Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.

By Harlan Levy

Hey potato pancake (latke) lovers. Here’s a holiday latke story:

As people who are not exactly inundated with invitations, we were delighted to hear our friends Amy and Rich had decided to reinstate their annual New Year’s Day brunch this year. But they had chosen to move it up a few days and make it a Hanukkah potluck. “What can I bring?” my wife asked. “A salad? Side dish? Dessert?”

“Latkes!” Amy replied emphatically. She was making some herself but not willing to fry up enough to feed a crowd.

My wife readily agreed, but as the occasion grew closer, she began to worry. She was adept at making homemade latkes for our family every Hanukkah, and let’s just say they were good enough that there were never any leftovers. But in this case her latkes would be competing with someone else’s, and that someone else was a very good cook.

That’s when she started paying attention to all those helpful cooking “hacks” that go around on the Internet. She had already learned that a widely recommended shortcut – substituting packaged shredded hashbrowns for hand-grated potatoes – saved time, not to mention raw knuckles. But what would ensure that her potato pancakes came out crispy, especially after being cooked at our house and transported somewhere else?

A video on Instagram promised to have the answer. “It’s not just a latke, it’s the most perfect latke!” the woman in it declared. Writing under the name “peaslovencarrots,” she went on to explain that the key was wringing excess liquid from the grated spuds. “Moisture is the enemy of crispy latkes!” she declared. Rather than hand-grating or resorting to the hashbrowns hack, she pulverized her potatoes in a food processor, finely grating half with two onions, then switching blades and coarsely shredding the rest.

The next step was to transfer the mixture onto cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and twist it to eradicate all extra liquid, then place it in a colander to let it drain even more.

She then proceeded to fry the results in oil, adding one more necessary cooking tip: Put a raw carrot in the center of the pan to prevent the pancakes from burning, she said.

The night before the party, my wife prepared the mixture. The next morning, she added eggs (four to her eight or so large potatoes), about half a cup of flour, a teaspoon of salt, and some fresh chopped parsley. As the woman had instructed, she dropped the mixture into the bubbling canola oil in amorphous shapes, because the woman had said that everyone prefer latkes with craggy edges.

And, oh, yes. She also took care to put an uncooked carrot in the center of the pan.

There is no telling whether that carrot made any difference, but it sure tasted good after it had caramelized and blackened to smithereens. As for the latkes, they were the crispest she had ever made, not to mention the tastiest. Amy’s were delicious too, though, and in the end she had indeed made more than enough to feed a crowd. So, just my luck, we got to take some of my wife’s home afterwards and enjoyed them through Hanukkah, which ended this year the night of New Year’s Day. L’chaim!

Returns

It’s a scary new year (in my opinion) that just commenced, and no one really knows what will transpire politically, internationally, nationally, and locally. But one thing we do know: It’s time to return all those gifts we don’t want and don’t want to clutter up our houses and apartments.

What to know: Some retailers have adjusted their return policies from the previous year – some by cutting back the return period for regular or holiday purchases or by including new conditions.

I checked out the following major retailers, calling their local stores and searching online for their extended holiday return policies as follows.

Notably, Target cut its policy by five weeks, now for purchases starting Nov. 7 instead of Oct. 1. Kohl’s shortened its policy from 180 days to 90 days for non-Kohl’s card users and to 120 days for Kohl’s card users. And Best Buy, Macy’s, and Staples started their return periods five days later than last year.

Here are many more details (sorry about that):

• Best Buy: Purchases made Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 can be returned through Jan. 14, excluding items purchased with a third-party contract (via cellphones, cellular tablets, mobile hotspots, cellular wearables and AppleCare+ plans). Restocking fees, non-returnable products, and all other terms and conditions of the Best Buy Return & Exchange Promise apply.
• Target: 90 days for new unopened purchases from Nov. 7 to Dec. 25. Target-owned brands have a one-year return window. You’ll need your receipt, or Target can look up your payment if you used a credit or debit card. If you lose your receipt, you can still return the item for a Target Merchandise Return Card. Target-owned brands can be returned within one year. Items can be returned in-store or by mail with a prepaid return mailing label from order details.Target reserves the right to deny returns, refunds, and exchanges if they suspect fraud or abuse. Refunds may be made as a Merchandise Return Card instead of the original form of payment.
• Kohl’s:  Items bought after Nov. 1 can be returned until Jan. 31. Kohl’s accepts most returns with or without a receipt within 90 days of purchase for non-Kohl’s Card transactions and 120 days of purchase for Kohl’s Card transactions. Premium electronics and watches must be returned within 30 days of purchase with the original packaging and a valid receipt or account/tender lookup. But purchases during the holiday season for premium electronics, watches, and Sephora At Kohl’s items bought after Nov. 1 can be returned until Jan. 31. Beauty purchases (including Sephora At Kohl’s), must be new or in gently used condition and must be returned within 60 days from purchase and with a valid receipt or account lookup. Sephora products that are marked as final sale cannot be returned. Items purchased from a gift registry may be returned up to 365 days after purchase date with gift receipt or original receipt. Returns may be subject to a third-party verification process and system approval. Items purchased in-store must be returned to a Kohl’s store. [Change: Tightened rule on returns without a receipt. A manager has more discretion to deny a return, especially if damaged or opened, and can refuse returns if it suspects deception.]
• Macy’s: Most purchases made from Oct. 7 through Dec. 31 can be returned until Jan. 31. Shipping and delivery fees are non-refundable. New or gently used cosmetic or fragrance products that don’t meet your needs will be accepted for return. Items purchased in a store must be returned to a store. Items purchased online can be returned to a  store or by initiating the return online. Items shipped and sold by third-party sellers (like Amazon) can be returned to a store or by initiating the return online. On gift registry returns, time limits for gift registry returns are calculated from the event date. If the item was purchased prior to the occasion or event date, items may be exchanged or returned (with receipt) 90 days from the event date. If the item was purchased after the occasion or event date, items may be exchanged or returned (with receipt) 90 days from the purchase date.
• Staples: Returns allowable within 1 year with a receipt or original package. If you paid in a store with cash, debit card, or a check, and you have your receipt, you get a refund in cash. If purchased in a store using a debit card, and if the card and PIN code are present during the refund, you’ll get an account credit. For purchases in a store or via staples.com by a credit card, you’ll get a credit to your account.
• Walmart: No cash back for unreceipted returns under $10. You can return most items within 90 days of purchase or receipt. You can return most consumer electronics within 30 days and most wireless phones within 14 days. You can return an item without a receipt if you have a valid government-issued photo ID that matches the information in Walmart’s database. You can start an online return by selecting Purchase History in your account, then selecting View Details, Start a Return. No returns for firearms and ammunition, air guns, airsoft guns, BB guns, and crossbows, pepper spray and bear protection/spray, diabetic supplies, home diagnostic testing kits, hygienic medical equipment, items containing pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, or phenylpropanolamine, ovulation and pregnancy tests.

Now you know. But you should check these – and other retailers – to be sure.

Happy New Year, readers!

NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected] (“Consumer” in subject line), and, with the power of the press, maybe I can help.

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