettes in canning jars and covered them with a layer of duck fat.

Turkey and Black Truffle Rillettes with Cranberries

Crostini with Goat Cheese, Fig Jam, and Prosciutto

Ann made these crostini with local goat cheese, her fig and grape jam, and prosciutto. This is the fig and grape jam she made from the fresh figs and Corinth grapes left over from decorating our cheese wedding cake.

Champagne and Hibiscus Cocktails

To go with our appetizers we had Champagne cocktails made with candied hibiscus blooms.

What do you Stuff your Bird with?

The Obligatory Bird Photo

Here's our little farm-raised turkey. I brined it for two days, then stuffed under the breast skin with pancetta-rosemary butter, and stuffed the cavity with fresh herbs from the garden: parsley, sage, thyme, and fennel fronds.

Root Vegetable Gratin

So this ridiculous dish is a root vegetable gratin. I diced and roasted root vegetables from the farmers market: carrots, turnips, parsnips, celery root, and yellow potatoes. I infused herb stems and bits (parsley, thyme, rosemary, sage) with three lightly crushed garlic cloves and a quart of cream. I then strained the cream and added all the yellow potato scraps (from blocking off the potatoes to get perfect dice). Once the potatoes were soft, into the blender with the lot and out came a smooth custard that I augmented with eggs. I poured the custard over the root vegetables and baked until it was golden on top.

Cranberry-Orange Relish

Collard Greens and Guanciale



Hash of Brussels Sprouts, Shallots, and Pancetta

These sprouts were amazing. I slivered lots of shallots, some pancetta, and a bunch of brussels sprouts, then caramelized the shallots and pancetta, tossed in the sprouts, and tossed them a minute or so, just until the sprouts turned bright green. Then in to the pan with a bit of butter, touch of sugar, and a splash of white balsamic vinegar. Spectacular!

Ann's Mashed Sweet and Redskin Potatoes

Mark Made This Gorgeous Apple Pie

Terry Made These Fabulous Almond-Cranberry-Caramel Tarts

And in the dessert department, we cannot forget the three-layer cake that Donald made and is frosting in one of the early photos in this post. It is Deb Perelman's Red Wine Chocolate Cake and is quite amazing. I don't love sweets, but this bitter, slightly sweet cake really hit the spot.

Another wonderful Thanksgiving and I am so thankful to have great friends and family to celebrate with.