| 19 March 2010
Tea and Crumpets by Margaret M. Johnson (Chronicle Books)
This one's for all you anglophiles out there who crave afternoon tea and its accompanying requisites, like tea sandwiches, scones, cookies and, of course, crumpets. The latter is what drew me to this book. For those of you who may be unfamiliar with this little delicacy, it's something of a cross between pancakes and English muffins -- brown and crisp on the bottom with a top that's covered in holes and crevasses. For years now, I have been on an unrelenting quest to find the best store-bought crumpets in Toronto. Why store-bought? Well, these are the most accessible. Unfortunately, out of the three or four brands I've tried, not one has won me over. In each case, the crumpet leaves a bitter aftertaste.
The other option is to visit one of the many tea houses around the city in the hopes of finding one that serves up fresh crumpets. Again, you may be sorely disappointed. There aren't too many establishments that offer crumpets, let alone homemade ones. Although I realize that making them from scratch just isn't an option for many of us most of the time, it was really the only possibility left to me. All of the recipes that Johnson has compiled in this little book of 180 pages are those actually made every day in the tea houses, restaurants and hotels around Europe.
| 18 March 2010
If you've watched even a minimal amount of television or visited a grocery store lately, you'll have noticed the increasing number of ads for fruit drinks ending in "ade" and "beverage." As tasty as those drinks might be, the problem is that the wording and graphics on the containers mask the fact that the drinks are overloaded with sugar and lacking essential vitamins. Look closely at the label to find out if it's made with 100 per cent natural juice and is free of added sugars. Then, you can be sure to get a drink that's loaded with nutrients the body needs to stay healthy and strong.
Here's what you should look for:
1. Scrutinize wording carefully. "Drinks," "ades," and "cocktails" often contain added sugars and very little natural fruit juice.