Latke Delivery And Mail Order From Russ & Daughters Store In Lower East Side, New York

It's fun to get down and dirty with some schmaltz and a cast-iron skillet, but sometimes you need a hot latke right now, and you can't bother with the mess. Luckily, Russ & Daughters can satisfy the craving.

This century-old Lower East Side shop is known for frying up the city's best premade latkes, and starting this year, they'll deliver them to your faraway friends and family throughout the holidays.

With the Festival of Lights kicking off tonight, the R&D kitchen has been toiling late into the night for days, frying latkes in small batches using the Russ family recipe: potatoes, eggs, onions, scallions, matzo meal and butter.

The latkes are $3 a pop or 10 for $25. You can pick them up at the shop, arrange for same-day drop-off in the city or have fresh-made 10-packs shipped anywhere in the country overnight for the added cost of next-day delivery.

Out of the skillet, the crisp cakes are cooled on paper-towel-lined racks (to ward off sogginess), packaged and promptly sent out the door. All you have to do is simply reheat and garnish.

Complete the experience by adding traditional toppings to your order: A simple "Hanukkah Light" pack ($40) includes 10 latkes, house-made applesauce and house-made sour cream; the more luxurious "Hanukkah Deluxe" assemblage ($95) features 10 latkes, 125 grams of wild Alaskan salmon roe, one pound of Scottish salmon and a tub of crème fraîche.

Russ & Daughters, 179 E. Houston St. (between Orchard and Allen sts); 212-475-4880 or russanddaughters.com