A Healthier Approach to Hanukkah

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Frying foods properly is a key component to reducing the amount of fat that they absorb.

• Use high quality oil, so that any oil that you are consuming has less of a negative impact.

• When pan-frying latkes, use a small amount of oil. The level of the oil should reach just to the middle of the patty as it cooks. Potatoes tend to soak up a large amount of oil and take a relatively long time to cook, allowing half of the latke to be out of the oil means that less oil is absorbed.

• When deep-frying pastries, use a large amount of oil in a deep pan so that the dough can be completely submerged and cooked quickly.

• When both pan-frying and deep-frying, heat the oil to the proper temperature. When oil isn't hot enough it takes longer for foods to cook, and longer cooking time means they have more time to take in oil.

• Form smaller pieces so that they cook quickly and get less saturated.

• Never place fried food on paper towels to drain. The paper towels simply soak up the oil and then the food stays in contact with it. Instead, place cooked items on a cookie cooling rack over a cookie sheet. The space between the cooling rack and the pan allows the oil to drain off completely and it can't be reabsorbed.

The second step is to balance the meal. Reduce the impact of fried foods; serve smaller, daintier portions of them--they look prettier and help people to eat less. Also, these traditional foods should be the only high-fat item on the menu. All the other dishes on the table should be lower calorie and packed with vegetables, grains and heart-healthy fats.

This Hanukkah, try serving one of these delicious recipes as an entrée with a simple salad. Then your guests can enjoy their traditional treats without worrying about the consequences.

The following recipes are adapted with permission from Jewish Cooking for All Seasons ($34.95, Wiley, 2006). Laura Frankel is the chef and co-owner of Shallots, one of the top restaurants in Chicago and one of the best kosher restaurants in the United States. After working in hotel and restaurant kitchens, Frankel had a family and began maintaining a kosher home kitchen. Unable to find a restaurant venue for quality kosher cooking in Chicago, she opened Shallots in 1999, a restaurant offering kosher fine dining with a produce-driven menu. She ran Shallots NY for two years, but is now executive chef and co-owner of Shallots in Skokie, outside of Chicago. Frankel has taught cooking classes in Chicago, New York, Milwaukee, and in multiple places in California and New Jersey. For more information about Ms. Frankel check out www.lauraskosherkitchen.com