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Show SECTION E EDITOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2007 Elyssa Andrus eandrusheraldextra.com 344-255- 3 Karen Hoag Easy Does It w ' r DELICIOUS WELSH TREAT Joan t " V fTf 'tt "7 V growing up with mother who was a marvelous cook but kept her recipes to herself . Retired now after raising nine children, Joan is the author of "Daily Meal Planner" published , by Cedar Fort ($ 19.99). It has dozens of recipes within its pages. "As we grew up we didn't know how to cook very well," Joan said. "I was young and could care less. ... In mother's later years we found her recipes." One such recipe from Lucy Griffith Hurst is English Bakestones, or Welsh Cakes, as Joan 09 CROrtEAasociaed Press LARRY sit on a plate next to a menorah on Nov. 5. While the oil used in cooking during Hanukkah you can keep the important ingredient while staying healthy with a few changes in technique when making these Oven-Criip- Brady, 77, of Provo, Potato Latkes is deeply symbolic, Oven-Crispe- Potato d calls them. r - I ff X hJ v. J - I XsL? L.v ? Mi Mi ' t ' J if .. - - ' (Br l- - 1-- s She plans a healthy meal .Celebrate Festival of Lights with latkes lite Julie Wiener THE ASSOCIATED PRESS deep-fryin- anukkah can make a healthy diet hard to follow. But what do you Jewish expect from an eight-da- y holiday focused on oil and the .wonderful ways it can be used to prepare food? Which doesn't mean a healthy approach to the Festival of Lights, as Hanukkah also is known, is impossible. It simply requires an understanding qf oil and how to use it. i Symbolism Oil and oily foods are part of the Hanukkah tradition because they symbolize a cle at the Temple of Jerusalem. The Jews had just a day's worth of consecrated oil for the temple's eternal flame, yet the flame burned for eight days, the time needed to press and consecrate new oil To represent that today, Jews often eat latkes (deep-frie- d potato pancakes) and jelly But doughnuts (also traditionally eight days of such goodies can leave you feeling a bit weighed down. Liza Schoenfein, editor of Jewish Living deep-fried- THE ASSOCIATED PRESS This recipe for traditional potato latkes uses a cooking technique substituting the oven for ofl. Crisping the latkes in the oven instead of a pot of oil cuts the fat significantly. Using a food processor (rather than a box grater) to shred the potatoes and onions speeds up this recipe. Oven-crispe- d Potato Latkes magazine, says celebrants sometimes forget that it is the oil, not the that is symbolic of the holiday. "There's no reason the oil has to be for frying," she says. The tradition of incorporating oil into the meal can be made modern by drizzling a flavorful, beautiful olive oil onto steamed vegetables or fish. ). Understanding frying works by immersing food in until the interior typically 350 F is cooked and the exterior is crispy, but not burnt, says Harold McGee, author of "On Food And Cooking," a primer on the science Deep-fryin-g hot oil to a mesh strainer white onion, shredded 1 2 medium shallots, minced (about 'A cup) 11 teaspoon salt 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 2 pieces wholewheat matzo (&by6inches), broken into pieces I V4 teaspoon white pepper 1 3 tablespoons peanut occurs. Food begins to absorb oil immediately, including oil left on the surface, when cooling begins, because the "water vapor inside the food begins to contract and sucks oil into nooks and crannies." This is why blotting food after frying is a good idea. Also key: Maintain oil at the proper temperature to minimize absorption during cooking. oil or extravirgin olive oil, divided Start to inWc 1 how 20 minutes In a medium bowl, toss (60 mtnutes acttvo) Mako 12 krtkoo together the shredded potato, onion, shallots and salt. Transfer the mixture set over a large bowL Let drain for about 15 minutes. Squeeze the potato mixture, a handful at a time, over the bowl to release excess moisture (dont as some moisture should remain). Transfer the squeezed potato to another large bowL Carefully pour off the liquid in the first bowl, leaving behind the pasty white sediment (potato starch). Add the starch to the potato mixture, then stir in the egg. Put the matzo in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin to crush into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs and pepper over the over-squeez- e, zip-clo- 3H-inc- the latkes to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with take Bakestones Rebecca Hays, managing editor of Cook's Illustrated magazine, says her staff conduct- potato mixture and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate until the matzo is soft, 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil Stir the potato mixture. Scoop lA cup of the potato mixture into the pan, pressing with the back of a spath ula to flatted into a cake. Repeat to cook a total of four latkes at a time. Cook until'crispy and golden, about lVi to 3 minutes per side. Transfer Christmas, said Joan. "We gifts to a nursing home or a drug rehab center. I like this a lot better giving food, clothing and gifts to others. It focuses on what I can do for others." She hopes the example rubs off on the grandchildren. Besides the buffet, Joan will make bakestones for whoever is at her home over the holidays. "It makes a good Christmas breakfast," she said. Lucy's English What to do about it ed an experiment a few years ago to determine how much fat was absorbed by chicken He says many people are surprised to while frying. learn that when the oil is this hot, food does They measured the oil before and after not absorb much. This is partly because oil frying, and it turned out there was exactly and water dont mix well, and most foods are as much oil in the pan after frying as before. about 80 percent water. . Shocked, the staff repeated the experiment "When the surface of the food gets up to several times, always with the same results. the temperature of the oil, which happens The trick, Hays says, is "to keep the oil at the proper temperature." quickly, the surface starts boiling off its waFor latkes, that's generally about 350 F, ter, and that means the surface begins to dry while doughnuts are cooked in slightly hotter out, which is why you end up with a crust," McGee says. It's when the food cools that the problem See LATKES, D2 potatoes, scrubbed and shredded (about 2 potatoes) I I medium j of food. I Impounds russet be- cause "by then everybody has been gorging on candy." (A bubbly drink Joan prepares for the buffet is simply adding 2 quarts of Sprite to a can of frozen white grape juice concentrate.) Joan wisely resorts to paper plates so she can relax after "working so hard getting everything ready" for Christmas. , Compassionate service is the name of the game at the Brady's -W ; $ "Bakestones are halfway between a pancake and a cookie," Joan said. "It's strange but you use no oil. You mix them, roll them out, cut them and fry them on a hot griddle with no oil." She said you can sprinkle them with sugar or serve with butter and jam but they "ate them plain as children." Family members gather at Joan's house for a Christmas buffet with cheeses, ham, turkey, vegetable and fruit trays. remaining ingredients, adding 1 tablespoon of oil each batch, until all latkes have been fried. Reduce the heat as needed to prevent scorching the oiL Once all the latkes are on the baking sheet, bake until heated through, about 10 minutes. Nutrition information per latke: 108 calories; 4 g fat (1 g saturated, 2 g monounsatu-rated)- ; 18 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 204 mg sodium. Recipe from EatingWelL com, the Web site for EatingWell magazine I Vi cup shortening I cup sugar 2 eggs 2 cups flour teaspoons baking powder I teaspoon salt Va teaspoon nutmeg 1 1 H 1 cup milk cup soaked or boiled raisins Cream shortening, sugar and eggs. Mix dry ingredients in separate bowl and add to shortening mixture. Mix in milk and raisins, stirring gently. Roll out dough on floured board and cut with round cookie cutter. Fry each side on pan until golden browa Sprinkle warm cakes with sugar and serve with butter and jam. I Note: Boiling makes the raisins a little more tender. Do this ahead of time and cool before adding to batter, Joan said. Do you have a favorite family recipe passed down for generations? Or a recipe your family asks for time and , again? Please share and send it to Karen Hoag at khoag 5 heraldextra.com, fax to or mail to the Daily Herald, P.O. Box 71 7, Provo, Utah 84603. Include your name, age, profession, city of residence and phone number where you can be reached. 344-298- |