What's the Sugar in your Diet?

HOW THE SUGAR SUBSTITUTES STACK UP

SACCHARIN (SWEET'N LOW SUGAR, SUGAR TWIN)
THE OLDEST ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER,

DISCOVERED 1879, first sold to the public in 1884, but became popular during sugar shortages in World War 1.
HOW IT'S MADE anthranilic acid, sulfur dioxide and chlorine are combined with ammonia.
FLAVOR about 300 times sweeter than sugar. Its pronounced sweetness comes on immediately with a slight bitter or metallic aftertaste.
COST 1.9 cents a packet.

ASPARTAME (EQUAL, NUTRASWEET)
THE MOST COMMON ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER IN SODA

DISCOVERED 1965, first sold to the public in 1998
HOW IT'S MADE the amino acids aspartics acid and phenylalanine are combined with methanol, an alcohol.
FLAVOR 200 times sweeter than sugar, It has a very forward, sweet taste with a sharp, clean finish.
COST 3.3 cents a packet.

SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA)
THE BEST-SELLING TABLETOP SWEETENER IN THE UNITED STATES. POPULAR WITH BAKERS AND FOOD MANUFACTURERS

DISCOVERED 1976, first sold to the public in 1998.
HOW IT'S MADE sugar is chemically altered by the addition of chlorine
FLAVOR 600 times sweeter than sugar. It lacks the sour bite or bitterness in some others. Still tastes like and artificial sweetener, but with a barely noticeable aftertaste.
COST 4 cents a packet.

STEVIA (TRUVIA, PUREVIA, SWEETLEAF)

EXTRACT FROM PLANT LEAVES, A HIGHLY PURIFIED FORM WAS APPROVED RECENTLY AS SAFE FOR USE IN FOOD.

DISCOVERED centuries ago, first sold for general use in 1971 in japan and last year in the united states.
HOW IT'S MADE sweetening agents called glycosides are removed from the leaves of the stevia plant.
FLAVOR 300 times sweeter than sugar. Its flavor is slow to start and can have a pronounced aftertaste that some describe as licorise or menthol. New versions have tamed that somewhat.
COST 9.9 cents a packet.

GRAPE JUICE: THE NEW ORANGE JUICE?

No matter if you have cereal or oatmeal in the morning, orange juice is the common juice of choice. Why wouldn't be, it is loaded with vitamin c, a vitamin keeps us healthy, it taste wonderful and it has always been recommended breakfast beverage. However a new study that was published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry is suggesting that we take that glass of morning orange juice and replace it with grape juice. In fact the study, which was conducted at the University of Glasgow, claims that grape juice may be the best juice to drink.

The antioxidant activity in fruit juices is believed to help ward off heart disease and other chronic diseases as well as help delay premature aging. In the study the juices were tested for the antioxidants that they contained. Oddly enough orange juice contained fewer polyphenols, strong antioxidants, than the other juices tested. Liked grape juice both apple juice which is good for a source of fiber, and cranberry juice, which promotes a healthy urinary tract functioning, contained a higher antioxidant activity than orange juice.

An interesting fact in the study was that it was funded by the National Grape Co-operative, which happens to be a group of farmers in the United States operated by welch's, a company quite popular and famous from their concord purple grape juice. In another study in France, which was also funded by Welch's Foods Inc., that was in Cardiovascular Research reported that concord grape juice promotes cardiovascular health.

There is no doubt that fruit juices in general are recommended as healthy beverages. In one study, researchers followed almost 2,000 men and women for up to 10 years. From this study they concluded that drinking fruit juices three times a week lowered the risk for Alzheimer's disease by 76 percent. As opposed to drinking fruit juices less than once a week

resources: foodconsumer.org and New York Times

Recipe: French pancakes "Crepes"

French pancakes are know as 'crepes', and they appear in regional variations throughout the country. They can be stuffed, rolled, gratineed with cheese, spread with jam and glaceed with powdered sugar, doused with brandy or rum, fried, sauteed, or flamed. 

 

Crepes are thin pancakes made from a batter containing eggs, very thin.

TIP: When you are making any kind of pastry you have to sift the flour before use and be precise in all the measurements because it will give better texture to your product or plate.

Crepes ingredients:

• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 250 milliliters (1 cup) milk
• 20 grams (2/3 ounces) beurre noisette*, cooled
• 125 grams (2 1/2 ounces) whole wheat flour

*Beurre noisette (cooking the butter in a pan until it gets a brown color)

Stuffing ingredients:

• 1 white onion
• 1 green sweet pepper
• 1 red sweet pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tomato
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Procedure (stuffing):

1. Peel and slice the onions
2. Rinse the green peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the core, large veins, and seeds. Slice in thin strips.
3. Gently heat the olive oil in a heavy - bottomed pot and add the onions. Sweat them slowly without coloring (low heat).
4. Lightly crush the garlic clove to peel it and add it to the onions. After about 8 minutes or so add the peppers. Season lightly and let the mixture stew for about 10 more minutes.
5. Monder* the tomato. Slice them into small medium cubes and add them to the onions mixture.
6. continue to stew the basquaise mixture until all the excess liquid has evaporated or until the mixture is really tender, remember to remove the garlic clove. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

*Monder Tomato (peel the tomato and squeeze the seeds out)

Procedure (Crepes)

1. Place the whole wheat flour, pinch of salt, pinch of sugar into a bowl and form a well
2. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and half of the milk together.
3. Now add the whisk eggs mixture into the bowl with the whole wheat flour and whisk constantly in the middle of the well until the mixture is smooth.
4. When the mixture is smooth, add the remaining milk. Strain the batter and let it rest for half hour minimum.
5. Add the beurre noisette (cooled) to the batter.
6. Clean and heat a small medium pan and add oil or clarified butter, pour off the excess.
7. With a ladle add 1 scoop of the batter and tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly and thinly across the bottom of the pan. Cook the Crepes over medium heat. Flip and cook the second side. Continue to make Crepes from the remaining batter. As they are made, lay them out on a sheet pan to cool. Once they are completely cooled, they may be stacked; do not stack hot Crepes

Cook for life!!!