FAQ

No. In general I don't use anything in my recipes that has been manufactured in a lab or by chemical engineers/scientists. It's just not the way I roll. I always recommend that people use no chemical sweeteners at all, but use natural sugars instead. The best thing to do is avoid all artificial and chemical sweetener substitutes. They have NO food value and they trick the body into thinking it is eating something sweet. Some say that they have by-products of harmful toxic side effects. The side effects most often reported in relation to chemical sweeteners is headache, migraine, mood changes, dizziness, depression, nausea and more. I don't know how much of these can be attributed to sweeteners alone (and I don't care to find out for myself) but whatever nature doesn't produce in some form, I'm not eating.

Curd Cheese is a fairly low fat cheese which is similar to soft cheese/cream cheese. I have used it in cheesecakes and it holds well during baking. You can use low fat Philadelphia Cheese instead of curd cheese. I am however not fond of using soft cheese in general and my cheesecakes are the only recipes where I would use it.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a food additive often used as a ‘flavour enhancer' in fast food, dried food (such as soups), snacks, crips and tinned and frozen food. Chemically speaking, MSG is the sodium salt of glutamic acid (thus, the name monosodium glutamate). Glutamate may be described as E621, glutamic acid, autolysed yeast extract or sodium caseinate. MSG may also be included under vague descriptions such as ‘seasonings', 'flavourings', 'flavour enhancers' or ‘hydrolysed protein'.

The potential ill-effects caused by MSG were first described in a medical journal as ‘Chinese Restaurant Syndrome'. Symptoms including numbness and palpitations were reported shortly after visiting a Chinese restaurant. Such claims have never been specifically linked to MSG however, and could be due to common allergies to other ingredients like peanuts and shellfish. MSG has however been linked to many conditions including migraines, rashes, brain tumours, asthma, depression and Alzheimer's and Parkison's Disease, although it has never been isolated as a cause (well they said the same for smoking and lung cancer for a long, long time). Some scientists say that avoiding MSG is hysteria and that people won't become sick from eating it. I would personally never consume MSG because food tastes plenty good without it in my opinion and why rock the boat in terms of your health?

Tofu (bean curd) is made from soybeans, water and a coagulant, or curdling agent. Tofu has very little flavour on its own, so it can be used either in savoury or sweet dishes, and it is often seasoned or marinated to suit the dish. It is low in fat, high in protein, iron and calcium and is known for its ability to absorb new flavors through spices and marinades. A stable in Asian diet, it is mainly used in the Western world by vegans and vegetarians in place of dairy or meat. Look for tofu in the produce section of your grocery store (or health food store). There are two main kinds of tofu, silken or soft tofu (often used instead of dairy products in smoothies, frosting and more), and firm or regular tofu (marinated and cooked and used instead of meat). When using firm tofu you will need to drain the water and press it using a kitchen towel to remove excess liquid. For silken tofu you can use it as it is.