Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat and set aside.

Place the potato chips in a plastic or paper bag and squeeze the bag a few times with both hands to break the pieces just a bit; they should be coarse, not fine. (I opened the top of the potato chip bag to let air escape, and then rolled over it a few times with a rolling pin.) They should measure 2 packed cups. Set aside.

Break the walnuts into large pieces; set aside.

Sift together the flour and baking soda; set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer beat the butter until soft. Add the vanilla and sugar and beat until mixed. Add the eggs and beat to mix. Then add the sifted dry ingredients and beat on low speed only until incorporated. Add the oatmeal and beat to mix. Now you can do as Maida Heatter does and stir in the raisins, cherries, nuts, and potato chips by hand with a wooden spoon; or you can do as I did and just add them all to the mixer and beat just until everything’s distributed (but no longer, or the cookies will be tough).

Use a small ice cream scoop (2-inches in diameter) to scoop out 1/4-cup portions of dough. Flatten the cookies with damp hands to about 3/4-inch thickness and place eight cookies per cookie sheet, spaced two inches apart.

Bake two sheets at a time for 18 to 20 minutes, reversing the sheets from top to bottom and front to back twice during baking. When done, the cookies should be lightly browned all over. Do not overbake.

Let them cool briefly, then with a wide metal spatula transfer them to racks to cool.