YumSugar

Do You Call it Skim Milk or Nonfat Milk?

YumSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:28:31 -0700

PetSugar and I recently got into a discussion over milk. I grew up knowing that there was whole milk, lowfat milk and nonfat milk. However she grew up calling nonfat milk skim milk. We think it might a coastal thing, but aren't sure. So tell me, what do you call it?

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Taste Test: Häagen-Dazs Tart Natural Frozen Yogurt

YumSugar — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:13:35 -0700

I'm one of the masses who's taken great advantage of the ballooning tart frozen yogurt trend. I make a pit stop at downstairs darling SoGreen at least once a week. But when Häagen-Dazs sent me its latest tart natural frozen yogurt flavor, I wanted to see if swapping it out for SoGreen was a possibility. Could it be the new replacement for my expensive frozen yogurt habit? The answer, after the jump.

Starbucks Gets Skinny For the New Year

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:01:31 -0800

Starbucks recently announced their new "skinny" drink ordering system, it's a system that's been in place for years, only it didn't have a name before. If you'd like your drink to be sugar-free, with non-fat milk and without whip cream, you can now order it "skinny" instead of listing off the criteria. I'm glad to see that Starbucks is bringing it to people's attention, however not everyone is loving the name. In fact, one barista has even gone as far as to write a letter to the corporate office.

The unnamed barista's letter reads more like a manifesto, however she does have some good points. She believes that the new ordering system will be confusing, especially if a customer wants whip or wants whole milk. Personally I don't think it's that weird, that's like having a regular, but with no-whip or non-fat. She also thinks it's one more thing for the customers to get confused by. I'll have to agree on this one, I still can't figure out why the tall is the small. However her biggest pet peeve is that she thinks it's politically incorrect. She points out that they don't call the whole milk versions obese, and she thinks overweight customers and employees might be offended or weirded out by it.

So what do you think? Do you have an opinion about Starbucks' skinny ordering system? I don't have a problem with the name, although I do wonder just how "skinny" these skinny drinks really are.

Should Coffeehouses Do Something About Drink Loopholes?

YumSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:30:24 -0800

At some Starbucks and other coffeehouses across the country, there are worse things brewing than bitter coffee - namely, nasty disputes over customized coffee drinks.

A recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune points out that customized drinks at Starbucks often cost less than specialty drinks. The customer profiled realized that after years of paying $3.90 plus tax for her skinny Cinnamon Dolce latte, she could make the same drink - for $0.40 less - by requesting a nonfat latte with a shot of cinnamon syrup. When her baristas caught on, they refused to cooperate with her order, charging her the price of the specialty drink instead.

Earlier this year, another drink was at the center of online coffee controversy. The ghetto latte, which is a double-shot of espresso (usually on ice) made into a latte with free milk and cream at the condiment bar, often costs less than half the price of a latte ordered by name.

Starbucks Corporation has responded with mixed answers. In the past, the company has said, "We trust our customers to make the choices that are right for them." Yet when prompted by the Star Tribune, a Starbucks rep stated that customers "should be charged the corresponding premium drink price."

Where do you stand? Should baristas be able to refuse requests for orders such as espresso on ice? Is Starbucks ripping off customers for so-called premium drinks? Or are customers taking advantage of the Starbucks ordering system?

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A Delicious Dessert Without All the Fat

partysugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 16:15:18 -0700

Rarely do I find a recipe whose ingredient list calls for reduced- or nonfat milk. I've always thought for the best results - especially when it comes to desserts - whole-fat milk should be used. However, when I saw this recipe for a rich, creamy, decadent crème brulee - that's made with 2 percent milk, I knew I had to give it a try. The process is simple, but takes some time because the vanilla bean steeps in the milk. To look at the recipe, a great one from MyRecipes.com, read more.

Vanilla Bean Crème Brulee
From Cooking Light

Ingredients

2 cups 2 percent reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup nonfat dry milk
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup sugar, divided
4 large egg yolks
Dash of salt

Get more recipes at MyRecipes.com

Directions

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat mixture over medium heat to 180°F or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil), stirring occasionally.
Remove milk mixture from heat. Cover and steep 30 minutes.
Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into milk mixture; reserve bean for another use.
Preheat oven to 300°F.
Combine 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolks, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
Gradually add milk mixture to egg yolk mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids.
Divide the mixture evenly among 4 (4-ounce) ramekins, custard cups, or shallow baking dishes. Place ramekins in a 13-x-9-inch baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch.
Bake at 300°F for 25 minutes or until center barely moves when ramekin is touched. Remove ramekins from the pan; cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.
Sift 1 tablespoon sugar evenly over each custard. Holding a kitchen blow torch about 2 inches from the top of each custard, heat the sugar, moving the torch back and forth, until sugar is completely melted and caramelized (about 1 minute). Serve crème brûlée immediately or within 1 hour. If you don't have a kitchen blow torch, you can make the sugar topping on the stovetop. Place 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water in a small, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 to 8 minutes or until golden. (Resist the urge to stir, since doing so may cause the sugar to crystallize.) Immediately pour the sugar mixture evenly over cold custards, spreading to form a thin layer.

Serves 4 (serving size: 1 crème brûlée).

Nutritional Information: CALORIES 262(26% from fat); FAT 7.5g (sat 3.1g,mono 2.6g,poly 0.8g); PROTEIN 11g; CHOLESTEROL 224mg; CALCIUM 328mg; SODIUM 177mg; FIBER 0.0g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 37.8g

Like the recipe above? Try out some of these other ones:

- 10 Cool and Creamy Desserts Under 300 Calories
- Entertaining Menus and Party Ideas
- Eat Smart at CookingLight.com
- Get More Dessert Recipes

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What Can Replace Heavy Cream?

YumSugar — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:11:22 -0800

So you took the recipe for Penne with Parmesan Cream and Prosciutto home only to realize you didn't have any heavy cream. You probably thought, great I'll just make this some other time. But wait! You can use a simple culinary substitution to ensure that your dish will still turn out.

To substitute 1 cup of heavy cream, mix 3/4 cup of milk and 1/3 cup of butter/margarine (melted and cooled). Just don't try to whip this, it won't work. Many people insist that it can only be substituted with whole milk (as opposed to skim or non-fat), however I say in a pinch, give it a try and see what you end up with - but if it's for an important feast, you may just want to run to the store.