Latkes for the win!
How to survive New Year’s Day after too much fun on New Year’s Eve:
Avoid sugar like it’s Carrot Top.
Drink water like it’s your full time job. (Pro-tip: Start the night before. 1:1 water:adult beverage ratio.)
Start your morning off with Emergen-C vitamin packet. Chase it with coffee.
Eat a solid breakfast.
Repeat.
I know. All you really want are those leftover holiday cookies and peppermint bark your Pinterest-y neighbor left in a tin on your doorstep. I know. They taste so good with your morning coffee, too. But you need more sustenance and sugar will only amplify your post-party feelings. So, what food would be a great idea?
Latkes.
The perfect latke is crisp on the outside and nice and soft inside. They’re just a little bit salty, perfectly caramelized, and taste amazing with a little crème frîache and dill. But every single time I’ve attempted this simple dish, I mangle it. Like everyone on the Internet who thinks they can sing like Adele and then uploads their video on YouTube, I do a terrible rendition of "Hello," but latke-style.
But I’ve found my latke secret weapon: the waffle iron. You can put your latke mix in the iron, close the lid and do other things (like frying up some bacon and eggs) while your latkes cook to perfection. Plus, they’re hard to screw up, so there’s that.
For your post-New Year’s Eve recovery, I chose the ubiquitous sweet potato. Cheap and easy to come by (much like your favorite boxed wine), sweet potato offers a massive potassium punch and is high in fiber.
Ingredients:
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
1 egg
2 tbsp melted butter or oil
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp + cinnamon
6 eggs, poached or cooked to your liking
6 slices of bacon, cooked and cut in half
Fig butter (I found it at my boyfriend’s place, a.k.a. Trader Joe’s)
Chives or green onion, finely chopped
Directions:
Set waffle iron to high heat.
Combine shredded sweet potato, salt, pepper, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl. Mix well. Add egg and stir until incorporated.
Spray your waffle iron with a little oil. Spoon sweet potato evenly onto the griddle and close iron. It’s going to sizzle and steam for about 6-7 minutes, or until crispy and it takes on a dark golden color.
While your latke waffles (much like your New Year’s Resolution), start cooking your BAE. That’s shorthand for Bacon And Eggs, I’m pretty sure.
Once your ingredients are cooked, begin assembly. Take ½ a waffle, drop a small dollop of fig butter in the center, then layer with two slices of bacon and one poached egg, salt, pepper, and then top with some chives.
I can’t promise this will cure everything that ails you, but it’s a good start to a new year if nothing else.
