Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Chiffon cake and coconut water


Few days ago I made sourdough bread with dried mixed herbs. It smelled awesome while baking, but unfortunately the taste wasn’t very herby. I had it with chorizo and it had a subtle but pleasant mild aftertaste. This reminded me of one of the most delicious breads I ever had. It was made with sundried tomato. I tried making it at home once but it was nowhere near as delicious. It is probably because I had it in a pleasant environment, and was in a good mood. The surprising thing is that I haven’t seen sundried tomato flavor bread anywhere. But it was one of the nicest breads I ever had. Maybe I have weird taste.


Today's Favourite Photo
Strawberry Hokkaido chiffon cupcakes



Today’s Favourite Blog
Source: The Guardian
Coconut water has been becoming more popular. Perhaps the reason is its nutritional profile. But is it really as magical as we think it is. 

According to Dana James, a nutritionist, "Coconut water is rich in potassium, which enhances the body's ability to hydrate, making it perfect to drink after exercise". "People drink it as a hangover remedy for the same reason. The magnesium also helps to enhance hydration."

On the other hand a 2011 report by the LA Times took a slightly different view. Some nutritionists contest its value as a post-exercise drink, because it contains more potassium than sodium, but "we lose more sodium than potassium [when we exercise] and coconut water cannot really replace it," says Sue Baic, a registered dietician and nutritionist. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of evidence to support claims for sports recovery."

So it seems the conclusion is that coconut water is healthy, best consumed in moderation and perhaps not the ideal post exercise drink. Coconut water fans might be a little disappointed with this conclusion.  

PS: the article started off by saying “Coconut water contains natural sugars and some important vitamins and minerals”
One reader said “Please could you define "natural" in this context and explain why "natural" glucose is different to unnatural glucose.”
Another reader answered “Unnatural glucose mean it was added by a man/woman in a factory. Natural glucose mean it was put there by God/Richard Dawkins.”

18 comments:

  1. Thanks for choosing my Hokkaido chiffon cupcake as your favourite!

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  2. Hhahahaha!!! That's hilarious! but a good answer (the last answer) :D
    Well, in that case, I too, have weird taste. Had a lot of sun-dried tomato focaccia in Italy some time ago, loved it and tried to make it at home. It's good but somehow not the same. I believe you're correct to say it could be the environment and mood that could have affected our taste for that moment. Or, it could well be the quality of the flour and other ingredients ... oven too!
    Ooo ... Sonia's Hokkaido cakes. I've made those (the earlier basic one, not these strawberry ones) and enjoyed them too quickly and forgot all about pictures :)

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    1. And I suppose also if you pay for something (in a good environment) you are more likely to enjoy it (unless the food is totally crap)
      Sun dried focaccia sounds really awesome. What I had was simple bun at a hotel. I liked the hotel a lot, this may have influenced by taste buds!

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  3. Those Hokkaido cakes are very cute. Hehe your head must spin at all of these findings-do you find that the results are often opposing?

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    1. Most times the findings are conflicting, but thats the fun part of it:)

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  4. Healthy or not, good or bad. I love coconut juice specially when they are ice cold, way much better than coke

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    1. I still prefer icy cold beer to icy cold coconut water:)

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  5. My conclusion to the coconut information is: let's try it when we have a hangover! As for sugar, isn't it fructose rather than glucose then? Actually I have a medecine-related scientist in my family who said that fructose is worse than glucose (i.e. white sugar) for people who watch their weight or/and diet because it transforms itself much quicker and more efficiently into body fat. Of course fruits have vitamins, fibers.... but if someone lacks energy (we need sugar for energy) it's better to have just white sugar. I still remember the time when fructose was "à la mode" as a sugar replacement in pastry because it's sweeter and people would use less of it. When this scientist saw it in my cupboard she said I had to throw it away!
    Anyway, I always admire people who bake bread. I don't because its sounds very complicated, long and most of all I would be afraid to eat the whole bread alone (my husband is not as addicted to carbs as I am!). The dried tomato one sounds fantastic and reminds me of this http://www.withaglass.com/?p=10283 (it's not a bread, but it's savoury and delicious!).

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    1. Totally agree, the hangover test is necessary:) I've read about rum/coconut water combination - something to keep in mind.
      According to http://www.livestrong.com/article/124342-difference-between-fructose-sucrose/: Sucrose is white table sugar, made up of glucose and fructose. Fructose is a sugar found in fruit, honey and fruit juice. So white sugar has both fructose and glucose. I don't know how much glucose it contains - I suspect quite little. I think you threw away glucose which is probably good. I remember glucose as a white powder from long time ago, haven't seen it in ages.
      I remember your savoury cakes - its on my to make list:)

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    2. Rum+coconut water!!! Wow! It sounds awesome (and not girly-sweet stuff like all those cocktails with coconut milk...). I threw away fructose (it was sugar made from fruits). I had no idea that white sugar contained also fructose... Thank you!
      I will start making more savoury cakes for Christmas this year :-) Maybe I will think of a new mixture of ingredients... It's endless really keeping the same batter recipe. If you prepare them from my recipe, make sure you add either curd/fresh cheese or silken tofu, otherwise it will be dry. (Other recipes add lots of oil to make it moist). Good luck! I hope you will enjoy experimenting with cakes and I'm sure you will end up making very original versions (herring???)

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    3. Thank, I might give herring cake a try. It might turn out OK - there is only one way to find out:)

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  6. I love the look of those chiffon cupcakes and lovely to see them square rather than round. I keep hearing that coconut water is good for you but I haven't jumped on the bandwagon yet! xx

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  7. You gotta be careful with herbs in bread - some herbs just don't lend themselves well to baking at all... I think the best are probably rosemary, sage, oregano and thyme (well - all the oily herbs, but especially those in my opinion). Still need to make a sourdough starter though. Gah, it's been something I've been meaning to do for like 2 years already :p

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    1. Thanks. Getting started with the starter is the hardest part:)

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  8. Coconut seems to be everywhere right now, water, oil for cooking. Its just the latest craze.

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