Pancake Tuesday is on the agenda

So once we get Groundhog Day, Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day out of the way, then of course it’s time for Shrove/Fat Tuesday (aka Mardis Gras) or as I like to call it, “Pancake Tuesday.”

Usually pancakes are regulated to the weekend mornings only, but they’re also a way to spruce up a Tuesday night. Tuesdays can be depressing because they are still an eternity away from Fridays!

Of course, the origin of Shrove Tuesdays was to

▢ 2 large eggs

▢ 1/4 cup flour

▢ 6 green onions

Chef Duff

Recipes from the chef's table use up perishables such as dairy products before starting Lent where some Christians will sometimes practice fasting or giving up certain indulgences whilst preparing for Easter.

Variations of potato pancakes (e.g. latke, rosti) can be found in many European and Slavic cultures throughout the world.

Now we’re doing a variation on a variation by using sweet potatoes.

It’s important to remember that sweet potatoes are lower in starch than white potatoes so need the eggs and flour to help glue them together.

As these potatoes are sweeter, they are well complemented with maple syrup although can be used in a more savoury context as a complement to eggs or a replacement for a potato to serve with a meat or protein entrée.

Sweet Potato Pancakes

▢ 1 lb sweet potato ▢ Salt/pepper to taste

1. Whisk together eggs, flour, seasoning in bowl.

2. Wash peel and grate potatoes.

3. Combine all together, and also mix in green onion.

4. Heat pan on medium heat and add enough oil to cover bottom of pan.

5. Ladle out pancakes, say 1/3 – 1/2 cup per, into pan.

Mayo

More than

▢ Cooking oil as needed enlargement of the spleen and liver. Polycythemia vera also can progress to acute leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow.

7. Allow to cook for 4-5 minutes and then flip over for another 2 minutes or so to allow to cook through.

⚠ Note: They must be browned before flipping, however if brown before 4 minutes then your burner is too high – you might want to make one first to experiment with the heat.

Treatment of polycythemia vera focuses on controlling symptoms and decreasing the risk of blood clots or bleeding. Therapies often include a daily dose of aspirin and reducing the amount of red blood cells by periodically drawing blood from a vein. In some high-risk patients, medication may be used to decrease the number of red blood cells or to suppress the bone marrow’s ability to produce blood cells. People who require medi-

Clinical Trials Are Underway

cation typically include those older than 60, people who have previously had blood clots or bleeding, people who are at high risk of heart disease, and those with significantly elevated platelet counts.

The three main drugs used to treat polycythemia vera and lower blood counts have been hydroxyurea, peginterferon alfa-2a and ruxolitinib. Hydroxyurea is the typical first therapy, as it works well and has the least side effects. Ruxolitinib is unique in that it targets the JAK2 mutation directly. The most recently approved drug is ropeginterferon alpha 2b-njft. It was approved in November 2021. It also works to reduce red blood cell production and decrease the risk of blood clots. Patients who progress to myelofibrosis or acute leukemia may need chemotherapy, a bone marrow stem cell transplant or both to treat the disease.

Over 250 clinical trials are being conducted on polycythemia vera. The research includes new drugs, as well as therapies for controlling symptoms and reducing the risk of progression to myelofibrosis and acute leukemia.

ↆ Mayo Clinic Q & A is an educational resource and doesn’t replace regular medical care. E-mail a question to MayoClinicQ&A@mayo.edu. For more information, visit www. mayoclinic.org.