Made-from-Scratch Applesauce

Applesauce or sour cream? That is the question. At least it is in my family when it comes to serving lathes. Pair lathes with sour cream and you emphasize the earthy qualities of the potatoes. Serve applesauce and you blur the traditional distinction between vegetable dish and dessert. The best applesauce for lathes I ever tasted was made not by a Jew, but by my Cuban friend Elida Proenza, who coohs with a Jewish heart and soul. Her secret? A splash of wine and a piece of fresh vanilla bean