Crisp, lacy potato latkes are versatile (and tasty) vehicles for delectable toppings.

Sour cream with Pink Applesauce or Roasted Red Pepper Relish are wonderful help-yourself choices for a family Hanukkah meal.

Crème fraiche with a twist of smoked salmon or smidgen of caviar makes dinners and hors d'oeuvres memorable. But whether the latkes are homey or haute, you won't want to limit yourself to just one topping. Each makes enough to top all the Golden Latkes.

5 homey latke toppings:
• Chunky Maple Pear Sauce
• Roasted Red Pepper Relish
• Pink Applesauce
• Fresh Cranberry Relish
• Lemon Crème Fraiche

5 haute latke toppings:
• Duck Confit
Packages of duck confit are available in fine food stores. Two legs (10 oz/280 g pkg) provide 6 oz (175 g) meat, enough for a batch of latkes. Heat in small pan in 400°F (200°C) oven, turning once, until hot, about 10 minutes. Remove skin and tear meat from bone into bite-size pieces. Top each latke with 1 tbsp (15 mL) Chunky Maple Pear Sauce, small pieces of duck confit and parsley leaf.

• Caviar
Top each latke with 2 tsp (10 mL) Lemon Crème Fraîche, Crème Fraîche, or sour cream and about 1/2 tsp (1 mL) caviar; sprinkle with finely chopped fresh chives. You need about 50 g caviar for 36 latkes.

• Grilled Artichokes
Drain 9 oil-packed grilled artichoke hearts (available in jars in fine food stores, Italian grocery stores and some supermarkets); cut into quarters. Top each latke with 2 tsp (10 mL) sour cream, Crème Fraîche or Roasted Red Pepper Relish then artichoke quarter.

• Cold Smoked Salmon, Char or Gravlax
Top each latke with 2 tsp (10 mL) Lemon Crème Fraîche, Crème Fraîche or sour cream, twist of smoked fish or gravlax and sprig of dill. You need about 8 oz (250 g) smoked fish or gravlax for 36 latkes.

• Hot Smoked Salmon, Trout or Mackerel
Top each latke with 2 tsp (10 mL) Lemon Crème Fraîche, Crème Fraîche or sour cream, small piece of smoked fish and sprig of dill. You need about 8 oz (250 g) smoked fish for 36 latkes.

Caviar choices
Caviar is the salted roe of sturgeon, and demand for it has depleted the wild population and driven the species to the brink of extinction. Instead of the most prized Beluga and famous Osetra and Sevruga caviar, we recommend more environmentally friendly farmed caviar or roe from less endangered species.

Farmed caviar from American sturgeon (delicate black Hackleback or pearly grey Paddlefish) are less expensive, eco-friendly choices.

Other good caviar choices:
• Salmon Roe (large orange to brilliant red roe with soft, liquid centres and sweet salmon flavour)
• Whitefish Roe (mild crunchy golden caviar)
• Flying Fish Roe (tiny fluorescent orange eggs familiar to many sushi lovers through California rolls).