"natural" news and stories

All it takes to enjoy caramel is a sweet tooth and, fortunately, I happen to have a large one. I say fortunately, because that sweet tooth is what prompted me to try Caramoo caramels at the SF Winter Fancy Foods Show this weekend. The all-natural caramels are loaded with European butter and full-cream milk, hand made in small batches and individually wrapped. They have the unusual property of being delicate and crumbly, so that with each bite the candies almost seem to dissolve on your tongue. It is a sharp contrast to the very commonly found chewy caramels, but a welcome one, as each buttery candy is incredibly satisfying. They come in original and honey flavors. The latter clearly tastes like honey, but I happened to have a slight preference for the classically flavored original.

The company also stocks Caramoo Creme Fudge in Chocolate, Vanilla and Mocha, each of which starts with the same caramel base as the original caramels and ends with a product that is light, creamy and delicious.

Most of the candies seem to be heading towards wholesalers at the moment, but you can easily place an individual order on the company's website.

The strawberry milk that is sold by Horizon Organics is white, unlike the pink strawberry milks sold by some of its competitors. The company is having a hard time finding a natural, organic coloring to give it the familiar color that consumers associate with strawberry-flavored milk.

And they are not alone.

For a company to use the "USDA Organic" label, the ingredients must be organic and the colorings must be natural. The colorings must be from organic ingredients for a product to claim that it is 100% organic. Fresh produce and other products don't usually have issues with colorings, but other organic products do, which can give them a disadvantage in the marketplace because consumers expect their food items to look a certain way. Strawberry milk, for example, is generally a shade of pink.

So organic food processors are looking for natural plant sources that will produce the colors they want and trying to encourage farmers to produce organic versions. Beets are used for red, carrots for orange and turmeric for yellow in many products, but many categories are left without coloring. To help alleviate the problem and not put organics at a disadvantage, the National Organic Standards Board is planning to meet this spring "to devise a precise list of natural colors that can be used in organic foods until organic colors are commercially available."

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The words "all natural" on the packaging of Capri Sun juice drinks have prompted a Florida woman to file a lawsuit against Kraft Foods, Inc., the drink's producer, the Associated Press reported. Assisted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Linda Rex of Boynton Beach, Fla., claims that the inclusion of high fructose corn syrup is what makes the drink in the little silver pouch less than "all natural." You might remember the CSPI from when they filed and then withdrew lawsuits against Kentucky Fried Chicken over trans-fat use last year, or for their similar actions against Starbucks. A recent press release from CSPI points out that the organization has also challenged 7UP's use of the word "natural." A statement from Kraft says that the "all natural" label was already on the way out and will soon be replaced with packaging that claims "no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives,'' the AP reported. CSPI's always-witty executive director Michael Jacobson, coiner of phrases such as "venti-sized health problems" and "Kentucky Fried coronary," said HCFS "would more accurately be called 'Fresh from the Factory.'"

I have had good luck when I have tried my hand at making dairy-free ice creams in the past, so the idea of a whole cookbook devoted to them is appealing, if for no other reason than it would expand my dessert horizons. Vice Cream: Over 70 Sinfully Delicious Dairy-Free Delights is full of wonderfully creamy and creative desserts that are all vegan and suitable for anyone with lactose/dairy intolerance. There is even a selection of completely raw recipes, which you probably won't find anywhere else.

Many cookbooks that focus on specific dietary requirements also cast an eye towards health conscious recipes, which is not the priority in this book. The recipes here are intended to be at least as rich as "real" ice cream and just as satisfying by using ingredients like maple syrup, agave nectar, peanut butter, raw cashews and fresh fruits. The Vice Cream lineup features Chocolate Chip, Mint Carob Chip, Strawberry, Blueberry, Black Forest, Peanut Butter and Apple Strudel. The majority of the recipes are easy to prepare and have short ingredient lists, but you will definitely need an ice cream maker and something to blend all the vice cream bases together, like a food processor or blender. Top each serving of the finished product off with one of the topping recipes at the back of the book and you will have a dessert worthy of the description "sinfully delicious"

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I am always looking for alternative sweeteners to my standby, pure cane sugar. I really love the taste of maple syrup and jumped up and down in my chair when I just heard about Equinox Organic Maple Flakes with a teaspoon having half the calories of a teaspoon of sugar. Made in Quebec, Canada; Equinox Organic Maple Flakes are 100% pure, kosher, organic maple syrup that has been freeze dried at an extremely low temperature and made into small flakes. It dissolves fast, is sweet, and adds that great maple flavor as well. Suggestions for use are on pancakes, waffles, French toast; as well as in coffee, tea or hot chocolate. anywhere you would use sugar you can use maple flakes. Also they are great to use in a maple glaze for salmon or chicken, or you could just sprinkle them on top of fish and poultry, along with some other spices, and broil, for a quick and easy maple coated dish.

Equinox Maple Flakes come in regular maple and cranberry maple flavors in 4 oz. containers, and they also have an attractive Maple Flake Mill, pre-filled with 2.5 oz. of flakes so you can grind the flakes into a fine powder in the kitchen or at the table. So if you feel like a little luxury and a boost of maple taste try these maple flakes.They sound good to me. They are just launching in the United States and are available at Food Emporium in New York. As I find out any more info I will update this post.

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