YOU SAY POTATO, I SAY LATKE

Crispy, oven-baked patties are a satisfying winter snack

The Russians know how to make winter vegetables taste good.

So it’s no surprise that the author of Simply Vibrant, the new cookbook containing this user-friendly recipe for potato latkes, was born and raised in Russia.

Anya Kassoff, known for her blog Golubka Kitchen, brings winter vegetables to rich and satisfying life in her book (Roost Books/ Penguin Random House, $35).

Braised cabbage combined with carrots and onions is tempting. So are her bean and vegetable burgers, sautéed beets and roasted parsnips with pears. It’s a vegetarianvegan collection of recipes ranging from breakfast pancakes to big mixed salads and soups, main courses and lusty desserts. She uses herbs, spices, vinegars and nuts as favourite flavourings.

A family cook in Florida, Kassoff writes: “Plants are at the heart of this book.”

Her daughter Masha Davydova has provided the excellent photographs.