Caring For Your Life

Healthy Latkes … are possible

Is it possible to make a healthy latke? The answer is yes…but what are latkes?

Latkes are also known as potato pancakes. The word latke is of Yiddish origin and may have possibly come from Russia or Germany. As Jews immigrated to the United States, so did the tradition of preparing latkes. 

Latkes are shallow-fried pancakes made of grated, raw potatoes (usually russets), egg, salt and are sometimes are flavored with a bit of green onion. The latkes are patted into patties, usually about 2 inches in diameter. Once formed, the latkes are fried in heated oil until they are golden brown on each side. Latkes are usually served hot and may be accompanied by applesauce, sour cream or both. 

Latkes are a traditional dish often served during Hanukkah. They have gained popularity as a Hanukkah dish because they are fried in oil, commemorating the lamp oil in the biblical story that miraculously provided light for eight days.

Some believe that during Hanukkah, latkes should be made with cheese instead of potatoes. During ancient times, latkes could not have been composed of potatoes because potatoes are a New World food. Instead, it is thought that latkes were made with grated cheese and a bit of egg, and then fried. However, the introduction of the potato to Europe in the 18^th century forever changed the latke.

Today, ancient latke recipes containing cheese are often forsaken in preference to a potato latke. Many families prepare these pancakes from recipes that are over 100 years old. Therefore, even though the recipes are not prepared as in ancient times, potato latkes have a rich history as well.

Potato pancakes are also a traditional food of many other ethnic groups and nationalities, including Hungarians, Poles, Ukrainians, Germans and Russians, among others. A form of the potato pancake known as the “Boxty” is a popular traditional dish in most of Ireland, and the Swedish version of the potato pancake is called rarakor. 

As you can see, Latkes, potato pancakes or any of the various versions such as potato doughnuts, potato cakes, potato waffles, hash browns, Gamjajeon, Rosti, Boxty, bubble and squeak are popular worldwide.

The secret to making a  healthy latke is to pan fry it in a small amount of oil (1 or 2 tablespoons) for only a couple of minutes and then place it in an oven and cook it until it is golden brown and crunchy. 

Here is one link to a healthy Latke Recipe, but search the web and look at low-fat cookbooks for many other versions.

Since ancient times, cinnamon has been one of the world’s favorite spices. The sweet aroma of cinnamon is an unmistakable fragrant scent that fills the air in bakeries and coffee shops. Oh, the smell of a cinnamon roll or cinnamon bread baking in a hot oven! Yummmmmmmmm!

Cinnamon is actually the bark from the tender shoots on the laurel tree, a tropical evergreen tree. The bark is stripped and dried, giving it the curled up look that we know as cinnamon sticks. During the fast-approaching holiday season, cinnamon sticks are used for decorations around the house and to provide the house with a pleasant seasonal scent. Cinnamon is also ground into a fine powder and used in the kitchen for baking or cooking.

Cinnamon has an interesting history. It has been recognized for both its taste and medicinal uses by the Egyptians, ancient Romans, Chinese, modern Europeans and others who consider the spice more precious than gold. Cinnamon was first mentioned in a Chinese botanical book written around 2700 BC. The Egyptians drank it and used it in the embalming process, while the Romans burned it during funerals. Others used it as a preservative to delay the growth of bacteria in meat and to mask odors. More recently, cinnamon has been studied for its health benefits.

The health benefits of cinnamon that were discovered over 5,000 years ago continue to be studied today. Some recent studies show that these health benefits  include improving the insulin response of people with Type 2 diabetes, controlling blood sugar, reducing the risk of blood clots, boosting brain power as well as improving colon and heart health. One study showed that chewing cinnamon gum or smelling cinnamon improves attention span, memory and motor speed.

Cinnamon is also said to help relieve congestion, digestive upset, stiff joints and muscles. Since cinnamon has an anti-inflammatory process, some believe that it may help reduce arthritis pain. 

Here is a surprising fact: Did you know that cinnamon is a source of calcium, manganese, iron and fiber? This makes cinnamon very beneficial to our colon health, because the calcium and fiber in cinnamon bind to the bile salts that often damage the colon cells. It will be interesting to see if there will be any future research studies on whether cinnamon can actually help reduce cholesterol, because once the bile is removed, the body has to break down cholesterol to make more bile. I think that I’ll be stopping by the store tonight to buy some cinnamon gum and candy.

I love cinnamon and use it daily in my oatmeal and in my cappuccino. The recommendations that I have call for adding 1 teaspoon of cinnamon per day to your diet to potentially gain the health benefits that cinnamon is thought to have. Cinnamon tea anyone?