Banana Applesauce

Hanukkah. Sophie made latkes — her second year at the grater, her confidence growing, the shreds getting more even, the frying getting more assured. She is ten this year (she turned ten in March — I am behind again; the book production is consuming my attention) and the latkes are golden and crispy and excellent. She ate three. She said, "Bubbe, these are almost as good as yours." I said, "They ARE mine. They're the same recipe. You're just the latest cook." She smiled. The smile was Sylvia's smile. I swear it. The smile of a woman who has cooked something good and knows it. The Rosen smile. The Feldman smile. The chain's smile.

I brought latkes to Marvin, wrapped in foil, still warm. He ate one. Just one. A year ago he ate two. The number is declining with everything else. But the one was eaten with attention, with the deliberate chewing of a man who is receiving the food, receiving the oil, receiving the memory of latkes stored in the body's deepest kitchen, the kitchen that remembers the crunch and the salt and the sour cream even when the mind does not.

We always serve two things beside the latkes: sour cream and applesauce. Sophie asked me, as she was frying, whether she could make the applesauce herself next year — and I said yes, of course yes, because the applesauce is the easy part, the gentle part, the part you learn first. This version uses banana to sweeten it naturally, which is how I’ve been making it for the last few years since Marvin asked me to cut back on the added sugar. It is soft and warm and it sits next to the latke like it was always meant to be there. It was always meant to be there.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 6

Ingredients

4 medium apples (such as Fuji or Gala), peeled, cored, and roughly chopped
2 ripe bananas, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Combine the fruit. Place the chopped apples, sliced bananas, and water into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir to combine.
Cook until soft. Cover and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are completely tender and beginning to break down. The bananas will melt into the mixture as they cook.
Add seasoning. Remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Mash or blend. For a chunky applesauce, mash with a fork or potato masher. For a smoother texture, use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and pulse to your preferred consistency.
Taste and adjust. Taste the applesauce. If the apples were tart, a very ripe banana will have provided enough sweetness — but add a teaspoon of honey if you prefer it a little sweeter.
Serve warm or chilled. Serve warm alongside latkes, or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 5 days. The flavor deepens overnight.

Nutrition (per serving)

Banana Applesauce — The Sauce That Belongs Beside the Latkes