Thursday, Oct. 8 2009 @ 8:00AM
 |
| Photos by Margaret Downing |
A new cookbook called The Worry-Free Bakery arrived in Eating...Our Words' inbox the other day. It both promoted the worth of sweet desserts, and promised recipes that were fat free.
Author Kumiko Ibaraki, a former public health nurse who left nursing to go to culinary school, later founding a culinary school of her own, has re-made a bunch of popular recipes to lower their fat.
Sugar, that's a-ok in Ibaraki's book. In fact, as she puts it: "Most people think of sugar as fattening, but it's okay. Your body burns it off fast so it's a safe ingredient to use. Your body can easily break down the sugar and convert it into energy."
She goes on to say that sugar "helps raise serotonin levels in your brain, which helps stabilize your mood.
"So, with that knowledge, be at ease and make as many treats as you want for you and your family."
Okay, seems like maybe we left the planet here (a planet where a whole bunch of hyper, obese kids live), but the photos are great, the instructions clear and the food looks delicious. So we turned the cookbook over to the Houston Press resident master baker, Babbette Sandoval, who a day later showed up with a tray of treats.
"I think they're okay," she said, "but I have to warn you, they do taste healthy."