“Classic Latkes & Country Ham” might not be an obvious holiday food pairing, but these two iconic dishes hold special places in our FOOD FRIENDShip.

Sonya collected several key insights that led her to the latke of her dreams: crispy golden edges with a tender center. Surprisingly, one of those insights came from a catering experience with Kari, which helped Sonya to rethink the way she prepared latkes for a crowd. The conversation takes an unexpected turn to Christmas ham, a dish that has been shared for several generations by Kari’s family AND played a key part in Sonya’s life.

The stories in this episode hint at several universal truths: crispy potatoes are good in any form, our friends are often our best teachers, and love can be expressed in many ways… even with a ham sandwich.

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Links to recipes from this week’s show:

Sonya’s daikon and potato latkes with ponzu dipping sauce

A ham “recipe” that’s similar to Kurt Lauritzen’s, aka Kari’s dad

Michael Solomonov’s potato leek latkes

Kari’s favorite recipe for cheesy potatoes from Jessica Merchant (it’s the closest to her mom’s version)

Our favorite shaved veggie salads from Food and Wine and the NYTimes

You too can order Linda’s Latkes!